Most pupils are curious about the natural world showing a great love for it, and learning in natural environment has a great impact on their behaviour, attitude toward science learning and learning achievements (OFSTED, 2008; Natural England, 2012). Hopefully this enthusiasm will influence their future choices as well. We propose an outdoor science experience in a kind of terrestrial extreme environment, Bossoleto mofette (Mofeta del Bossoleto, Rapolano Terme, Siena), where pupils can approach different disciplines. Many school teachers of the villages nearby the site, have been wishing to show this special and inaccessible location to students, because of its singular value and because it allows an interdisciplinary experience. This site is a doline formed by collapse of the parent rock underneath, namely fractured travertine. The area is characterized by natural emissions of CO 2 from soil and caves and water resurgences. A CO 2 lake (Kies et al., 2015) forms every night with CO 2 concentration close to 85% at one meter from the ground. This high concentration of CO 2 and the typical geomorphology of the area cause also an extreme greenhouse effect during the daytime, which drives adaptation responses in the biological communities here living. Students from primary and secondary schools, guided by researchers in an experiential field trip, learn about many scientific aspects of this unusual place, making a multidisciplinary experience about geology (geological aspects like formation and weathering of travertine), botany (species, physiological adaptations), biocenosis (living communities), gas and climatology (gas concentrations and properties, greenhouse effect). The visit includes explanations but also direct observations and measurements. This study reports about the results of a pre-post survey on a sample of primary school students about (i) their attitude toward science, (ii) expectations about the experience and, after the field trip about satisfaction (iii) and achievements (iv) in terms of knowledge transfer, raise of curiosity and interest. Finally, an example of authentic assessment for upper secondary school is here presented, proposed after the outdoor activity, which could be useful to test competence and skill in geoscience learning at the end of the first biennium level.
Primary and secondary school students explore geosciences in extreme environment: attitude and knowledge acquisition
F Ugolini;S Di Lonardo;
2017
Abstract
Most pupils are curious about the natural world showing a great love for it, and learning in natural environment has a great impact on their behaviour, attitude toward science learning and learning achievements (OFSTED, 2008; Natural England, 2012). Hopefully this enthusiasm will influence their future choices as well. We propose an outdoor science experience in a kind of terrestrial extreme environment, Bossoleto mofette (Mofeta del Bossoleto, Rapolano Terme, Siena), where pupils can approach different disciplines. Many school teachers of the villages nearby the site, have been wishing to show this special and inaccessible location to students, because of its singular value and because it allows an interdisciplinary experience. This site is a doline formed by collapse of the parent rock underneath, namely fractured travertine. The area is characterized by natural emissions of CO 2 from soil and caves and water resurgences. A CO 2 lake (Kies et al., 2015) forms every night with CO 2 concentration close to 85% at one meter from the ground. This high concentration of CO 2 and the typical geomorphology of the area cause also an extreme greenhouse effect during the daytime, which drives adaptation responses in the biological communities here living. Students from primary and secondary schools, guided by researchers in an experiential field trip, learn about many scientific aspects of this unusual place, making a multidisciplinary experience about geology (geological aspects like formation and weathering of travertine), botany (species, physiological adaptations), biocenosis (living communities), gas and climatology (gas concentrations and properties, greenhouse effect). The visit includes explanations but also direct observations and measurements. This study reports about the results of a pre-post survey on a sample of primary school students about (i) their attitude toward science, (ii) expectations about the experience and, after the field trip about satisfaction (iii) and achievements (iv) in terms of knowledge transfer, raise of curiosity and interest. Finally, an example of authentic assessment for upper secondary school is here presented, proposed after the outdoor activity, which could be useful to test competence and skill in geoscience learning at the end of the first biennium level.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
