07943 - Elements of Ecology

Learning outcomes

The student will have the basic knowledge of ecology and environmental education; will use the acquired basic skills to gain the understanding of dynamics and complexity of the interactions that occur within the biosphere, with particular reference to the identification of the cause / effect relationship in areas belonging to everyday life, as to analyze the environment in order to identify the interactions between several typesof systems, in a dynamic and variable context and in time and space; will be able to both reflect and discriminate on the principles of environmental sustainability and the principles of Ecology evolutionary
science; will use the acquired knowledge and skills to identify and plan learning Activities that represent meaningful contribution to the education of the early environmental culture of the pupil in kindergarten and primary school.

Course contents

The program focus on the following topics:
- Ecosystem: biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem, relationships among them, trophic roles of the biological patterns;
- Cycle of matter and energy flow. The Biogeochemical Cycles;
- Limiting Factors: conditions on which the presence and the success of the organisms depend, main limiting abiotic factors: Temperature, Oxygen, Water, Light;
- Implications for the antrophic activities on the matter cycles;
- Sustainable development. Ecological footprint. Education for sustainable development.

Educational workshops

The educational workshops of Chemistry and Ecology are closely interconnected with the theoretical lessons and will be proposed with the specific finality of "to put in practice, to show, to touch." some of the topics developed to lesson.

Few numerous groups of students will conduct simple experiments and they will be driven from the tutors for the comparison and the discussion of the results. The experiments are fit to the children and can be replied in classes of the primary and the infancy school.

Laboratory activities attendance is required and the tasks are scheduled to run at Opificio Golinelli, 14 Paolo Nanni Costa St., Bologna. Subjects and timetable arrangement will be communicate at the beginning of the course.

They are, for now, anticipated the following educational workshops:

"We play with the air" (for school of the infancy)

"Plants in tet-tube" (for the I and II elementary class)

"The water chemistry" (for the III, IV and V elementary class)

The activity of the students in the educational workshops won't be valued, but the share to at least a single lab it is obligatory to access the integrated examination.

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended text:
L'Ecologia (Vol. 6 di Biologia). Sadava, D., M. Hillis, D., Craig Hellee. H. & Berenbaum, M.R. Edited by Zanichelli, 2014. (ISBN 978-88-08-23521-3).
Further alternative texts:
Fondamenti di ecologia. Cunningham William P.; Cunningham M. Ann; Saigo Barbara W. Edited by McGraw-Hill Education, 2007.
Ecologia (Vol. 6 of Biology). Brooker, R.J., Widmaier, E.P., Graham, L.E. amd Stiling, P.D. Edited by McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Teaching methods

The course will be developed through:

frontal lessons and the discussion of main topics;

design of teaching units inherent ecological aspects and of environmental sustainability;

observations, considerations and analysis about natural and artificial microsystem what possible activities to be developed in the kindergarten and primary school;

preparation in the educational workshops.

Assessment methods

The oral exam cosists in an short, original essay dissertation.

The essay must be sent by email in .pdf format, at least one week before the exam.

The ideas developed can be represented by mind, cognitive, or conceptual map.

Supporting details requirements:

a) reasoning why the topic have been chosen;

b) the scientific basis of the selected topic;

c) didactic transposition, from scientific knowledge to primary school knowledge, with particular attention to experiments that can be carried out;

d) the pertinent references.

Final score based on ../30 (18/30 is considered the minimum to pass the exam).

The students are required to complete the online registration (ALMAESAMI) within the terms in order to be admitted to the exam. In case of technical problems the students have to promptly contact the Segreteria Studenti and the teachers (Venturi e Salmoiraghi) by email (within the terms). The teachers will consider the request and decide about the admission.

Before the final exam, students should have to attend the educational workshops (attendance is compulsory).

These indications apply even for non-attending students.

The Erasmus students that must prepare only the examination of Ecology: possibility to arrange an oral exam in Italian Language.

The examinations with negative result can be repeated to the following examination period.

Teaching tools

Handout and lecture notes will be available through Power point presentations.

In case of any doubt, the teacher is available. For questions, explanations, informations pertaining to the Course or Ecological subject and to make an appointment, feel free to use my email address: gian.salmoiraghi@unibo.it

 

Office hours

See the website of Gianpaolo Salmoiraghi