The course is aimed at the acquisition of the fundamental principles of selected natural sciences based on their relevance and accessibility in the school context. The primary goal of the course is to convey to students the language of natural sciences and the knowledge of the different disciplines underlying the complexity of nature and ecosystems, highlighting the interrelationships between living and the physical and chemical environment. In addition, emphasis will be put on the approaches to natural science through the use of the scientific method and the ability to reflect on their behavior in terms of the use of natural resources according to the principles of sustainability also aimed at a didactic translation.

Natural sciences: basic concepts

·  Educational and pedagogical theories relating to the importance of teaching science and didactic methodologies

·  Biophilia hypotesis and man-nature relationship

·The scientific method in natural sciences, critical thinking, the search for objectivity, the representation of data

·  IBSE method

·  Environmental education

·  The Foundations of Biology

·  Cellular organization. Cellular metabolism: Protein synthesis; Cellular respiration; Photosynthesis. Cell division and mitosis.

·  The Five Kingdoms. Bacteria, Archaea, and the origin of life. Protists and the origin of sexuality.

·  Plants, Mushrooms and colonization of the land. Structure, function and evolution of plants and animals.

·  Water and hydrological cycle

·  Air and atmosphere

No

Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge of the foundations of the natural sciences and the basic languages of the discipline and the scientific method. Knowledge of phenomena and processes related to abiotic and biotic components and their interactions.
Knowledge and understanding of biological processes and mechanisms of interaction between organisms and the environment, with regard to human influences and the preservation of the quality of the natural environment. Use of the knowledge and skills acquired to identify and design educational paths to contribute to the primary education of the child's environmental culture in the primary and secondary schools.
 

Applying knowledge and understanding

Knowledge and ability to recognize and classify the biotic and abiotic components of the environment and their connection with human actions.
Ability to identify and realize educational paths based on the basic foundations of the discipline. Expected results are achieved through frontal teaching activities and supplementary seminars. 

Making judgements

The student must be able to critically evaluate the role of the biotic and abiotic elements that make up an ecosystem and the actions that compromise it. The student must have acquired the basic knowledge for the development of the teaching methods presented. 

Communication

The student should be able to describe the fundamentals of the natural sciences learned during the course by expressing it clearly, with the acquisition of an appropriate scientific language.

Lifelong learning skills

The student should be able to build his or her discipline knowledge pathway in a critical and autonomous way, being able to use the study material as indicated by the teacher or who will be able to obtain it.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

none

Teaching

Frontal lectures

Attendance

No

Course books

David Sadava, David M. Hillis, H. Craig Heller, Sally D. Hacker. La nuova biologia.blu. La biosfera, la cellula e i viventi. Zanichelli ed., 2020, pp. ISBN 978-8808420503 

Giuseppe Barbiero, Rita Berto, 2016. Introduzione alla biofilia, La relazione con la Natura tra genetica e psicologia. Carrocci ed., pp 212

Handouts provided by the teacher

Assessment

Verification of learning objectives is through a written test consisting of a questionnaire with 27 multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question.
The duration of the test is 45 minutes.
No points will be awarded for each wrong or omitted answer, while 1 point will be awarded for each correct answer.
The evaluation criteria for the open-ended question are as follows:

• relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the program content;
• level of articulation of the answer;
• appropriateness of the disciplinary language used.

Each of the criteria is evaluated based on a four-level value/judgement scale with equal weight assigned to each criterion. The final score is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are invited to consult the teaching material uploaded on Moodle (slides discussed in class, examples of didactic situations, etc.) through which it will be possible to deepen the study of the volumes indicated in the section "Study Texts".

Course books

David Sadava, David M. Hillis, H. Craig Heller, Sally D. Hacker. La nuova biologia.blu. La biosfera, la cellula e i viventi. Zanichelli ed., 2020, pp. ISBN 978-8808420503 

Giuseppe Barbiero, Rita Berto, 2016. Introduzione alla biofilia, La relazione con la Natura tra genetica e psicologia. Carrocci ed., pp 212

Handouts provided by the teacher

Assessment

Verification of learning objectives is through a written test consisting of a questionnaire with 27 multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question.
The duration of the test is 45 minutes.
No points will be awarded for each wrong or omitted answer, while 1 point will be awarded for each correct answer.
The evaluation criteria for the open-ended question are as follows:

• relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the program content;
• level of articulation of the answer;
• appropriateness of the disciplinary language used.

Each of the criteria is evaluated based on a four-level value/judgement scale with equal weight assigned to each criterion. The final score is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.