PUBLIC
This pedagogical card was drafted and actualized by the students (especially those with difficulties) of the college of Agrupamento de Escolas Joao de Deus in Faro, Portugal.
The activity was similarly experimented by the European teachers in a peer-to-peer training mobility in Funchal, from 20 to 24 February 2018.

KEY COMPETENCES
 to master the mother tongue both in the oral and written expression
 learning to learn
 ICT competences
 social and civic competences

OBJECTIVES
 learning how to carry out researches
 improving autonomy and the ability to research
 understanding how to implement a dichotomous key
 observing/analysing the various features of a plant
 deepening the personal knowledge on the flora of the Mediterranean countries
 strengthening environmental values and the protection of nature

GARDENS EXPLORED
The Mediterranean gardens of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal

MATERIALS
 materials for collection (bags, pouches, scissors, pliers…)
 notebooks, crayons
 computers with the Internet connection, cameras

DEVELOPMENT
1.Each group of work chooses a series of Mediterranean plants Find on the Internet the description of the related images. Stimulate the ability to speak, debate, and be confident

2.Implement the dichotomous key This tool enables the identification and the distinction of the plants The dichotomous key – or determination key – is based on key questions concerning the presence or the absence of some characteristics which provide two options of answers. Each option enables another question which will have two possible answers.

3.Perform and test the dichotomous key The same series of plants are studied by the different groups of work

4.Go on with the task and enrich the dichotomous keys The same topics may be completed by students from the other groups who can add more questions at will.

EVALUATION
It takes into account the students’ ability to :

 Master the oral and written language Using the oral and written language properly and correctly, recognize the names of the plants and their structural elements

 Learn to learn Creating and testing an operative protocol for the implementation of a scientific tool

 Develop digital skills

 Researching and selecting images and descriptions on the Internet to be used for the classification

 Develop social and civic competences Working and discussing within the groups, completing others’ works, suggesting and sharing other tools of identification and classification of plants.

AUTHOR
Manuel Faustino
Agrupamento de Escolas Joao de Deus in Faro, Portugal

TRANSLATERS
Rosaria Prospero, Teacher of French language
Agrupamento de Escolas Joaode Deus, Faro, Portugal

Mary Gino
Association Acquamarina, Trieste, Italie