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Designed in Learning Designer: https://v.gd/iJCWqt
Factors affecting enzyme activity.
The Experimenter Report:

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The Experimenter Report on Exercise 3 addresses to middle class students and it is more interesting for me since I teach students aged 15 – 17 years old. I think it is a well structured essay, which would help me a lot if I would try to carry out a similar IBSE activity plan. Students participate having a lot of freedom in their thinking and designing the experiments, even if this is frustrating sometimes for the teacher. I believe that this depends on the experience of students on such activities. Teacher can find basic directions on his role in the activity and the possible weaknesses of the activity are pointed out, which is really one of the strengths of the Report. Photos help a lot as guiding lines. The comments of the teacher under the title “EXPERIMENTER OBSERVATION AND FINDINGS ACHIEVED” are a good tool for disseminating the outcome of the activity among teachers.

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4.5 Teachers’ Experience about Writing to Learn Activities

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4.5 Teachers’ Experience about Writing to Learn Activities

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Because it is a more funny, creative and motivating way in the learning process of students. And if it is successful, it strengthens their learning. However, the teacher has to be familiar with the many kind of such activities so that he can experiment with his students to find the practice that will have the most motivation effect.  I surely want to experiment with more kinds of writing to learn activities that the ones that I usually use. e.g. the recent activity that my students seem to like a lot: developing of biological models in the class.

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4.4 Evaluation of Writing to Learn Activities

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4.4 Evaluation of Writing to Learn Activities

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4.3 Examples of Writing to Learn Activities

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4.3 Examples of Writing to Learn Activities

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Poem 3 (Student A 7th grade). I liked it a lot. So many topics covered and the science theory is well established. Good writing skills. I really enjoyed it.

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4.2 The Effects of Writing to Learn Activities on Students’ Learning Outcomes

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4.2 The Effects of Writing to Learn Activities on Students’ Learning Outcomes

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There are different writing to learn activities, so the results are not the same for every method used. I think that methods that motivate students to express their opinion, their feelings, or their fantasy on the conceptual framework of the topic discussed have a strong positive effect on their learning and on their confidence. Building their confidence allows them to practice more. By implementing such activities they can enhance their writing skills, their scientific literacy and their scientific knowledge.

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4.1. Writing to Learn: a Brief Explanation

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4.1. Writing to Learn: a Brief Explanation

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I found very interesting ideas on  Dr Gunel’s points of view. I think all teachers implement such activities at school but I do not do it in an organized way and the difficulty is to find the best way to motivate each student. From Dr. Gunel's discussion, I am already motivated to enrich my teaching and assessment methods and ideas by investing more on writing to learn activities. The advantages of such activities, as they have been addressed in the videos include the following: writing helps them in their learning process on whatever topic or subject, b) writing helps them to reshape their conceptual frameworks and to reflect their ideas, c) students can adopt the new information in a comfortable way. However, I insist that these advantages are seen in the motivated students only. So, the real issue for the teacher is to find the best motivation for each student. In addition, these activities can be an assessment teacher tool, so that the teacher can explore how the students are progressing in learning conceptual ideas of science.
In the framework of “writing to learn activities”, I usually use multiple choice questions, or short essays on the topic that we are discussing. I also use technology enhanced teaching to foster their motivation. Very recently I have implement “expressing yourself to learn” activities. By the end of the school year my students have to implement a short essay on one of the biological topics that we have covered within the school year. I encourage them to express themselves in a creative way and surprisingly most of them choose to construct a biological model, e.g. animal or plant cells, the DNA ladder. They pick up the subject, collect the information and build their construction in the school class. Such activities make students reshape their learning since they have to use their scientific knowledge to construct something new. This kind of work really motivates students, and especially the low score ones.

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How would you apply P4C in your classroom?

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How would you apply P4C in your classroom?

