The document describes a research-based science curriculum designed by the author for middle school students aged 11-14 in Italy. The curriculum involves hands-on projects with living biological systems, including establishing an aquarium and breeding stick insects and silkworms. The projects aimed to improve student motivation and understanding of science concepts. Feedback from students indicated the hands-on learning helped improve their knowledge, confidence, and interest in science subjects.

1. Living biological systems at school, a
powerful learning experience in a
research-based curriculum design
PUBLIC SCHOOL IQBAL MASIH BIENTINA E BUTI
SECONDARY SCHOOL “F. Di Bartolo” di Buti (PI)
ITALY
Authors: Claudia Maria Mazzanti Ph.D in Marine Ecology
Francesca Bombaci,
Daniela Pieraccini and Carlo Fiorentini

2. THE STUDENTS FOR
YOU
HALLO SCIENTIX !!!!!!

3. Introduction
Today our discussion will be the journey I made
together with my students during the last school
year
In this brief presentation I’ll show only some of
the most interesting results,
My research has the aim to design a new
curriculum in science for students between
11 and 14 years old

4. Curriculum innovations
It is important to encourage students aged 13-
18 to study science. I agree with the following
words: “It is between these ages that young
people tend to choose major school subjects that
will influence their future career. At this crucial
point in their education they gravitate towards
or away from science and technology
studies”taken from Science it’s a girl thing
campaign

5. Curriculum innovations
Some of the issues around goals for student
learning in Italy are:
• Disparity between theory and practice
• Fragmented learning on modular programmes
• You need to build inclusive experiences

6. Curriculum innovations
Some of the issues around the learning process
are:
• Traditional passive transmission approaches
foster surface learning
• Divergence between research and teaching
• Poor student motivation
• Diversity of learner needs

7. Research and
innovation
• Research in education, carried out over more than
twenty years by National Centre of Research in
Education (CIDI) in Italy, has proved that a judicious
selection of the topics to explore is essential to the
design of a curriculum in science
• This requires a careful plan of meaningful learning
experiences and a thorough investigation of the main
factors that affect students’ learning.

8. Research and innovation
• Our educational methodology aims at enabling
students to acquire the concept of natural
phenomena by means of practical activities and
enquiry, stimulating discussions and
observations through oral and written
language. My colleagues of Technology and I work
together with a teacher specialized with students
with learning disabilities

9. Living biological
systems
Our pilot Science education program takes place in a
middle school, where our students, aged 11 to 14 years,
studied in depth ecology building an aquarium of 100 litres
with a community of tropical fish, plants and invertebrates.
• They had a unique opportunity to observe fish life and
even death: the unexpected killing of some newborn fish
led to the understanding of the first elements of the
natural selection processes.

10. Living biological
systems
• They are thus engaged as partners in the
learning process: an increase in
motivation and self esteem is the hidden
consequence of this approach.
• Science together with friendship and
discovery

11. Interviews
• The students interview the teachers on the
aquarium project for our on-line newsletter
called “DiBartoliamo”:
• Q: How did the project of the aquarium start?
• A: The idea was of two teachers: Claudia Mazzanti
and Francesca Bombaci
• Q: What is the aim of the project?

12. Interviews
• A: The project has two principal aims:
• Deepen the knowledge of vertebrate anatomy
• Acquire the knowledge of the main existing
relationships between organisms, building an
ecosystem and monitoring physical and chemical
parameters necessary for a correct maintenance

13. Our aquarium

14. Our aquarium

15. Our aquarium

16. Our aquarium

17. Grants for our
projects
• Our pilot project on living biological systems was
financed by a grant on Teaching Innovation
methodologies in Science given by the Region of Tuscany.
It was a grant given for three years from 2011 to 2014.
• The name of the project is Laboratori dei saperi
scientifici, L.S.S. Lab of scientific knowledge.It includes
more than 100 primary and secondary schools in
Tuscany, Italy

18. Grants for our project
• A scientific committee made of researchers and teachers
worked together with policy makers in order to support
innovation in schools. Our Public Secondary School was
selected and the grant assigned only if the project
followed particular standards
• Our aquarium had the following costs:
• 300 euros for the building and 150 euros for the
maintenance.

