NATURAL SCIENCES - GENERAL OUTLINES AND SKILLS

• NATURAL SCIENCES - GENERAL OUTLINES AND SKILLS

NATURAL SCIENCES - GENERAL OUTLINES AND SKILLS

At the end of high school, the student possesses the disciplinary knowledge and methodologies typical of the natural sciences, in particular Earth sciences, chemistry and biology. These different disciplinary areas are characterized by their own concepts and methods of investigation, but they are all based on the same strategy of scientific investigation, which also refers to the dimension of "observation and experimentation". The acquisition of this method, according to the particular declinations that it has in the various areas, together with the possession of the fundamental disciplinary contents, constitutes the formative and orienting aspect of the learning/teaching of science. This is the specific contribution that scientific knowledge can make to the acquisition of "cultural and methodological tools for an in-depth understanding of reality".

The student acquires a critical awareness of the relationships between the development of knowledge within the disciplinary areas under study and the historical, philosophical and technological context, as well as of the reciprocal links and with the scientific field more generally.

In this process, the experimental dimension is of fundamental importance, a constitutive dimension of these disciplines and as such to be always kept in mind. The laboratory is one of the most significant moments in which it is expressed, as a privileged circumstance of "doing science" through the organization and execution of experimental activities, which can also be usefully carried out in the classroom or in the field. This dimension remains an indispensable aspect of scientific training and a guide for the entire training course, even when laboratory activities in the strict sense are not possible, for example through the presentation, discussion and processing of experimental data, the use of films, simulations, models and virtual experiments, the presentation - also through original pieces by scientists - of crucial experiments in the development of scientific knowledge. The experiment is in fact an indispensable moment of scientific training and must therefore be promoted in all years of study and in all disciplinary areas, because it educates the student to ask questions, to collect data and to interpret them, gradually acquiring the typical attitudes of scientific investigation.

The stages of a science learning path do not follow a linear logic, but rather a recursive one. Thus, at the high school level, alongside new themes and topics, it is possible to deepen concepts already acquired in previous years, introducing new interpretative keys for them. Moreover, in methodological terms, from an initial approach of a predominantly phenomenological and descriptive type, it is possible to move to an approach that focuses on laws, models, formalization, and the relationships between the various factors of the same phenomenon and between different phenomena. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the following skills: knowing how to make logical connections, recognize or establish relationships, classify, formulate hypotheses based on the data provided, draw conclusions based on the results obtained and on the hypotheses verified, solve problematic situations using specific languages, apply the acquired knowledge to real-life situations, also to pose critically and consciously in front of issues of a of today's society.

Disciplinary learning therefore follows a scan inspired by criteria of gradualness, recursiveness, connection between the various themes and topics covered, synergy between the disciplines that make up the course of sciences which, while fully respecting their specificity, are developed in a harmonious and coordinated way. This scan also corresponds to the historical and conceptual development of the individual disciplines, both in a temporal sense and in terms of their connections with the entire cultural, social, economic and technological reality of the periods in which they developed.

In-depth studies of a disciplinary and multidisciplinary, scientific and technological nature, will also have a guiding value for the continuation of studies. In this context, it is desirable to involve especially the students of the last two years, to establish a link with the teachings of physics, mathematics, history and philosophy, and to activate, where possible, collaborations with universities, research institutions, science museums and the world of work.
 
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SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES

FIRST TWO-YEARS PERIOD

In the first two years, a phenomenological and observational-descriptive approach prevails.

