WORKSHOPS

Title: Circus Show

Presenter: Konstancja Nowakowska

Country: Poland

 

The „Circus show” workshop refers to teachers who are looking for activating methods by combining different areas of life and exploring the role of physics. So we will move to the famous Copernicus circus to take part in the show and to admire the performances of acrobats, jugglers and trainers. In our show we will see how one group of students becomes circus performers who perform gymnastic pyramids, walking on the balance beam, plates and hoops juggling, and train the dragon. At the same time, the second group of students will do physical experiments referred to the show. The main purpose is to present the impact of centre of gravity, inertia, Magnus effect, centrifugal force or resilience on the circus show. The main aim of the project is answering the question whether tightrope walking, juggling, hat throwing and acrobatic shows are supernatural or whether is it just pure physics.

 

Title: Energy-scientists – 6-graders explore renewable energy

Presenter: Dieter Schmidt

Country: Germany

 

Our school, the Integrierte Gesamtschule Oyten, is an integrated comprehensive school with reform pedagogical approaches. The workshop will start with a short introduction of what „Theme Oriented Education“ means. Afterwards the workshop will focus on the basic and sophisticated experiments the pupils perform within these topics:

• Electrical energy from the sun
• Electrical energy from the wind
• Warmth from the sun
• Electrical mobility
• Low-energy house

The participants of the workshop will get an impression of the experimental and the corresponding working materials. The workshop will end with a short discussion and how we plan to improve the project.

 

Title: Engaging students with STEM learning through a magical substance: the water!

Presenter: Gabriel Pinto

Country: Spain

 

In this workshop, contextualized experiments and inquiries to investigate STEM topics are proposed. These topics include a variety of physicochemical properties (e.g. density, miscibility, boiling point, refractive index and heat capacity), chemical reactions, evaporative cooling, etc. Examples of questions to solve are: Where would an ice cube melt faster – in pure water or in saline water? What have the botijo (Spanish water cooling pitcher), the African pot-in-pot refrigerator, and the drinking bird toy in common? What happens when ethanol, oil or other liquids are added onto an ice cube? Can the osmotic hydration rate of beans easily be measured? Does it change with temperature? What happens when a drop of water is poured into hot oil? Why? How does artificial snow work? And self-heating drinks? Water is present in all cases and through these experiences we learn about other interesting facts as ocean thermohaline currents or applications as the use of condensing boilers.

 

Title: Light-interacting materials: Beauty meets Science

Presenter: Annamaria Lisotti, Rui Baptista

Country: Italy, Portugal

 

Materials Revolution is here! Engage and experiment with light interacting materials. An inspiring workshop mixing Physics, Art &Technology to boost students’ scientific knowledge and experimental skills while spurring their creative thinking and innovator’s potential.

Light may be considered as a “material” in itself . “Building with light” is now possible thanks to aesthetic and functional properties of new materials such as dichroic sheets, plastic micro-optics, fiber optic textiles and many more!

Light manipulation is behind many a key-enabling technology for a sustainable society. Explore fluorescent acrylic sheets and their mechanism of light transmission testing their efficiency as solar concentrators; evaluate cool roof paints potential to tackle the urban heat island issue; discover indoor photovoltaics for IoT; imagine rural streetlamps based on photoluminescent pigments.

From MoM-Matters of Matter: Future Materials in Science Education project www.mattersofmatter.eu

 

Title: Sustainable development and biofuel

Presenter: Stefan Preisig, Gjertrud Jenssen

Country: Norway

 

The participants will measure and calculate the volume/density of different types of wood using small samples (cubes).  They will learn about the energy contents of the different tree types and then use this to calculate the total energy content of a given volume of wood. What is important for the volume calculation of a whole tree is the height. The participants will have the chance to try different ways to measure/calculate the height of a tree.

The workshop is an extract of an interdisciplinary day project; participants will understand the project plan and will be able to implement the project at their own school.

Hands on factor: high.