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Based on the information given in the course, I realized that implementing P4C in class would benefit students in many ways and particularly in enhancing their learning on how to make sound ethical judgments for themselves. Through P4C attempts are being made to clarify and illuminate unsettled, controversial issues so that students can develop new perspectives and alternative ideas in order to make sense of perplexing issues that will confront them in the science course. I definitely understood, also, that teacher has to be trained in such a pedagogical approach in order to be qualified enough to implement P4C. Despite the fact that I am not familiar with this approach, the course provided us with plenty of information and reference material to study if we would like to invest in P4C.
Biology offers plenty of possibilities in discussing philosophical issues, especially ones that arise by the newly emerged innovations in molecular biology and genetics that could have a lot of applications in medicine, human reproduction, ecosystems stability, etc. A biology teacher has many reasons to relate science curriculum in school with contemporary life sciences issues. For instance, last week I had to teach my students about the methods used to clone mammals. The lesson began with the headline of REUTER: «Chinese scientists have cloned monkeys using the same technique that produced Dolly the sheep two decades ago, breaking a technical barrier that could open the door to copying humans». We had an interesting change of views (stimulus, first thoughts on the question chosen, private reflections - thinking time) on how ethical human cloning would be. There were no groups formed, students discussed their own opinions. A main question was formed: whether we should clone humans or not. This could have been the philosophical question, if we were implementing P4C and I could have constructed a better formula for implementation in the class, if only I was aware of this approach. I will try to implement a short version of P4C approach next time we are about to face such a philosophical issue. As I have written in 3.2., due to the curriculum, I do not have the freedom of time to extend such activities within the strict school timetable.

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3.7 Identifying philosophical questions: Parts 1 & 2

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3.7 Identifying philosophical questions: Parts 1 & 2

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3.4 Ethics, life sciences and CRISPR: Activity

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3.4 Ethics, life sciences and CRISPR: Activity

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Answers

1. Methionine.

2. Because sometimes polypeptide chains may undergo post-translational modification to form the mature protein product.

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3.2 The relevance of new discoveries in life sciences

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3.2 The relevance of new discoveries in life sciences

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I think that today, more than ever, research in life sciences needs a strong ethical orientation. The enthusiasm of new discoveries and the possibilities that arise from them have a major impact that drives our expectations as scientists in never before seen areas of research and innovations. I agree with Dr. Macip, that “our only limit is our imagination”. For that reason I support his belief that society has to engage science.
I strongly believe that Biology teachers should keep up with all new discoveries in this area of science and should feel obliged to keep their students aware of the critical discoveries and applications that are emerging for the society. Prompted by the school curriculum in Biology we have plenty opportunities to discuss with our students on the outcome of research and its possible benefits for the society from the point of view of the end user or  relating it to the possibilities that are offered for work in the area of science industry.
Last week, motivated by the cloning of primates that was recently announced by the scientific community, I had a very long discussion with my students on whether we should clone humans or not. It was a very interesting event in the class. Students were very active participants, seeking for more information in order to build their own perspective and format their point of view. However, due to the curriculum, I do not have the freedom to extend such activities within the strict school timetable. Taking also in mind the unbelievable speed of new information flow, I think that we need a brand new perspective on how to teach and support life sciences curriculum so as to motivate our students in engaging to modern research and innovation activities and applications. Informed and engaged students are more likely to support and reconstruct, as active citizens of tomorrow, the ethical frame and the orientation in research and innovation.

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2.6. Tips and advice from successful practitioners

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2.6. Tips and advice from successful practitioners

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Your strategies for implementing the IBSE project

I think these videos provide a very structured pedagogical strategy for the implementation of IBSE projects in the class. I will definitely watch the videos again and take notes on all the ideas and proposals provided for enhancing my skills in formulating scenarios towards a more inquiry - based approach. A very good source of information provided in a sophisticated way!
For instance, I will try to formulate the issues on question along with the students. Students will be provided with the opportunity to be more independent in their work. They will be motivated to take ownership of the problem. I will stress that even it is possible that nothing is observed throughout an experiment, this counts as a result of the experiment and has to be regarded in a productive way.
Teachers testimonials about the advantages and difficulties encountered (and how to face them) are great resources and help us build confidence since we realize that other teachers in other countries face the same, more or less, situation, problems, or difficulties. As one of the teachers said: “We (the teachers) are also in a learning situation”.

