Italy

Due to the Corona crisis, our last mobility in Italy could not take place.

Despite many efforts from the Belgian, German and Dutch partners, Italy did not agree upon a new mobility date.

However, Italy proved to have been preparing this mobility beforehand, by sending us the following material:

WORKSHOP 1 - the relationship between sunlight and photosynthesis.

Activities in the school greenhouse in mixed groups.

Activity: observing the behavior of plants grown in different environmental situations and understanding how the relationship between sunlight and photosynthesis works.

Objective: to draw conclusions on the relationship between sunlight and photosynthesis.

1. Short introduction on photosynthesis and on the strategies that plants use to employ solar radiation in the most efficient way.

The activity takes place in the school greenhouse, where students can observe different types of plants.

2. Observation of 3 bean plants, sown together and grown in different environments:

a) the first one in a school garden bed, exposed to sunlight;

b) the second one in a dark room;

c) the third plant, grown in a box with only one hole for light to enter.

3. Students, in mixed groups, prepare a PPT with the conclusions after the observations.

WORKSHOP 2 – Building solar cookers in mixed groups

Greenhouse effect application: solar cookers

Activity: building solar cookers working with solar cooker effect using recyclable materials.

Objective: understanding how the greenhouse effect works and studying the characteristics of the conducting and insulating materials.

1. Short introduction on the greenhouse effect and description of how a solar cooker works.

2. The individual groups will  build a solar kitchen with the materials provided.

3. The same amount of water will be added to each one.

4. The solar cookers will be exposed  20 minutes to the sun.

5. At the end, the temperature of each solar cooker will be measured.

6. The group able to combine the various materials in order to heat the water to a higher temperature, thanks to a more intense greenhouse effect, will win.

WORKSHOP 3 - Lichen Biomonitoring: lichens, biological indicators of the quality of the environment

Activity: laboratory in mixed groups in the park of Bitonto to detect the number and quality of the lichens present on the trunks.

Objective: understanding the correlation between the presence of lichens and environmental quality.

1. The environmental expert provides groups of students with the tools and forms to evaluate environmental quality.

2. Student groups photograph the various types of lichen found on trees.

3. Students record the results of their observations on the forms.

4. All results are reported on PPT.

From the beginning,  the project has been appreciated by our school community for the specificity of its subject, because we all are very concerned with topics in sustainability.

Students and teachers involved in the various activities of the project offered their collaboration and a lot of enthusiasm. Especially our students acquired more autonomy and responsibility succeeding in feeling more self-confident to take autonomous initiatives. We took care of students with special needs and encouraged those who had difficulties with studying. Weak students told us that the project had really improved their self-esteem.

Students shared all information on activities, mobility and goals of the project with other students in their assemblies and during the Christmas event in school. They also shared information about their experience with students from other schools, during some meetings for school guidance.  

Since the project had such a great impact, the teachers involved in the activities presented the results to the colleagues of the school and to the parents of the students in meetings held during the two years of the project.

The implementation of these activities had such a strong impact on the school that they ended up being included in the General Program of any different subjects such as Science, Geography and Law.

Web TV, newspapers, Facebook, Instagram and the Erasmus Corner informed the public about our project.

In the end, we got very positive feedback from the whole school community and also from people not directly related to our school.