SECOND YEAR 2014-2015

1. Co-finanziato Dal Programma LLP dell’Unione Europea COMENIUS REGIOScience for ActiVecitizEnship in Europe- SAVE EUScientific learning paths to face future challengesliceoBuonarrotipisa SECOND YEAR 2014-2015 L’autore è il solo responsabile di questa comunicazione. L’Unione europea declina ogni responsabilità sull’uso che potrà essere fatto delle informazioni in essa contenute.

2. Smart Choices, Smart systems, smart EU citizens • The general aim is to give evidence for the interconnection among the scientific, political and economic aspects of optimal system management. • Our project has aimed at making students aware of the relevance of scientific methods , ideas and approaches as powerful, adequate and efficient tools to become well-informed, responsible and active European citizens • Last year work: : we used scientific methods and discussed ideas to understand some aspects of economics and politics in Europe in order to • promote the acquiring of skills that are necessary to become awareand responsible citizens • This year ‘work: : we have used scientific methods to understand systems management by analizing hot EU issues such as Euro in order to • learn how to manage complex situations as competent and active citizens.

3. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC LEARNING PATH The topicwehavechosen, the optimization of system ‘s management, hasenabledus to highlight the strong link whichexistsbetweentwoapparentllydifferentaspects of the project 1) Scientificlearning ( through the adoption of a scientificmethod to educate to criticalthinking) 2)Formation of well.-informed, aware, responsibleEuropeancitizens • Scientificlearning criticalthinkingaware, responsibleEuropeancitizens A responsible EUROPEAN citizenship can be attainedthroughcriticalthinking, by beingable to handle information in a scientific , objective way, in order to giveissues an unbiasedevaluation and realisticsolutions

4. Scientific learning paths to face future challenges • Work focus: smart systems • Analysis of smart systems in fields such as biology, energy, Information Technology and economics • How to study a system • The Identification of variables and constants of the system, of objective and quantifiable evaluation criteria • - has made the whole process objective and highly rigorous from a methodological point of view; • The use of maths and economical model • - has shown how a mathematical approach can offer necessary and effective tools for an optimal management of a system; • in terms of European Citizenship this means being able to make smart choices for the common good.

5. Implementation • Topics - Euro: a smart choice? Attachment : ppt Euro • - Energy sources - EU Energy Strategy Attachment : Power point Eu Energy Strategy 2014-15 • - European Institutions Attachment :Video Buonarroti at work • Aims. • To educate well-informed, aware and responsiblecitizens, able to think in a critical way, foundingtheirconclusions on correct information, in order to propose rational , effective , feasible and realisticsolutions 3. Methodologicalchoices • Support by LEND: clear LEND guidelineshavebeen a necessary and valuable help in order to guarantee the efficacy and the quality of the path • CLIL methodologytogether with 5E methodology, recentlyexperimentedwithinscientificteachingmethodologies. CLIL methodologyhascontributednotonly to the growth of linguisticskillsbutalso to a betterorganization of abstract and criticalthinking in a pathwhichhasstarted from concrete thinking (what, when, which, and who) to get to abstract and criticalthinking ( why and what) • Experimenting of teachingappoachesbased on non-formaleducation.

6. Summary

7. EngagementWarming up • Westarted from a highlycontroversialissue: • EURO : SMART CHOICE? • What do peoplethink and sayabouteuro?

8. 2. Exploration- ScaffoldingEuro: smartchoice? Hands-on activities, with guidance. • How to investigate and gather information about: EU currency • Relevance of collecting and interpreting data correctly in order to appraise evidence and evaluate arguments in scientific projectsand in everyday life • To develop critical thinking based on objective and correct information • To gather and marshal pertinent and relevant information • To be aware of the importance of the reliability of the source, number of references • To be aware of the importance of comparing multiple sources

9. The Italiancrisis and the euro • The data show usthatItalyis the onlyEU country whoseGrossDomestic Product decreasedafter the country joined the single Europeancurrency. Thisfact shows that the Italianproblemisn't the result of the introduction of euro and we can reachthisconclusion by analising the Italianeconomicsystem in the past. WhenItalyentered EU itsfinanceswerein a badcondition: the public debtwas high and a notvery strong industrycouldnot work within a global economy.

10. 3. Explanation- Handson work • To develop critical thinking • To recognize problems, to find workable proposal and possible solutions on the basis of wider experience (EU Guidelines) • Draw warranted conclusions and generalizations

11. Elaboration Task:understanding europe Wholeads the EU? Whichrules and customsgovern the common policies of the 28 MemberStates, the EuropeanCommission and the EuropeanParliament? Whatrole do NGOs, media and over 500 million EU citizens play in allthis? A lot of youngpeople are probablyable to answerthese and manyotherquestionsafterparticipating in one «Understanding Europe» workshop. WHAT IS THE AIM OF «UNDERSTANDING EUROPE»? • The aim of the «Understanding Europe» programmeis to giveyoungpeople a basicundestanding of EuropeanInstitutions and politicsthough a non formaleducationexperiencewhichincludes: • Group work • Peer learning • HOW YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAMME? • Throughactiveworshopsstudents are engaged in open discussions on currentEuropeantopics and encouraged by tutors to partake in Europeanpolitics.