 

Title: Test and Taste

Presenter: Nelly Fare, Carine Vinsot, Anne Laure Balac

Country: France

 

The pupils, guided by three teachers, created a model to avoid dietary deficiency thanks to electronics, infrared rays and removable perforated cards, which correspond to recipes and are divided into three categories: starters, main courses and desserts. We will show you the steps of our invention and beside we will show you various activities to do at school.

With younger pupils you will be able to perform experiments, work on the food pyramid, understand the link between dietary deficiency and diseases and create perforated cards ( =recipes)

With older pupils you will be able to study the spectra of the visible light including the infrared wave, code information in binary and make a little of combinatorial logic.

Imagine your pupils performing experiments and drawing conclusions; imagine them welding electronic circuits, creating punch cards, and understanding how the electronic world works.

What about pressing a button and discovering what is lacking in your menu for dinner?

 

Title: Women Leadership & Entrepreneurship

Presenter: European Institute of Innovation & Technology

 

Panel discussion between participants from Education, Industry, NGO, and Government representing the following organizations: HeforShe, Junior Achievement, Skool, Ernst & Young, European Association of Teachers, and the European Institute of Innovation & Technology, and the interaction of attending science teachers in the audience.

 

Discussion topic 1: Skills in the 21st century – what skills our children need in order to succeed and not to be replaced by robots (digital, entrepreneurship, transversal?) STEM – skills shortage in Europe and growing employment potential.

 

Discussion topic 2: Women empowerment – what problems women face in their career/jobs, especially in areas with gender stereotypes (e.g. IT, engineering, executive management)? Who could help women and how – concretely what should be done and how the education system can help to prepare for that?

Title: Beer brewing – a practical application of several scientific principles in biology, chemistry and physics

Presenter: Patrik Claes

Country: Belgium

 

Beer brewing is an excellent way to explain and apply several topics in biology, biochemistry and even physics and chemistry. It is also possible to introduce inquiry-based learning in the lab. The brewing process can be done with a low-cost setup in the school lab. During the brewing process several parameters have to be measured (density, acidity, conversion of starch into glucose, etc.), and brewing is an excellent way to talk about processes like germination, enzymatic conversion of starch, fermentation, protein denaturation, isomerisation and other. The process “only” requires three hours and some short moments of aftercare in the following days. Fermentation can be done in simple plastic PET-bottles.

Several tips will also be provided on how the student can experiment by altering parameters like brewing temperatures and time, pH, aeration during fermentation, use of fining agents and subsequently measuring the effects of these alterations on the final beer.

 

Title: Chemistry experiments with natural and supermarket products

Presenter: Brigitte Nihant

Country: Belgium

 

Scientific knowledge rests on experimental data integrated in an interpretative framework. It can always be challenged by new experiments and/or by a new ways of conceptualizing the data. During our workshop, the teachers will have the opportunity to see several experiments starting from products which can be easily found in nature or supermarkets. These experiments can contribute to develop skills that are addressed in different sections of the school curriculum: the acid-base concept and the setting-up of the pH scale using natural products, e.g. Although not a direct part of the school curriculum in most countries, experiments with light sources (fluorescence) are particularly attractive and allow consolidating previously acquired knowledge on chemical bonds, acid-base and redox reactions. The addressed skills will be identified for each type of experiment so that it will be easier to implement classes based on the data sheets.

 

Title: Journey to the centre of the Earth

Presenter: Liliana Fernandes, Ana Costa

Country: Portugal

 

In this workshop teachers will have the opportunity to engage in a fabulous trip, along with Professor Lidenbrock and his crew, in an adventure that will allow them to look at our planet in a completely different perspective. They will meet an awesome crew, make journey plans, select and build the most adequate transport, learn awesome facts about a wide span of subjects, from animals and plants to volcanoes or food. Along the path, teachers will be invited to experiment arts and crafts, build human body cells, code robots and drones, investigate, learn and share experiences. In a more playful moment, they will be able to make a volcano erupt, using simple and everyday items (say goodbye to the stinky vinegar), and, who knows, discover a new animal species!!! In the end there will be some minutes for teachers to try and use an Educational APP, called Plickers, which was used along the project with the students, to perform formative evaluation tasks (newcomers will have the chance to learn how it works and, along with long term users, acknowledge some tips to use in primary school classrooms). Teachers are invited to bring their own devices in order to experiment and get familiarized with the suggested educational APPs.

