September, 5 - October, 16 2016

In our school there are three classrooms, all with an interactive whiteboard; we have at our disposal some laptops, some personal computers and two tablets; there is also a good Internet connectivity. That helps us to go beyond our geographical isolation.

I agree with the sentence “space sciences embody a unique combination of science, technology and culture and serve as vehicle for capturing the imagination of young people.” Last year we proposed to our 8th grade students a multi-disciplinary project about space, and it has been a very positive, motivating and engaging experience. I noticed that our pupils’ interest for this topic was authentic and I think  that their wonder and curiosity won’t be only temporary. 

I also know that Space is linked to everyday life in multiple ways and that, at school, is rather easy to find links between this mainly scientific topic and  other subjects. As a teacher of Italian Language and Literature I can submit to students Science Fiction stories and novels, poems inspired by starry skies, mythology; students can improve their language skills reading, writing and talking about these topics. As a History teacher I can introduce the history of ideas about the nature of the universe, or I can examine with student the history of Space exploration, realizing also timelines. 

According to me, the most interesting idea of this module,  is the idea of ‘global citizenship’ : approaching these themes students could understand how our planet is a fragile and to be protected“ pale blue dot”; how, looking Earth from Space, there are no frontiers; we all belong to the same mankind and must cooperate. That could be an antidote to intolerance.