Didactic Guide

This activity is directed to secondary school 14-18 years old students. As you can see, the site is directed to students, so you can propose them directly the web adress to undertake the activity. This is one of the reasons why correct answers are not provided (further explanation in IBSE).

This activity is part of the educational C3 Project (Creation of Scientific knowledge) and the Syllabus ABP/IBSE Itinerary ProyectandoBioGeo.

This is a Printer-Friendly activity. Even if it is proposed as a web-based resource, you don't need computers to apply it in your classroom, all the proposed materials are printable and available at the Resources section.

An article (in Spanish) describing the application of the activity and its didactics outcomes is available:

Diseño y caracterización de un Proyecto de Indagación alrededor de la Evolución Humana y la Paleontología. Investigación en la escuela (2016) 90, 49-71. Jordi Domènech-Casal.

Comments and suggestions are welcome. If you add or modify steps from this didactic sequence, please, let me know, your work can be useful for other teachers and students. If you want, I could eventually add your activities as a contribution in this website, toghether with your name and contact details.

The activity and its application are also described in the BOOK:

• Aprenentatge Basat en Projectes, Treballs Pràctics i controvèrsies. 28 experiències i reflexions per a ensenyar Ciències. J.Domènech Casal. Rosa Sensat, Barcelona.
• Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos, Trabajos prácticos y Controversias. 28 experiencias y reflexiones para enseñar Ciencias. J.Domènech Casal. Octaedro, Barcelona.

Description

Human evolution is a well-stablished scientific model demonstrating our origins through several stages ina process called Hominization. Current research is giving new fossils and clues that help us to better interprete the available data. In order to introduce inquiry-based science education (IBSE) approaches to this topic, we propose “Armshtadt 3 Delta”, an activity where students are asked to use hominid fossil data to design and investigate Excavation Sites as real paleontologists would do. Grouped in expert teams, each team cosntruct interpretation frames whcih are used inmediately after by research teams to design and construct a physical Excavation Site. Each team investigates the site created by another team, which has kept in secret the hominid represented there. The activity ends with a Science Communication Event and gives special relevance to the processes of creation of scientific knowledge and the kinf of knowledge resulting.

This activity is part of the C3 Project on Creation of Scientific Knowledge that is being applied in the school.

Didactic goals

The didactic sequence dealing with Human evolution, and scientific evidences of such processes, this activity pretends students to learn to:

• Understand scientific knowledge (and Paleontology) as a social process in permanent and democratic construction.
• Collect, organize and represent data.
• Communicate scientific data in scientific formats.
• Analyze and creating data in different format and take decisions to construct a scientific model.
• Use appropiately the specific lexic.
• Understand the main evolutionary steps of Hominids.

Indications to apply the activity

This activity is to be performed as WPP (Workshop, Project, Portfolio) sequence, this meaning three kind of sessions will take place in the classroom.

During the Project sessions (40 min-1 h), don't explain anything to your students. They will be able to learn it alone. Just let them work, and observe their discussions. You'll have the opportunity to collect the explanations after and from their work. Let them talk between them, even between the different teams. Science is a social process. Scientists don't call it copying or cheating. They call it constructing knowledge, and it usually happens in congresses and seminars. Ask your students to think. Explain them you expect their best.

During the Portfolio sessions (10 min), make them work individually. Ask your students to make a real reflection about what are they learning, how are they learning it, and which are the outcomes of the activity.

During the Workshop sessions (15 min), explain them the theoretical and historic aspects. Just 15 minutes per session, and don't make explicit the relationship of these theoretical aspects with the project. It's up to the students to make the relationship. This is important, as it makes them practice their ability to transfer models to new situations. It might be that they ask you to make new Workshops on some aspects. Do it, or encourage them to do a Workshop for their mates, but avoid it to touch concret aspects of the project.

Even if its preferable that students construct physically the Evidences and the Excavation Site, if you consider it difficult or there aren't available facilities, you can skip this step and make students to analyze directly the Site Grid and Evidences Forms.

Calendar and Class Organization

Project work:

• Introduction to Human Evolution: 1 session (1 h) + homework. Teams of three or individual.
• Paleontology Workshop: 1'5 session (1 h 30 min). Teams of three.
• Step 1: Creating frames: 1 session (1 h) + homework. Teams of three.
• Step 2: Creating an archaeological site: 3 sessions (3 h) + homework. Teams of three.
• Step 3: Digging, Collecting and Cataloguing. 2 sessions (2 h) + homework. Teams of three.
• Steps 4 and 5: Data analysis and Scientific Communication, 3 sessions (3 h) + homework. Teams of three and whole class.

Portfolio and Workshop sessions should be inserted in this calendar following the needs and possibilities of the project. You should consider 2 additional hours for portfolio and Workshop sessions.

Take in account that there will be changes in the composition of teams from the beginning to the end.

About IBSE (Inquiry-Based Science Education)

Some of the principles of IBSE used to build this site and didactic activity:

• Scientists generate scientific theories based on evidence, but they do not find definitive answers. Real science has not a book of "correct answers" were you can contrast if your conclusions are correct. "Correct processes" and "Best explanations" is the most you can get in real science.
• Scientific knowledge and ideas change over time and are open to further revision as our understanding of the world around us evolves. Education doesn't mean to transmit a false feeling of certainty. Education means to teach how to deal with uncertainty, to take decisions and assume risks. Don't confirm them if they have the correct answer or not. In case of misunderstandings, just ask them if their process is correct and their results coherent. Answer with questions to their questions, or help them to make better questions. "Correct solutions" or "Wise teachers" won't be present in their life for ever. Teach them how to arrange without it.
• Science is a social and creative activity. Constructing and testing hypothesis, interpreting data from different formats and adjusting an abstract model as a consequence, identifying patterns and stablishing relationships, discussing results and justifying conclusions, are key competences that science learning must include as a priority, not only to make them best scientists, but to make them critical citizens.

Clil / Aicle

This site has been built from a didactic activity performed with spanish students, and in some steps, liguistic clues are given. I'm yet working on this aspect.

Sample Student's Productions

I've collected some student's productions as samples. They are not available in open-internet, to keep for your students the opportunity to develop their own products. This ressource is available only for teachers. If you are a teacher and you want to have access to sample student's productions, ask for an access by clicking here. (You will be requested to demonstrate you are a teacher).