 

Title: Organic Light Emitting Diodes – Embedding a future technology in chemistry classes

Presenter: Daniela Schwarz, Amitabh Banjeri

Country: Germany

 

Semiconducting polymers are an example of cutting edge research technology leading to innovative applications as flexible or transparent electronic devices. These high-tech materials are already being used in so called Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) or Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) modules. In this workshop the participants will examine their own smartphone display and learn about RGB-matrix technology. In the lab-phase the participants will have the opportunity to build own OLEDs in a hands-on experiment. Afterwards, the theory of semiconducting polymers and the electroluminescence (the principle behind the light emission) will be explained to the participants using special learning models and multimedia tools. An experimental kit, including all necessary materials for building OLEDs, will also be introduced during the workshop.

 

Title: Physics experiments with ultrasonic amplitude modulated transceiver set using low-cost 40kHz techniques

Presenter: Károly Piláth

Country: Hungary

 

I developed amplitude-modulated ultrasonic transceiver systems that use a low cost distance measuring sensor pair. These sensors operate at a frequency of 40 kHz. The carrier signal (40 kHz) is modulated with an audible tone (400 Hz) signal. The results on the receiver site after the demodulation are hearable sounds because the device produces 0.85 cm wavelength sound wave in the air. This method helps to demonstrate the Lloyd’s mirror experiment or Young’s double slit experiment in ultra sound range. But it also helps to demonstrate a Michelson-interferometer or an A4-sized paper engraved Fresnel-zone plates, which will allow the focusing of ultrasounds. The results of these ultrasonic experiments are hearable with small active speakers. In my workshop you will be able to try out these experiments. During the workshop we will provide the transceiver systems for 8 groups, as well as mirrors, slits, and Fresnel lenses made of paper for the experimentation.

 

Title: Slime molds – Physarum polycephalum

Presenter: Hans Mulder, David Teasdale

Country: Netherlands, United Kingdom

 

In this workshop we will teach you what slime mould is, discuss the experiments we have conducted ourselves and make suggestions about how you can use it to develop projects in your own school. We will explain and share some teaching materials which we have developed. Additionally, all participants will have the opportunity to setup and take away their own starter culture of slime mould in a self-poured agar plate. We hope this workshop will provide the necessary theoretical underpinning, teaching resources and practical experience to allow you to set up your own slime mould projects.

 

Title: Three projects from the Content Pedagogy Research Program

Presenter: Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA)

 

In a 4 year project started in 2016 and financed by MTA 19 research groups work on innovative teaching methods, each proposition tested in classroom experiments conducted in close cooperation of researchers and teachers. Three groups will present results obtained in the first year of activity:

 

Dr. Edina Kiss (MTA-ELTE Research Group on Inquiry-Based Chemistry Education)

Designing, realizing and interpreting some traditional chemistry experiments by the students themselves and development of their scientific thinking skills

Prof. Zoltán Gingl (MTA-SZTE Research Group on Technical Informatics Methodology)

Construction of universal open-source hardware and software to support multidisciplinary experimental education

Dr. Péter Juhász (MTA-Rényi Research Group on Discovery Learning in Mathematics)

The Discovery Learning Method of Lajos Pósa: Teaching maths in an enjoyable and efficient way

Title: 3-Dimensional vision and its illusion in cinemas

Presenter: Miriam Romberg

Country: Germany

 

This workshop starts with an overview of the sequence on the illusion of 3-dimensional vision, based on an advance organizer which can be used in class. I will use this opportunity to give a brief explanation of the concept of advance organizers. The workshop’s main part is your activity to try and to investigate the technique of anaglyphs independently. You will experiment with anaglyph glasses and colour filters and assess which colours can pass. To achieve this we will need some preparations, for example how 3-dimensional vision actually takes place and how the additive colour system works. The workshop concludes with a discussion about potential additional topics regarding 3-dimensional vision and their applications.

