Course Information

Course Department:

Department of Education

Course Code:

EDU 175

Course Title:

Natural Sciences in Pre-Primary School:Environment and Living Organisms

Number of ECTS:

Level of Course:

1st Cycle (Bachelor's Degree)

Year of Study (if applicable):

1st year

Semester/Trimester when the Course Unit is Delivered:

Spring Semester

Name of Lecturer(s):

Stella Petrou

Lectures/Week:

2 (1.5 hours per lecture)

Laboratories/week:

Tutorials/Week:

1 (1.5 hours per lecture)

Course Purpose and Objectives:

The main objective of the course is to give opportunities to students to explore the natural world, to study its structure and functions and to appreciate the role of living and non-living things. The course teaches educational approaches suitable for pre-school age children. Emphasis is given in the implementation and critical discussion of outdoor education activivities, hands-on activities and inquiry learning

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Know and appreciate living and non-living things

2. Explain the structure and function of ecosystems

3. Describe patterns of interaction between living organisms

4. Explain the adaptive characteristics of living organisms

5. Recognize and appreciate Cyprus ecosystems and biodiversity

6. Understand indoor, outdoor and inquiry educational approaches

Prerequisites:

Not Applicable

Co-requisites:

Not Applicable

Course Content:

biotic patterns, structure and function of ecosystems and especially of Mediterranean ecosystems, patterns of interaction among living organisms (competition, cooperation, symbiosis, predator-prey relationships) and the adaptive characteristics of biotic organisms. Teaching pre-school children. Studies the environment at the kindergarden. Outdoor learning. Inquiry learning

Teaching Methodology:

Cooperative learning, Field Trip, Experiment, Outdoor Games, Lecture

Bibliography:

Meserve, P. L. (1981). Trophic relationships among small mammals in a Chilean semiarid thorn scrub community. Journal of Mammalogy, 62(2), 304- 314.

Pausas, J. G., & Vallejo, V. R. (1999). The role of fire in European Mediterranean ecosystems. In Remote sensing of large wildfires (pp. 3-16). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Ratcliffe, O. J., Amaya, I., Vincent, C. A., Rothstein, S., Carpenter, R., Coen, E. S., & Bradley, D. J. (1998). A common mechanism controls the life cycle and architecture of plants. Development, 125(9), 1609-1615.

Solbrig, O. T. (1994). Plant traits and adaptive strategies: their role in ecosystem function. In Biodiversity and ecosystem function (pp. 97-116). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Strgar, J. (2007). Increasing the interest of students in plants. Journal of Biological Education, 42(1), 19-23.

Assessment:

1. Participation in Research Projects: 20%

2. Participation in Laboratory Activities: 20%

3. Final Exam: 60%

Language of Instruction:

Greek

Delivery Mode:

Face-To-Face

Work Placement(s):

Not Applicable

Course Details