1. ALTERNATIVE STAGES AND TOOLS
FOR SCIENCE
M. J. Arévalo Caballero, V. Gil Álvarez, F. Cañada Cañada
Universidad de Extremadura
SCIENCE EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS: THE WAY FORWARD
Firenze, October 21th 2013

2. OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION.
2. METHODOLOGY.
- PARTICIPANTS.
- EXPERIENCES.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.
4. CONCLUSIONS.
5. ACKNOWLEDGES

3. INTRODUCTION
Need to increase society
general interest in sciences
CHILDREN!!!
(their curiosity is a great potential to
develop scientific aptitudes or capabilities)
communication
observation
analysis
synthesis
argumentation
International Journal of Science Education 2003, 25, 1049-1079; Pedagogía Magna 2011, 10, 5863; ENCIENDE report, 2011; Science Education Now, 2007

4. INTRODUCTION
Great scientific and technological
development within society
Critic and objective daily decisions
related to scientific issues
More scientists and engineers
are needed for the economical
competitiviness of countries
Development of the scientific
competence
Decrease in number of students
interested in studying careers in
science
Science teaching at school, is
considered irrelevant to young
people
Science Education Now, 2007; Innovations in Science and Technology Education Vol VIII, 2002

5. INTRODUCTION
aversion
frightens
dislikes
SCIENCE TO
SOCIETY
clears up problems
interest
appreciation,
respect
SCIENTISTS
mad people
Google images for
general search:
“sabio loco”

6. INTRODUCTION
CHEMISTRY
Chemicals
Laboratorie
s
Peculiar substances
odd places where:
-explosives are produced
-hazardous substances are
used.
Is science something symbolic or abstract to the society?

7. INTRODUCTION
Spain
ENCIENDE project
scientific community
Promote science
teaching at early ages
educative community
SOCIAL
INTERACTI
ON
J. Chem. Ed. 1999, 4, 548-554.

8. INTRODUCTION
But chemistry is all around us…
Pinto Cañón, 2003:
daily life examples estimulate Paixao, 2004:
daily life chemical applications + active
students motivation.
learning methodologies: understanding
Phelps, 1996:
issues that relate science, technology
materials familiar to students and society.
appear to motivate them to
learn topics related to their Cabello Salguero, 2011:
Do everyday materials used as
everyday life.
chemicals act as the base for the
construction of new knowledge?
Anales de la Real Sociedad Española de Química, 2003, 1, 44-52; J. Chem. Ed. 1996,
73, 301-304; Pedagogía Magna 2011, 10, 58-63.

9. INTRODUCTION
MICRO-LESSONS
(experiments based on
everyday products)
primary
school
scientific
breakfast
researcher
night
hospital
*The activities agree the contents and competences established for the subject Knowledge of the Natural Medium in the
third cycle of Primary School, according to stablished regulations.

10. METHODOLOGY
Participants
Primary school
experience
Classroom 1
Classroom 2
Researcher night
CHILDREN + PARENTS
(heterogeneous groups)
4-15 year-old students
Scientific
breakfast
forth level of
Primary School
Science at the
hospital
CHILDREN + PARENTS
(heterogeneous groups)
5-11 year-old children

11. METHODOLOGY
Procedure
1. Invisible ink
What do we need?
- A piece of white paper
- A swab
- Lemon juice
- A candle
How do we work?
- We soak the swab with the lemon juice and we write the secret
message on the paper with it.
- We let dry.
What should we do to reveal de message?
CAUTION!
DO THE EXPERIMENT IN THE
PRESENCE OF AN ADDULT!!
2. Inflating balloons without blowing
What do we need?
How do we work?
- An empty bottle of - Pour de vinegar into the bottle. (1)
water
- Then, very carefully, we put some bicarbonate into a balloon
- A balloon
with the teaspoon.
- A teaspoon
- After that, we fit the balloon to the bottle with vinegar,
- A glass
trying to avoid to pour some bicarbonate into the vinegar. (2)
- Vinegar
- Finally we pour the bicarbonate in the balloon into the
- Sodium bicarbonate
bottle, and then we mix everything. (3)
What does it happen?
Teachers:
What’s going on?
Why?

12. METHODOLOGY
Procedure
3. Making a volcano
What do we need?
- An empty bottle of water
- Vinegar
- Dishwashing gel
- Sodium bicarbonate
- A spoon
- Red dye
How do we work?
- We fill two thirds of the bottle with dishwashing.
- We add the dye and bicarbonate and we mix.
- We add a spoon of vinegar and we wait to see what happens.
Teachers:
What’s going on?
4. Lava lamp
What do we need?
- A large glass
- Water
- Liquid dye
- Oil
- Effervescent tablet
- A lantern
Why?
How do we work?
- We add wáter to fill one third of the glass
- We add some drops of dye.
-Then we add some oil to fill two thirds of the glass
- After that we turn on the lantern and we put it under the
glass.
- Then we turn of lights.
- Then we add an effervescent tablet.

13. Results and discussion
School
Experiment 1. Invisible ink
- Cautious attitude
- Intrigue
- Interest
Experiments 2 and 3. Inflating
balloons and making volcanos
- Curiosity
- Enthusiasm
- Motivation to learn
Experiment 4. Lava lamp
- Curiosity
- Enthusiasm
- Motivation to learn

14. Results and discussion
Scientific breakfast and researchers night
Leisure activities
science is not weird, away
from the real life, but it is
something around us

15. Results and discussion
Science at the hospital

16. Results and discussion

17. Conclusions
Importance of :
-engaging people with experiments outside classrooms or
conventional laboratories.
-planning experiments using everyday tools and/or
products.
-designing activities that involve entire families.
SCIENCE IS PRESENT IN THE COMMON LIFE!!!
Proposals:
-determining the effect of these activities in the learning.
-designing new experiments related to other chemical
topics.

18. Acknowledges
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Universidad de Extremadura, Proyecto ACCVII-21 (2011)
Evaluación del uso de las TICs en el proceso cognitivo y emocional
de las Ciencias en el tercer ciclo de Educación Primaria.
Fondo europeo de desarrollo regional (FEDER)
Proyectos de Iniciación a la Investigación
y el Desarrollo Tecnológico

19. GRAZIE!!!