Author(s): Dorina Nemtanu, Scoala Gimnaziala ”Constantin Parfene”, Romania
- Age: 13 - 15
- Hours: 2 - 3
Introduction
The activities are organized on the Flipped classroom methodology, based on reading in tandems materials using Readtwinning platform and organize a debate on ”Using Hydrogen as fuel: advantages and disadvantages”: analyses the dates, build arguments and express ideas. Then, they identify the effects of the air pollution due to the combustion gases products in the area they live.
Learning Objectives
- to analyse the texts, organize the content and summarize the main ideas, identify the Cause and Effects on using of Hydrogen as fuel;
- to think critically and build arguments using the structure: statement, explanation, illustration, impact;
- to communicate arguments pros or cons in a Debate on using of Hydrogen as fuel, using scientific information received in the Unit Hydrogen as well as based on exchanges of information using the Readtwinning platform
- to reflect and express opinions, ideas, making connections with their own representation about environmental issues, understanding the others point of views, reviewing your own ideas;
- to cooperate and learn from peers.
Process
1. Organizational stage: Students are organized on reading tandems to study materials on the Readtwinning platform (links 1-3). 2. Building arguments: The tandems are randomly divided for building arguments pros or cons on using Hydrogen as fuel. Applying the class information from the unit Hydrogen, using the materials for study, tandems have to organize the data on arguments using the Readtwinning platform. The structure of each argument fallows the template: statement, explanation, illustration, impact. Teacher supports the students work, helping them interpret correctly the data, from a scientific point of view. The tandems with ”pros” arguments as well as the tandems with ”cons” arguments are then joint in two teams. The new formed teams analyze all arguments, prioritize and decide what and how would be used during the debate. Three communicators from each team are appointed to participate in debate. 3. Preparing the debate format: Teacher presents to the students the debate format: the role of communicators, how to do counter-argument, teams’ interaction, the importance of used language as well as nonverbal-language. 4. Debate: The debate is organized using the model of the World School Style Debate (link no 4). Two students are appointed to fallow the teams’ performance using an evaluation grid containing items for both the use of scientific data as well as the coherence of reasoning and communication. The communicators of the two teams present the own arguments and interact with each other after the presented rules. Students are invited to express ideas about the process of debating. The teacher presents the conclusion. 5. Reflection and Applying: Students receive 2 videos for watching before the lesson (links no. 5 and 6). Teacher emphasizes that the problem of using Hydrogen as fuel is very actual, in the context of the environmental problems of the nowadays society due to the combustion gases products. Working in the first tandems, students identify the effects on the air pollution due to the fuels combustion in the area they live and propose aspects of limiting them, from two perspectives: decision makers and citizens. Each tandem presents the ideas to other students. Using different tools, students are invited to create a “book” or a poster on the topic ”How the world looks like tomorrow” in two different scenario: a positive and a dramatic one, according to the people behavior on environmental issues.
Tools & Equipment
- Tablets, video projector, laptop
- Book creator, Story Jumper, Pixton Comic Maker
- ReadTwinning platform