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2.5. Analysis of classroom implementations – 4th Example

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2.5. Analysis of classroom implementations – 4th Example

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Can you think of any other similar exercises where, with minimum of resources, students can benefit from a full inquiry situation? Post your proposals below!

Last semester we did an experiment with our high school students to test the influence of heat and acid in the activity of the enzyme catalase. Materials included pieces of beef liver, vinegar, a water boiler, some H₂O₂ and test tubes.  Each group of students had to find out the effect low pH and high temperature on the activity of catalase that is found in the liver. The experiment is very simple, the materials are very cheap and the results of catalase activity of the fresh liver in the breakdown of H₂O₂  is quite a sight.

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2.4 Analysis of classroom implementations – 3rd Example

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2.4 Analysis of classroom implementations – 3rd Example

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While watching, try to identify what strategies, activities and approaches do the teachers implement when using inquiry with their students?
The pedagogical scenario in both videos follows more or less the ones that we usually implement in inquiry based activities in our schools. The activities begin by addressing the problem to the students. We encourage them to express their views by presenting a real life situation. Their previous ideas could then be defined and we may then ask them to express their points of view to the issue on question. Some scientific data on the issue could be provided. Then they have to elaborate the experiment. Usually, a detailed protocol on the scientific procedure is given to them. They have to follow the instructions and implement the experimental work. However, they have to find out the way to handle the data. They work in groups and share the responsibility of their work. When the analytical and numerical processing of data is over, each group has to reach its own conclusions, based on its data. Depending on the issue of question, they may have to formulate proposals. And finally, based on their work, they are asked to check their former points of view to the issue on question and reformulate if they consider that is necessary, so as to elucidate the establishment of the learning process. Usually we have a written assignment.

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2.3. Analysis of classroom implementations 

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2.3. Analysis of classroom implementations 

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1. How can you motivate your students at the beginning of the class?
I usually try to motivate student’s curiosity through a short discussion on the subject under consideration using examples from real life applications. It is easier for them to respond and react when they are asked about something that is applicable to their know routine. They also feel enthusiastic since they can participate in the converstion.
2. What can be the reason for equipment not being written in the lab record?
Teacher allows for trial and error testing so that students can build their own confidence in building a protocol. However, this means that students were familiar with basic lab equipment.
3. Why should students start with tasks 2 – 3 – 4? *
Teacher will be informed of students’ former knowledge on the subject under consideration. The formation of hypotheses encourages students to become researchers and consider an inquiry. They have to present their state of thinking.
4. What was the teacher’s role while students worked?
He was circulating among groups as an observer and a facilitator.
5. What was the students’ role during their work?
They were implementing their own investigation, e.g. chose the right equipment, perform the experiment and take notes on the procedure and the results, in a collaborative way.
6. What can you say about the activity evaluation (from the point of view of general study-skills and later Chemistry)?
Students were asked to communicate the results of the activity to the class and to reflect on their work during the implementation of their task. They had the freedom to recapitulate on the whole procedure collaboratively, especially the results of their experiments, and by this way become aware of the emerging new knowledge.
7. What do you think about students‘ hypotheses? Would the hypotheses of your students be different?
I heard all of the common hypotheses that I would have expected from my students in that age.
8. Why do you think it’s important that students were asked to make their own general conclusion from video/text?
By letting them to express their own ideas, their self-confidence can be enhanced. Teacher becomes aware of their critical thinking and their capability of extracting conclusions in a scientific way. They can also be aware of their inquiring activity and build confidence in research activity. Last but not least, the teacher can understand if students watched the video conscientiously.
9. What was the aim of the final revision?
To communicate their activity in the class, to reflect on their whole work and to the new knowledge that is to be acquired through their point of view.

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2.1. Why is it important to reflect on our implementations?

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2.1. Why is it important to reflect on our implementations?

