Ateneo - UPO

The course includes 48 hours (6 CFUs) of theory supported by exercises, group work and laboratory activities. The course aims to provide useful methodologies for the construction of educational pathways related to the life sciences.
Course contents consist of taxonomy and classification of animals and evolution. Use of microscope for systematic classification of major invertebrate groups; systematic evaluation of animal preparations.
Biodiversity measurement, use of online and exercises on online naturalistic databases, bioacoustics laboratory.
DNA structure and nucleic acid extraction lab practice.
Plant systematics. Experimental teaching paths on specific topics to be addressed to junior/high schools.
The experimental method for understanding natural phenomena: observe and experiment.
Fundamentals of ecology, ecosystems, ecosystem services, trophic webs.
Students will also work on developing didactic pathways and lectures on topics of their choice.
If possible, short field trips and an educational visit to a natural history museum will be organized.

Lecture materials provided on DIR site and online resources.
Book:
E. Padoa-Schioppa, Metodi e strumenti per l’insegnamento e l’apprendimento della biologia (Edises)

The mission of the course is to provide the student with the knowledge and tools for knowledge transfer for teaching life sciences in junior and senior high schools.
Special attention will be given to teaching methods and approaches; in particular, theoretical content will be supplemented by practical experiences that can be easily reproduced in junior and senior high schools. The objective of the training will also be to develop in students the ability to organize activities and educational paths for students in the 11-18 age group.

Essentials of Zoology, biology and botany.

Standard lectures, small group brainstorming, cooperative learning, flipped classroom, lab practice, field practices.

The verification of learning will be done through the evaluation of a paper produced by the student. In the written work, the student must develop a unit of learning, chosen in agreement with the lecturers and related to the topics covered in the course, from a theoretical and practical point of view.
The exam is passed with a score of 18/30 or higher.

The program includes 11 modules in which the following topics will be developed, dealing with both a theoretical and practical point of view:
• Science questions in secondary schools
• Conceptual nodes of biology.
• Teaching methodologies in biology.
• Element flows and cycles.
• Evolution and natural selection.
• Concept of species and classification of species.
• The fossil record.
• The concept of race and the human species.
• Biodiversity.
• Gender Gap in the history of science and now.
• Citizen Science.

The last module is dedicated to the visit and activities at the Natural History Museum of Turin.
The exercises will focus on the use of optical microscopes and stereomicroscopes for the observation and recognition of invertebrates, use of dichotomous keys for the recognition of plants and animals, nucleic acid extraction, bioacoustic recording and analysis, use of naturalistic databases for citizen science, statistics laboratory.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING ABILITY
Ability to integrate knowledges from lectures with the individual ability to organize lessons plans on fundamental aspects of biology.

ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
To be able to use knowledges from different biology courses to make lectures for students

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
to be able to elaborate the contents of biology, using, during examination, the correct terminology

AUTONOMY OF JUDGMENT
To be able to critically analyze elements linked to what learnt during the course

LEARNING ABILITY
To be able to adequately describe fundamental topics in biology. This ability will be developed by preparing and exposing lectures about specific topics and for students of a defined level, including simple experimental activities.