Abstract:

Junior Science ® – Science for Children [1-3] is a didactic strategy that aims to slowly introduce children into the scientific methodology. Since early 2013 the Project is being implemented in different private schools in Oporto. The recent investigation shows the requirement to amplify scientific skills in early stages of development aiming at a gradual involvement with experimental sciences [4-7].


In order to participate in the Science Week activities promoted by Cedros Private School, the team prepared a 45 minutes workshop about cells: “The mitochondria: the powerhouse of the cell”. This issue was implemented to 33 boys aged from 8 to 10 years old. These children had never studied the cell and had never contacted the Junior Science ® – Science for Children Project. They demonstrated elevated interest and aptitude to reason and to get interested on a dissimilar topic.
The workshop’s side-effect was amusement for all participants.


After sixteen days, without further preparation and with the teachers’ kind cooperation, we could assess the information students had retained from the 45 minutes workshop.

The average result of a group of 19 students with 8 years old was 10,4 on a 20 grade scale.
79% of the amount remembered that pyruvate, previously going to the Krebs Cycle, that takes place on a mitochondria, must lose, inside that organelle, a carbon atom and bind to Coenzyme A; 32% retained that water, carbon dioxide and energy are obtained in the Cycle;16% identified water and energy as products of the Cycle;16% remembered pyruvate had 3 carbon atoms.
Our proceeding’s aim is to share the game’s details and further results from the assessment.

References:
[1] Costa, F., Pratas, H., Paramés. A., Harry Leite V., Ribeiro L. (2015) Junior Science project– A study case on Colégio Cedros – Pedagogical experience with differentiated education. INTED2015, 9th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Proceedings ISBN: 978-84-606-5763-7, pp. 3996-4000.
[2] Costa, F., Pratas, H., Paramés. A. (2014) Junior Science Project— Developing Attention and Concentration Skills to Nurture a Sustainable Learning of Natural Sciences. US-China Education Review US-China Education Review A, ISSN 2161-623X Feb. 2014, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp.125-128.
[3] Costa, F., Pratas, H., Paramés. A. (2014) Junior Science – Teaching Science in Primary School. INTED2014, 8th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Proceedings IATED ISSN: 2340-1079, ISBN: 978-84-616-8412-0, pp. 4886-4889.
[4] Davies D., Jindal-Snape D., Collier C. et al. (2013). Creative learning environments in education: A systematic literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, vol. 8, pp 80-91.
[5] Harlen, W. (2011). Why is learning science important in primary schools? In - W. Harlen (Ed.), ASE Guide to Primary Science Education Hatfield: Assoc. for Science Education, pp. 2-9.
[6] Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (OECD) (2009). PISA 2009. Assessment Framework - Key competencies in reading, mathematics and science. Paris: Author in http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/11/40/44455820.pdf.
[7] Osborne, J. & Dillon, J. (2008). Science Education in Europe: Critical Reflections. London: The Nuffield Foundation, pp 3-30.

Keywords:

Biology in primary classrooms, game based experience, Junior Science ® – Science for Children.