19. Students’ posters

20. Our newborn
survivor

21. Living biological
systems
During the same school year our experience with biological
systems expanded to the breeding of stick insects
(Carausius morosus) and silkworms (Bombyx mori) to
understand the true meaning of “life cycle” and seasonality.

23. Breeding of
silkworms

24. Breeding of
silkworms

25. Breeding of
silkworms
They also observe the mouthparts and nourish
them with mulberry leaf . I received the eggs on
19th of April, the eggs hatched on 30th of April, we
counted more than 400 silkworms in 3 or 4 days. At
birth they were 3mm, after four days they were
6mm.

26. Breeding of
silkworms
• The eggs hatched at different times, so the bugs
had different lengths.
• The boys using the magnifying glass, are
collecting data on growth and observing any
change in color, shape and size .

27. Breeding of
silkworms

28. Knowledge and
motivation
The interest of research in education is what influences the
learning process. I believe that only experiences that
involves creativity in thinking solutions in front of real
phenomena could impact on:
• Motivation
• Responsability and passion to scientific subjects. The
activity of enquiry, an approach to problemsolving is
what the student need, in order to be aware of his
potential ability in finding solutions to problems and
critical situations.

29. Ready to learn
• Last year when I proposed to my students the
building of an aquarium they put the evidence
on their lack of knowledge and were afraid of
killing all the fish.
• Now they are aware of all the risk of
neglecting and ready to raise other biological
systems

30. Motivation
• Practical experience and direct contact with living
biological systems motivated all students to
explore scientific subjects:
• in particular pupils with learning disabilities
improved their comprehension and use of
language, but they eventually become main
characters in the process of learning, finding
the courage to share their comments with their
peers.

31. Development Students’
motivation
The continuity of care and maintenance for the survival of
our biological system has given and is now giving to our
students the opportunity:
to become responsible, prepared and creative in
finding the habits of the organisms and eventually
personal solutions for their needs All these actions
promote motivation in our students

32. Well prepared for the
test
SELF CONFIDENCE AT THE EXAM
Students are always afraid of exams and test: what
happens in our project is that they are not afraid but
conscious and eager to write what they have learned,
I’ll show some images of their work at home and at
school:

33. Well prepared for
the test

34. LIFE CYCLE
OF THE
SILKWORM

35. What students
believe
• We are really satisfied of our work because we have
learned to look after our ecosystem, we improved our
collaboration we understand how a biological system
works and we are more competent in science.
• We have been very happy when our fish were born!!!
• Unfortunately many of them died but we take care of the
survivors….

36. CONCLUSIONS
• Learning science for our students is living the lab
every day, this has developed in them a strong and
real curiosity about every detail of living beings. It
has given them the opportunity to take care of
them and in particular has been invaluable for the
students with learning disabilities because a real
and deep awareness, emerged in them and will no
longer disappear..

37. CONCLUSIONS
• Guys need the support , you have to believe in
them
• Reinforce the behavior that brings to a choice
• Long time: helping students understand thing
don’t happen in a day
• Give personal answers to child needs

38. OUR OUTCOMES
• Development of skills and personal qualities.
• Development of a wide range of abilities: knowledge
creation;team-working; presentation; problem-solving;
creativity;
• Gaps in students’ knowledge, Incorporates a method
by which students can identify and fill gaps in their
knowledge base
• Allows theory to be explored within realistic
contexts
• Enquiries involve integration of knowledge

39. Good bye
• The image on the
slides is property of
Sergio Borghesi, an
Italian artist from
Volterra, Pisa, Italy
• I thank him and all
my colleagues.

40. Our new project…