Best- Practices in Marine Science Literacy: a Report of sample activities in a Long School-Training

Abstract

“Blue Paths” is a Pilot Project of “Best Practices” in Marine Science Literacy, carried out by a Science Teacher of a Unified School District in La Spezia, ISA 2 “2 Giugno”, aimed for teaching the monitoring techniques of coastal flora and fauna in Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Sea. Thanks to a Partnership between Schools (ISA6) Marine Parks, local authorities (Life on the Sea ONLUS); Research Centers, the project promotes the scientific literacy in an incremental and continuous School-Training period, from the Kindergarten to the Secondary School, in order to enrich the students curricula and to create an innovative awareness in School Community for belonging to a Global Citizenship that involves the engagement of students, parents and volunteers to raise awareness for the safeguard of coastal environment. “Blue Paths” is a Vertical Curriculum in Marine Science and involves students with a key role as Educators for the peers groups and as Researchers in data collection Surveys. The project promotes a gradual scientific literacy through stimulating a conscious attitude towards environmental issues and the growth of scientific skills up to the Higher School and University levels, encouraging the creation of motivated “Team” of students . This paper highlights the results of a slow and vertical literacy scholar process reached through the gradual learning in recognition techniques of beached and submerged benthic species carried out with: hands-on activities on the beach with the support of a Child-friendly BIO-Guide (student of 5-6 years); International School Meetings (Erasmus+) or local events, Orienting activities in Robotic field (student of 13-17 years) ; “Young -Monitoring Campaigns” (students of 9-13 years) ; Direct and Indirect Visual Census activities in Snorkeling (student in age 11-13 years) or with a Remote Operated Vehicle .