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In my opinion, the following questions are particularly important for me and my classroom practice.
Did you work on a question which you identified as important, even though introduced to you?  In my opinion, pupils should be able to explain in their own words what they are trying to do or find out. The knowledge of what exactly we are trying to figure out and why is a prerequisite in the beginning of any investigation.

Did the activity help you to formulate productive (investigable) questions? Formulating investigable questions assumes critical thinking and discussion either in a group or in whole class. Both of the aforementioned properties are essential for enhancing and stimulating the involvement of pupils in the learning process.

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The Self-Reflection Tool surely can enhance teachers' capacity to enhance inquiry in the science classroom through observation of and reflection on classroom practices. Particularly for teachers, like me, who do not have adequate experience in elaborating IBL. Careful study and understanding of the basic principles that are presented in the Tool for IBL elaboration should be done. I think it will help me to get a better understanding of what is meant by teaching and learning through scientific inquiry.

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The investigation path I followed concerned the effect of different sugar contents in yeast activity. So, the control that I used contained a yeast suspension with no sugar added. So,  I did´t have control tubes for presence or absence of yeast for each sugar concentration.

The results show that sugar addition influences the activity of the yeast cells and accordingly the gas production. However, the balloons did´t inflate in the same way. At high sugar levels yeast activity was nearly inhibited. With my experiment I can prove that the sugar content has an influence on yeast activity. High concentration of sugar, like the one we saw in Fig Jam,  seems to slow down yeast activity.

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Testing hypothesis: The sugar content in a medium affects the level of activity of yeast cells, and thus the quantity of gas they produce in a given time.
As expected, the content of sugar seems to affects the level of activity of yeast in a given time. In the control tube there was nearly no gas production, in the second and third tubes there were main yeast activity (higher sugar content), in the fourth and fifth tubes the gas production rate was lower after 1 hour (highest sugar content).
Difficulties while experimenting:
1. The rubber of the balloons were not so flexible.

2. The time needed to put the balloons on the test tubes (gas was being produced while I was trying to put the balloon on tube no 3).

3. We cannot measure the difference in the rate of gas production between tubes 2 and 3.

4. There was some gas produced in the control test tube (no added sugar).

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1.2. From the situation to the hypothesis

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1.2. From the situation to the hypothesis

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Two of my hypothesis were related to the use of different preservatives in the two jars or different concentration of the same preservative.  As I can see in the food labels, the two jams differ in their sugar content. Addition of high sugar quantities in jam-making is a way of preserving the quality of jams against microorganisms since sugar acts as a means of preservation against future microbial growth problems. So, based on the above, I would suggest that the spoiling of jar A by yeasts had to do with its low sugar content.

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Experience inquiry as a learner. 1.1. Introduction

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Experience inquiry as a learner. 1.1. Introduction

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When the two jars were opened their content was in a perfect state of conservation, safe for consumption. However, after one week in room temperature, the preparations do not look in the same state of conservation. Jar A gives a repulsive view, has a change in its original color and seems that had been under pressure comparing to jar B.
Hypothesis that could explain the observed differences: the jars do not contain the same kind of preservatives, the concentration of preservatives is different in the two jars, jar A was contaminated by specific microbes, jar A was stored in a humid environment.

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It is a more creative and fun way for adult learners who seek specific knowledge. In addition, experiencing this method of learning would encourage me to implement it in my class.

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This MOOC is produced under the Amgen Teach project, which is funded by the Amgen Foundation and coordinated by the European Schoolnet. Video contributions and content were provided by the training providers involved in the Amgen Teach project. 

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This MOOC is produced under the Amgen Teach project, which is funded by the Amgen Foundation and coordinated by the European Schoolnet. Video contributions and content were provided by the training providers involved in the Amgen Teach project. 

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"Inquiry-Based Teaching in Life Sciences". 

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Helen Mihalatou, Greece

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I am Helen Mihalatou, a biology teacher in High School. I live and work in Thessaloniki which is situated in North Greece. I have been teaching biology for the last 14 years and I am very interested in incorporating information in inquiry - based teaching.  I hope that this course will help me a lot to improve my skills.