12. UNDERSTANDINGEUROPE • WHAT TOPICS DOES THE WORKSHOP DEAL WITH? • The workshop ourstudentshavetaken part to hasfocused on three core fields: • 1. Whydoes the EU exist? Milestones in the history of the EU • 2.Who is the EU? Stakeholders in EU politics • 3. Whatdoes the EU do? EU competences • WHAT HAVE STUDENTS DONE? • Team building activities to getotknoweachother(ex SpeedDating) and get ready to work in groups • Europe in Four Corners: studentshad to move to the corners theiranswerscorrespondedto. The questionswere:

13. UNDERSTANDING EUROPE • 1.What does Europe makesyouthink of? • A) A Geographicalcontinent • B) Manydifferentcountries and languages • C) EU • D) Football Championship or Eurovision Song Contest • 2. WhatupsetyoumostaboutEuropean Union? • A) Relocation of jobs • B) Increase in drugtraffic and crime • C) Italypays a lot of moneyinto EU • D) Loss of nationalautonomy

14. UNDERSTANDING EUROPE • 3: Wherewill the borders of the EU be after 2030? • Eu 28 • + Iceland, Norway, Switzerland • + the Balkancountiries • + Turkey • One or more students from eachgrouphavegivenreason for theiranswers

15. UNDERSTANDING EUROPE • THE WORKSHOP • Students havedividedintogroups and haveworked on the threemaintopics with the aim of creatingsomething to share with the rest of the people.; • Theyhavereadthe materialstheyhadbeengiven (Information cards and activitycards) • theyhaveunderlinedkeyfacts, • Theyhaveorganisedtheiractivitycardsintointosequences • In turnsstudentshavepresentedwhattheyhadlearnt to the rest of the people: readingwasnotallowed, studentshavebeenasked to use theirownwords.

16. UNDERSTANDING EUROPE • WHAT HAVE THE STUDENTS SAID ABOUT THE «UNDERSTANDING EUROPE" WORSHOP? «Thisactivityhelped me understandsomethingabout Europe, itsfunctions , the role of people» «Itwasgood to work in groups and help eachother» «I haveworked with people I didn’tknow, thisisusefulbecausethisiswhathappens in a workingcontext» » Wehavelearnt to understandpeoplewhospeak English atdifferentlevels»

17. THE STUDENTS’ WORDS «»I love talking with new people and discover new thingsabout Europe. Itwasveryamusingwhenwe made the circles and wespoke with the people from otherschools» « «wehavelearntwhatEuroepisthrough creative activities. I recommendthisexperience to otherstudents»

20. Aspetti didattici e organizzativi • Criticità: Tempo, ovviare integrando con • attività extra-curriculari ( settimana scientifica) • Parallelizzando con lavori di gruppo epeer –education • Non riduzione dei contenuti ma arricchimento • Diversi livelli nella stessa classe permettono attività di potenziamento • Indicazioni declinate e adattate alle varie esigenze del gruppo classe • comunicazione tra membri del progetto: google drive. Strumento semplice da usare e free • Materiale: scientific american e altre riviste scientifiche

21. Implemantazione • Tematica. Energia: fonti rinnovabili e non e loro impiego nei paesi della EU • Finalità: educare cittadini informati , consapevoli e responsabili capaci di formulare soluzioni ragionate , efficaci e realizzabili • garantisce guida x crescita di competenze linguistiche • per maturazione del pensiero. Percorso in varie fasi che accompagna lo studente da un «concrete thinking«(such(what, when, which and who) to abstract and critithinkingsuchasreasoning and hypothesising (why and whatifquestions) • Prevede un’evoluzione linguistica e un’evoluzione del pensiero • Learnersprogress from information processing or concrete thinking (suchasidentifying and organising information (what, when, which and who) to abstractthinkingsuchasreasoning and hypothesising (why and whatifquestions)

23. Westarted from a highlycontroversialissue :Euro: smartchoice? • Whatpeoplethink and sayabout euro • Scientificpathway: • Building criticalthinking • STARTING FROM Data and fact • learning • how to deal with data? • Methods and tools to • Collect from reliablesources • Read correctly • Information ( data and factsabout euro) • To becomeable to discernamong the manyinconsistent , arbitrary and biasedinterpretationproposals