Protocols for young children
Authors:
Anabela Bernardes da Silva (Faculty of Science, Lisbon)
Luz Figueiredo (Primary Education Teacher) www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Seed germination and plant development
Aims
. Learning practical ways of approaching problems; Control and Assay (scientific method)
. Developing Mathematical skills (the importance of quantitative information in biology research)
. Developing language skills (mother tongue and foreign language)
Age group
Kindergarten and elementary school children
Materials
Experimental protocols: the influence of environmental factors and soil in seed germination and plant development.
Previously tested worksheet www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Seed germination and plant development
Worksheet A
The influence of Environmental Factors In Seed Germination
Environmental factors: observation of rapid transformations occurring in seed germination
Worksheet B
The influence Of Soil and Environmental Factors in Plant Development
. Influence of soil and each environmental factor:
- growth parameters ( e. g
. measuring height of plants, length of roots, nº leaves, etc)
- weighting ( e. g . weight of plants, leaves, root, etc).
Worksheet C
Biomass partitioning
Worksheet D
Extraction and separation of plant pigments by chromatography www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Author
Raquel Gaspar, Post-doc student www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Aim
Creating curiosity and interest in discovering nature, learning about marine animals.
Age group
Young children (primary education + kindergarten)
Worksheet
Guidelines (multidisciplinary approach):
. Story telling/listening (The Little Girl from the Sea)
. Biology concepts: marine habitats and animals
(morphology)
. Guides for workshops: animal model building
. Field trips to marine environments
. Creative arts activities: musical activities/performative activities www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Status
Materials already tested (primary school in SciencEduc project and the Lisbon Marine Zoo)
French version of the story
La petite fille de la mer, Éditions La Différence www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Author
Pedro Fevereiro, Institute of Biotechnology, member of the Council of Ethics
Consultant
Mafalda Lapa, biology teacher www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Activities
Guidelines for discussions of Bioethics issues in schools:
. Video of a recent debate (scientists of Council of Ethics’ members + secondary education students)
. Film GATTACA previously used as a starting point for a debate between Portuguese and Brazilian schools
. Case study (based on real and made-up situations)
. Forum (internet) used by Portuguese schools for 3 years; still online.
. “ Ethical Forum for Young People ”, Danish organization www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Authors
Rui Durão (Secondary Education teacher)
Francisco Carrapiço (Faculty of Science, Lisbon)
Patrícia Moura, INETI (video) www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Aim
Making students understand Man is a superorganism, a symbiome
Materials
Guide for teachers
Laboratory video (experiment + interview)
Age group
Middle school students but easily adaptable to other age groups www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Content of Worksheet
Motivating the children (yoghurt label analysis)
Making yoghurt:
- conditions for the development of bacteria
- building a yoghurt machine (physics: heat transfer)
Special kind of yoghurt
Probiotics and the human body
– symbiotic relationships
Concept of man as a symbiome. www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

Carmo Fonseca, João Ferreira, Teresa Carvalho, Margarida Gama-Carvalho
Institute of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

DNA damage and repair: daily threats to our genome
Changes in the DNA molecule as a result of environmental agents
(solar radiation, tabacco)
How these alterations can be repaired or may lead to the development of diseases
(cancer)
- Two worksheets:
1. Mutagenic effects of environmental agents: a laboratory test
2. Effects of sun exposure on your body – measuring UV irradiation
Age group
Middle and Secondary education schools www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

DNA damage and repair: daily threats to our genome
5. 1 Mutagenic effects of environmental agents: a laboratory test
Aims
Explore the effects of tobacco and UV radiation on DNA in a hands-on lab experiment.
Experiment
- model organism: Serracia marcescens (based on the Ames test)
- Support of IMM to Portuguese schools
- bacteria exposed to tobacco, sunlight or UV source
- mutations: change in the colour of the colonies
- Further investigations: exposing bacteria to other mutagens
Content of the material (laboratory and discussion guides)
- Informative text (DNA, mutations, mutagens; cancer; oncogenic virus; Ames Test)
The experimental activity: protocol and teacher’s guide
- Suggestions for discussion
Basead on:
Rebecca B.R. Milholland and Stefani D. Hines (2004). Tobacco Induced Mutations: A Fun, Visually Impressive
Experiment . The American Biology Teacher, Vol. 66/5, 370-376 www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt

DNA damage and repair: daily threats to our genome
5. 2 Effects of sun exposure on your body – measuring UV irradiation
Aims
Explore the deleterious effects of sun exposure and how to prevent them.
Materials
Kits with UV sensitive colour beads for the students to build bracelets
A laboratory guide
A discussion guide
Overview of the project
- Bracelets with UV sensitive colored beads to monitor exposure to
UV radiation
- Variables: sunscreen lotions, clothing color, skin types,
Practical issues
Pack of 2500 beads
Partnership between IMM & Ciência Viva www.cienciaviva.pt | info@cienciaviva.pt