PUBLIC
This methodology has been created and experimented in the Botanical Garden of the University of Granada, Spain, within the frame of the training mobility taking place from October 16 to 20, 2018
 by the European teachers of the project in their peer-to-peer training course
 by the students with learning difficulties from the high school Joao De Deus of faro, Portugal and the young learners of the Associazione Culturale Acquamarina, Trieste, Italy.
This pedagogical card has been exploited by students from college, high and vocational schools, participating in the workshops organised by the management of the Botanical Garden of Padua in the context of their daily educational offer to schools of all levels, and of specific events in the garden

KEY COMPETENCES
 Communication in the mother tongue
 Scientific and mathematical competences
 Learning to learn
 Social competences and citizenship

OBJECTIVES
 To contribute to the improvement of the oral communication in the mother tongue using an appropriate scientific language
 To take note using scientific vocabulary and describe employing sketches
 To comprehend autonomously a lab protocol, the tasks to carry out and achieve a level of precision suitable to implement the experience
 To become familiar with the use of the microscope
 To develop the ability to elicit information and data to others, exchange concepts and ideas

GARDENS EXPLORED
Botanical Garden of the University of Granada, Spain
Botanical Garden of the University of Padua, Italy

MATERIALS
 Petri dishes
 Microscope and blades
 Pipettes
 Descriptive cards on microorganisms
 Crayons and notebooks

DEVELOPMENT
In the garden of Granada ’Carmen de los Martires, collect the water from the ponds and take it back to the lab

At the University of Granada, Spain – scientific laboratory
 Premise : learn how to recognise the microorganisms living in the water. They can be divided into two main categories :
 Phytoplankton : including unicellular and multicellular autotrophic microorganisms, i.e. those that autonomously synthesize their nourishment
 Zooplankton : referring to heterotrophic microorganisms which can be either unicellular or multicellular

Microscopic examination of d drop of water
 To place a drop of the water collected on the Petri dishes
 Naked eye first, to observe and realize that it’s impossible to detect the microorganisms
 To use the microscope after becoming familiar with it. Identify the living organisms inhabiting the drop of water with the help of scientific cards (simplified through theme atlas). The students must define whether the organisms are autotrophic (phytoplankton), or heterotrophic (zooplankton or invertebrates) and identify the taxonomic categories they belong (i.e. diatoms, larvae of insects, annelid worms, etc.)
 To use texts, to describe images, to draw, to take photos. Each student gets a piece of paper on which they describe and sketch the microorganisms they see. They take pictures through the ocular using a mobile or a digital camera
 To communicate about the experience. The students share their experience in the lab by speaking about it guided by their teacher. In-depth study and use of scientific terms. What has been observed is related to the food chain

Follow up of the lab activity : production of a document summarising all the observations
 Each student draws this document/report complete with their graphic representations, photos, drawings and a short written text of the results of all observations through the microscope. This document will be enriched by documents from other sources (Internet researches, texts, scientific articles) to implement information on the organisms (their utilization as food, treatment, possible toxicity, geographical origin, etc.)
 This document is part of a personal folder/notebook which can be uploaded on Google Sites.

EVALUATION
It takes into account the ability to :

Master oral and written mother tongue To be able
 to communicate and relate the experience by using an appropriate vocabulary
 to present your work and uphold your choices with the use of notes
 to use the graphic representations to speak about the content

Develop scientific competences. To be able
 to observe accurately the features of a living microorganism and identify its basic structures
 to communicate adequately the main features of the organism
 to use graphs and drawings to communicate contents
 to understand and use a scientific vocabulary thus making it part of the student’s lexis

Develop technological competences .
Use of the Internet to make researches and share information

Learning to learn
To learn how to debate the activities developed with a critic eye

Develop social and civic skills. To be able to
 be aware of the importance of microorganism for life on earth and, particularly, for the preservation of biodiversity
 in general, be aware of the environment around us and how to protect it.

AUTHORS
Maria Cristina Villani, Barbara Baldan
Botanical Garden of the University of Padua

TRANSLATER
Mary Gino
Association Acquamarina, Trieste, Italie