For the Earth sciences, previously acquired content is completed and deepened, in particular by expanding the explanatory framework of the Earth's motions. We then proceed to the geomorphological study of structures that make up the surface of the Earth (rivers, lakes, glaciers, seas, etc.). For biology, the contents refer to the observation of the characteristics of living organisms, with particular regard to their fundamental constitution (the cell) and the different forms in which they manifest themselves (biodiversity). Therefore, basic experimental techniques in the biological field and microscopic observation are used. The variety of living organisms and the complexity of their structures and functions introduce the study of evolution and systematics, Mendelian genetics and organism-environment relationships, in the perspective of the enhancement and maintenance of biodiversity. The study of chemistry includes the observation and description of simple phenomena and reactions (their recognition and representation) with reference also to examples taken from everyday life; the states of aggregation of matter and their transformations; the particle model of matter; the classification of matter (homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures, simple and compound substances) and their operational definitions; the fundamental laws and Dalton's atomic model, the chemical formula and its meanings, a first classification of the elements (Mendeleev's periodic system).

Without prejudice to the contents of Earth sciences, which will be addressed in the first class and developed in a coordinated way with the Geography paths, the contents indicated will be developed by the teachers according to the methods and with the order deemed most suitable for the class, the context also territorial, the physiognomy of the school and the methodological choices made by them.
 

SECOND TWO YEARS' PERIOD

In the second two-year period, the disciplinary contents are expanded, consolidated and related, gradually but systematically introducing the concepts, models and formalism that are typical of the disciplines under study and that allow a more in-depth explanation of the phenomena.

Biology

Particular emphasis is placed on the complexity of biological systems and phenomena, on the relationships established between the components of these systems and between different systems, and on the molecular basis of the phenomena themselves (structure and function of DNA, protein synthesis, genetic code). The study concerns the form and functions of organisms (microorganisms, plants and animals, including humans), dealing with their anatomical aspects (especially with reference to the human body) and basic metabolic functions. The structures and functions of relational life, reproduction and development are also considered, with reference also to the aspects of health education.

Chemistry

The classification of the main inorganic compounds and their nomenclature is resumed. The study of the structure of matter and the fundamentals of the relationship between structure and properties, the quantitative aspects of transformations (stoichiometry), atomic structure and atomic models, the periodic system, periodic properties and chemical bonds are introduced. The basic concepts of organic chemistry (characteristics of the carbon atom, bonds, chains, functional groups and classes of compounds, etc.) are introduced. The energy exchanges associated with chemical transformations are also studied and the fundamentals of the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects are introduced, together with equilibria, also in solution (acid-base reactions and redox reactions), and hints of electrochemistry. Adequate space will be given to quantitative aspects and therefore to related calculations and applications.

Earth Sciences

Notes on mineralogy, petrology (rocks) and phenomena such as volcanism, seismicity and orogeny are introduced, especially in connection with local realities and in a coordinated way with chemistry and physics, examining the transformations connected to them. The contents indicated will be developed by the teachers according to the methods and in the order deemed most suitable, as indicated for the first two-year period.

FIFTH YEAR

Chemistry - Biology

In the fifth year, the study of organic chemistry is planned. The chemistry and biology courses are then intertwined in biochemistry and biomaterials, with regard to the structure and function of molecules of biological interest, with an emphasis on biological/biochemical processes in today's situations and in relation to current issues, in particular those related to genetic engineering and its applications.

Earth Sciences

Complex meteorological phenomena and models of global tectonics are studied, with particular attention to identifying the interrelationships between the phenomena that occur at the level of the different organizations of the planet (lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere). It will also be possible to carry out in-depth studies on previous contents and/or on topics chosen, for example, among those related to ecology, energy resources, renewable sources, the equilibrium conditions of environmental systems (biogeochemical cycles), new materials or other topics, also related to the disciplinary contents carried out in previous years. These in-depth studies will be carried out, when possible, in conjunction with the courses of physics, mathematics, history and philosophy. The connection with the physics course, in particular, will encourage the acquisition by the student of complementary languages and tools that will allow him to deal with complex and interdisciplinary problems with greater familiarity.

Finally, the experimental dimension can be further deepened with activities to be carried out not only in the educational laboratories of the school, but also in the laboratories of universities and research institutions, also adhering to orientation projects.
 

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