IKF

1. KA219 PROJECT: “INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FAIR. SHARING GOOD TEACHING PRACTICES”
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MONTHLY REPORT FORM FOR THEME UNITS.
TITLE OF THE UNIT.
1. SUMMARY SHEET. (Brief summary of the unit for search and cataloging)
1.1.Education level.
1.2.Area / Subject.
1.3.Theme block.
1.4. Number of students.
1.5. Short description.
1.6. Methodology. Types of activities performed
1.7. Author. Contact.
1.8.Rights.License.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike CC
LANCILLI Clarissa Antonia Maria
clarissa.lancilli@iis-codogno.com
Istituto di Istruzione Superiore di Codogno
The aim of the unit was to allow the students to get informed on the "Genetically Modified Organisms" topic. As the hotel
school course provides only 64 hours of biology course at the second year, the students did not have had time to address
each subject and to build their own opionion on GMOs based more on scientific facts than on other peolple opinios.
After an introduction on the topic, students were divided into groups each studing in deep one subtopic (chosen by the
teacher) of the GMOs topic, using web based research and some material prepared by the teacher. The groups were then
mixed up, and each student shared his knowledge with the class fellows, experiencing pair to pair and cooperative learning
strategies. A molecular biology lab activity allowed than the students to play the scientist role and to feel the topic farless.
A final test and a brief survey completed the activity
We used the following methodologies:
- watching a video on the web. The video was suggested by the teacher with the purpose to give to the students a general
idea on what GMOs and the reasons for the debate are. The video was a conference from a scientist (Dario Bressanini)
given for ordinary people (and not scientists or experts in the topic) and organized by the Golinelli Fundation
- flipped classroom and group work
-lab experience: use of molecular biology tecniques to identify a GMO flour
- problem solving
GMOs: facts and opinions
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL - 16 YEARS
SCIENCE and FOOD SCIENCE
NOVEL FOODS
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2. KA219 PROJECT: “INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FAIR. SHARING GOOD TEACHING PRACTICES”
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2. DEVELOPMENT OF THE UNIT.
2.1. Introduction. Brief explanation of the unit.
2.2. Objectives.
Main Objective.
Secondary objectives
2.3. Methodology. (Detailed description of the methodology used)
2.4. List of activities.
List the activities in the unit and the methodology developed in each one.
The unit was based on the Genetically Modified Organisms topic. Before starting the students had some general negative
opinion on GMOs but they could not explain the reasons why. At the end of the work almost everybody changed their
minds or at least were able to argue in a more effective way.
The main objective of the unit was to allow students to get informed on GMOs and build their own opinion distinguishing
beetween scientific facts and legends.
Other goals of the unit were:
1. making the students able to work in groups
2. making the students more self confident on their own capability to build their knowledge by themselves and to
understand scientific topic
After an introduction on the topic made by watching and listening to a conference on the web by one scientist on the
topic, students were divided into groups each studing in deep one subtopic (chosen by the teacher) of the GMOs topic,
using web based research and some material prepared by the teacher. The groups were then mixed up, and each student
shared his knowledge with the class fellows, experiencing pair to pair and cooperative learning strategies.
The molecular biology lab activity was guided by the teacher and performed in collaboartion with a university laboratory,
that prepared the material we used at school (electroforetic apparatus, biological samples, disposable material and
micropiepettes). The final survey allowed the students to think about the methodology we used and to think on their own
metacognitive processes.
- Conference by Dario Bressanini
- Discovering what GMOs are (web reaserch, flipped classroom, cooperative learning)
- Identifying a GMO flour (practical activity in the molecular biology lab, problem solving)
- Thinking on metacognitive processes and "learn to learn" capability (survey and discussion)

3. KA219 PROJECT: "INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FAIR. SHARING GOOD TEACHING PRACTICES”
Activity survey
1. Which of the following methodologies were used in the development of the
work unit? (Mark with an X)
Project Based Learning Visual Thinking
Dramatization Based
Learning
Flipped Classroom Problem Based Learning Role playing game
Collaborative Work
Learning
Gamification Research Learning
Service Learning Augmented Reality
Other (specify)
_________________
________________
2. Did you use these methodologies before the development of this work unit?
(Mark with an x the methodologies that you used for the first time)
Project Based Learning Visual Thinking
Dramatization Based
Learning
Flipped Classroom Problem Based Learning Role playing game
Collaborative Work
Learning
Gamification Research Learning
Service Learning Augmented Reality
Other (specify)
_________________
________________
3. The provided time was enough? Did you need more time? Why?
4. Which of these methodologies that has been used in this unit would you
recommend to your colleagues? (1 to 5 indicate the extent to recommend, with 5
being the highest)
Project Based Learning Visual Thinking
Dramatization Based
Learning
Flipped Classroom Problem Based Learning Role playing game
Collaborative Work
Learning
Gamification Research Learning
Service Learning Augmented Reality
Other (specify)
_________________
________________
We did not have time enough to develope the unit as it was planned at the beginning. In fact we planned to use also a
dramatization strategy performing a sort of debate on GMOs, dividing the student in the pro and contraries groups but it was not
possible as the students found the topic very difficukt and needed more time to understand and analyzing the information and to
build their own opinion.
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4. KA219 PROJECT: "INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE FAIR. SHARING GOOD TEACHING PRACTICES”
5. Working with these methodologies, in attention to the diversity student (students
with special needs) has been
(Indicate 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest)
Project Based Learning Visual Thinking
Dramatization Based
Learning
Flipped Classroom Problem Based Learning Role playing game
Collaborative Work
Learning
Gamification Research Learning
Service Learning Augmented Reality
Other (specify)
_________________
________________
6. The students motivation regarding other methodologies which normally work
with has been
(Indicate 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest)
Project Based Learning Visual Thinking
Dramatization Based
Learning
Flipped Classroom Problem Based Learning Role playing game
Collaborative Work
Learning
Gamification Research Learning
Service Learning Augmented Reality
Other (specify)
_________________
________________
7. Comments and suggestions.
1
5
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I guessthat a previous survey on what was the starting knowledge of biology would had help to plan an activity more calibrated
on the real situation of the class. Some students felt the topic too difficult and gave up.
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