Introduction
Due to the pandemic, we have lost human contact and been together in recent years. STEMin & STEMout is a path that has as its main purpose socialization in an outdoor learning context. Studying in natural environments not only has positive effects on learning, but also concentration and well-being in general.
Description
STEMin & STEMout is a path of activities inside and outside the school that involved 90 students and teachers of mathematics, science, biology, and physics, from the two years of graphic design specialization of ISIS “Europa” in Pomigliano D’Arco, Italy. The pupils, walking in the park close to school, observed the surrounding environment through the use of the Globe Observed App of the Globe program, and created a mathematical path with activities carried out by looking for situations to be modeled in the park which is their field of study.
Through the MCM portal https://mathcitymap.eu/it/portale/#!/trail/238928 it was subsequently possible to publish the trail for all students of the school, but also for all those who wanted to have fun outdoors with scientific disciplines
“Parco delle Acque” and its measurements
The study contest is “Parco delle Acque” a park close to school, it is a public park in the municipality of Pomigliano d’Arco. It is a large area of land transformed into a large area equipped for outdoor activities. In 2017, on the occasion of “Tree Day,” 150 new trees were planted there for Pomigliano. It is a pleasant meeting and leisure place, with lawns, tree-lined areas, gymnastic routes, and games for children. It is located near the school’s district and is mainly suitable for outdoor STEM activities.
Work process
Pupils are divided into groups of 3 members, each with a specific role:
The leader coordinates the activities to be carried out, and creates folders and subfolders 📂 to gather all the materials produced. He or she collaborates with the group to prepare the final activity report.
The organizer takes notes by writing down the materials and tools used, calculations and procedures. At the end of the activity, upload the group documentation to the folder.
The photographer, through representative shots, tells the important moments of the activities, and at the end classifies them in an orderly way into folders and subfolders. He or she is also concerned with including the most significant photos of the activity carried out in the report.
Tools used
During the observations the students used simple material to recover: a meter, a tape, a smartphone, a wire, free apps such as Arduino science journal, Math Citymap, and globe observed, and they carried out real study activities for themselves and their peers. The aim is to create a mathematical path to be disseminated in the community and made available to other students in the area and to all those who want to try their hand at solving scientific/mathematical problems.
Mathematical / scientific contents
The contents present in the activities of the trail concern operations with real numbers, the percentage calculation, the proportions, the mcm, the algebra, the equations, the geometry, the calculation of areas and perimeters, equisomposable figures, the Pythagorean Theorem, similitude between triangles, the measurement of angles, combined calculation, but also concepts of physics such as the calculation of speed, slope, the composition of forces and vectors, oscillatory motion.
Learning by doing
Through the methodology of problem-solving and learning by doing, i.e. learning in operational contexts, the students had an active role as protagonists in the management of the project itself, without giving up the laboratory form and group learning, they used the knowledge, mathematical and scientific skills acquired at school in the surrounding reality.
Stages of the activity
Students work in 3 teams to create trial activities. Each group works on creating a different activity and then experiences that of the other groups.
Below are the images were taken during the collection of outdoor measurements
Citizens of the Globe
Outdoor activities also involved observing the surrounding environment thanks to participation in the Globe program https://www.globe.gov/ and the use of the Globe Observer app
Clouds
Starting from their geolocation, each member of the group observes clouds ☁️ using the protocol provided by the teacher or using the Globe observed app. One pupil in turn sends the collected data to NASA, as foreseen by the program
TREES App Globe Observer
Through the app lens https://lens.google/intl/it/ , pupils identify the species of the tree they are considering, then follow the steps of the globe observed app to calculate the height and circumference of the tree.
The height of the tree measured with this app is calculated using the basic geometry of the triangles. The angles measured and the length of the number of steps contribute to the calculation taking into account the presence of the inevitable measurement errors.
Tree height = (Tangent x Distance from the tree) + Eye height
The calculation can also be done with a clinometer that the pupils have built.
TREES Carbon Activity
Each member of the group choses a tree to be measured and calculates the carbon stored in the tree taking into account that:
- 35% of the green mass of a tree is water, therefore 65% is solid dry mass;
- 50% of the dry mass of a tree is made up of carbon;
- 20% of the biomass of the trees is found below the ground level, in the roots, therefore, a multiplication factor of 120% must be used;
- To determine the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide, the calculated carbon value is multiplied by a factor of 3.67.
The quantity of CO2 seized per tree (in kg) is calculated using the following formula:
amount of CO2 seized per tree (in kg) = tree mass (kg of fresh biomass) x 65% (dry mass) x 50% (% of carbon) x 3.67 x 120%
Once pupils are back in the classroom, they carried out the calculations and created the activities which they presented in a live event with the aim to raise awareness of others about the care and the protection of the environment around them and making everyone aware that their behaviors affect deeply and irreparably the environment in which we live.
Teachers: Sabrina Nappi, Mario Di Fonza (teachers globe), Josephine Iannone, Rosanna Busiello
In collaboration with: Nunzio Troilo, Letizia D’Avino, Stefania Notaro
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