 

 

Title: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Presenter: Csilla Képes

Country: Hungary

 

The aim of the project is to motivate the students using their devices as educational materials. I am going to show the wider usage possibilities of the electronic devices by working with applications. By the expansion of the learning methods we can ensure the opportunity of the device usage, which are means of subsistence for this generation. I would like to present during the workshop what kind of possibilities can be found in the different applications, websites, how can these devices facilitate the learning, what is the hidden opportunity of the augmented reality during the education.

Based on my experience, the programmes increase the students’ participation, can be personalised and furthermore increase the cooperation and the communication between the students.

The creative online activities can increase the interactivity and meanwhile decrease the digital divide.

Don’t ban it, use it well!

 

Title: Colours, light and shadow

Presenter: Poul Hedegaard

Country: Denmark

 

In this project, students plan and carry out experiments in which they investigate the rules for additive colour mixing and the position of colours on the colour circle, to find explanations for coloured shadows and complementary colours.

 

Besides colour mixing and coloured shadows you can work with these experiments:

Complementary colours and afterimages (*)

Colour vision and afterimages (*)

Colour blindness (*)

The Bohr atomic model and light sources

How to measure wavelengths using rulers and cheap gratings, or using a smartphone to take pictures through a grating

Diffraction and the meaning of n, d and φ in the grating equation n·λ=d·sin(φ), examined using cheap laser pointers and gratings with different values of d

The rate of photosynthesis, using different colours of light, and counting the number of bubbles rising from the cut end of a piece of Elodea (pondweed) or Cabomba.

 

(*) Please bring your own computer if you want to do some of these computerized experiments.

 

Title: Natural clear

Presenter: Szilvia Tóth, Zsuzsanna Napsugár Tóth-Gál

Country: Hungary

 

Our hypothesis is that using tales in teaching natural sciences makes it easier for students to understand the basic principles of the world surrounding them. It is important because teachers must pay attention not only to the students’ spiritual development but also their physical and mental upbringing. Based on a self-written framework the students’ task is to plan experiments connected to salt in biology, chemistry and geography lessons using everyday materials and ICT tools. Our project shows that natural sciences can not only be funny but interesting and easily understandable. After performing the tale there is a possibility for getting acquainted with the themes in details, displaying and observing the prepared models as well as carrying out some simple experiments. The participants are provided with some ideas how they can adapt the project to their own local conditions and circumstances. With a video conference (e.g. Skype) even our students can join the workshop and relate their experiences in the project.

 

Title: Return home

Presenter: Honorata Pereira

Country: Portugal

 

Return Home – Learning by project is a new teaching methodology that promotes the development of 21st century skills by encouraging research, innovation and liaison with the business world.

So, we will start by describing the profile of today’s students. We will relate the profile of students with the skills required in the 21st century. We describe how we evaluate competencies and how we draw the profile of students’ functionality. We will use the alumni functionality profile to establish work groups and promote collaborative work. Having said that, we will use a case study to explain the methodology of the Return Home project, through the phases of inquiring, selection, establishment of partnerships, research, analysis, conclusion and presentation. The workshop will be developed using digital tools (padlet, learning design …) so participants should have their laptop or tablet.

 

Title: Rise and Shine: Chemistry at Breakfast Time, Italian versus English style

Presenter: Francesca Butturini, Gordon Kennedy

Country: Italy

 

In this workshop we will demonstrate the practical aspects of two laboratory experiences from the Rise and Shine project: fermentation and the use of eutectic mixtures in the preparation of the classic Sicilian granita (græ|ni:ta). The aim is to give participants enough information to allow them to repeat the experiments using their own materials and adapt it to their own contexts.

We will first demonstrate a simple apparatus for measuring the carbon dioxide produced by brewer’s yeast during the anaerobic fermentation of different carbohydrate sources at various concentrations and how the data can be collected live to show the kinetic profile of the process over time. From this data it is possible to calculate the efficiency of anaerobic fermentation.

In the second demonstration we will show how mixtures of salt and crushed ice in carefully chosen proportions can be used to reach temperatures which are low enough to permit the ingredients of the granita to congeal.