Charles Darwin goes to school: the role of cartoons and narrative in setting science in an historical context

Science education is under revision. Recent changes in society require changes in education to respond to new demands. Scientific literacy can be considered a new goal of science education and the epistemological gap between natural sciences and literacy disciplines must be overcome. The history of science is a possible bridge to link these `two cultures` and to foster an interdisciplinary approach in the classroom. This paper acknowledges Darwin`s legacy and proposes the use of cartoons and narrative expositions to put this interesting chapter of science into its historical context. A five-lesson didactic sequence was developed to tell part of the story of Darwin`s expedition through South America for students from 10 to 12 years of age. Beyond geological and biological perspectives, the inclusion of historical, social and geographical facts demonstrated the beauty and complexity of the findings that Darwin employed to propose the theory of evolution.

Indoor school environment: easy and low cost to assess inorganic pollutants

Total particulate matter (TPM) was passively collected inside two classrooms of each of five elementary schools in Lisbon, Portugal. TPM was collected in polycarbonate filters with a 47 mm diameter, placed inside of uncovered plastic petri dishes. The sampling period was from 19 May to 22 June 2009 (35 days exposure) and the collected TPM masses varied between 0.2 mg and 0.8 mg. The major elements were Ca, Fe, Na, K, and Zn at μg level, while others were at ng level. Pearson′s correlation coefficients above 0.75 (a high degree of correlation) were found between several elements. Soil-related, traffic soil re-suspension and anthropogenic emission sources could be identified. Blackboard chalk was also identified through Ca large presence. Some of the determined chemical elements are potential carcinogenic. Quality control of the results showed good agreement as confirmed by the application of u-score test.

A waste management school approach towards sustainability

Education towards sustainability in Chemical Engineering (CEng) gave birth to awaste management program (WMP) at Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, in Portugal. It involves students, teachers, and laboratory technicians. It aims to enhance the conscientiousness of the decision-maker next generation for saving resources, managing wastes, and at same time to develop applied chemistry understanding. This program was implemented in 1999 and is responsible for management and fate of all inorganic wastewater providing from training experimental activities of the CEng degree. An immediate reduction of wastes at their source was first defined. Wastes were collected separately and were reused, recycled or chemically treated, and after analytically controlled as legally imposed. Solids formed after this program were recycled, purified or followed suitable elimination. Global results point out environmental, pedagogical, and social benefits. Active participants are aware, in agreement, and publicly committed to the WMP.

Senses of body image in adolescents in elementary school

OBJECTIVE To comprehend the perception of body image in adolescence. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted with eight focus groups with 96 students of both sexes attending four public elementary school institutions in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2013. An interview guide with questions about the adolescents’ feelings in relation to: their bodies, standards of idealized beauty, practice of physical exercise and sociocultural influences on self-image. In the data analysis we sought to understand and interpret the meanings and contradictions of narratives, understanding the subjects’ context and reasons and the internal logic of the group. RESULTS Three thematic categories were identified. The influence of media on body image showed the difficulty of achieving the perfect body and is viewed with suspicion in face of standards of beauty broadcast; the importance of a healthy body was observed as standards of beauty and good looks were closely linked to good physical condition and result from having a healthy body; the relationship between the standard of beauty and prejudice, as people who are not considered attractive, having small physical imperfections, are discriminated against and can be rejected or even excluded from society. CONCLUSIONS The standard of perfect body propagated by media influences adolescents’ self-image and, consequently, self-esteem and is considered an unattainable goal, corresponding to a standard of beauty described as artificial and unreal. However, it causes great suffering and discrimination against those who do not feel they are attractive, which can lead to health problems resulting from low self-esteem.

Using remote lab networks to provide support to public secondary school education level

The advantages of networking are widely known in many areas (from business to personal ones). One particular area where networks have also proved their benefits is education. Taking the secondary school education level into account, some successful cases can be found in literature. In this paper we describe a particular remote lab network supporting physical experiments accessible to students of institutions geographically separated. The network architecture and application examples of using some of the available remote experiments are illustrated in detail.

Porto Polytechnical Engineering School sustainable development action plan

Porto Polytechnical Engineering School (ISEP), a Global Reporting Initiative training partner in Portugal, has just presented its Sustainable Development Action Plan (PASUS), which main objective is the formation of a new kind of engineers, with a Sustainable Development (SD) philosophy in the core of their academic curricula courses.

Luiz Pacheco : maldição e consagração no meio literário português

Tese apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Doutor em Sociologia e Economia Histórica

The importance of physical education classes in pre-school children

The purpose of this study was to analyse differences between total physical activity (TPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) of pre-school children during daily school hours when they attended the physical education class (PED) and school days without PE class (NPED) and to assess the contribution of PE classes to TPA in school hours. The sample was composed of 193 pre-school healthy children (96 girls) aged from three to five years old and was conducted between February and December of 2008. Children wore accelerometers for at least four consecutive days during school hours. Data were analysed with specific software, age-specific counts-per-minute cut-off points and a 5 s epoch were used. Independent and general linear model repeated measures were used to assess differences between gender and differences between different days within each gender, respectively. Boys engaged more MVPA than girls (P < 0.05). During PED, pre-school children engaged significantly more in TPA and MVPA than during NPED (P < 0.05). PE class contributed, on average, 27.7% for the TPA and 32.8% of daily MVPA during PED in both gender. The results of this study suggest that structured PA such as a PE class increased the daily TPA and MVPA level of pre-school children.

In what extent can toy premiums promote healthy eating habits?: A study with school-age children

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Agostinho da Silva: a "vida conversável" como fundamento da educação

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação (área de especialização em Filosofia da Educação).

Relatório de estágio realizado na Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira

Para a grande maioria dos professores, tornarem-se melhores profissionais passa pelo alcance máximo de sucesso pelos seus alunos (Guskey, 2002), sendo este o principal foco deste relatório. A interligação entre as quatro áreas de intervenção do estágio pedagógico, permite potencializar cada uma. A reflexão sobre o desenvolvimento pessoal e profissional enquanto professora estagiária tendo em conta um sentimento de auto-eficácia positivo (Jardim & Onofre, 2009) e uma inteligência emocial (Mouton, Hansenne, Delcour & Coles, 2013) foi fundamental para contribuir para uma gestão correta da sala de aula através do modelo ecológico (Hastie e Siedentop, 1999) em conjunto com as 4 dimensões de uma intervenção pedagógico de sucesso (Sidentop, 1983; citado por Onofre, 1995). Tornando-se essencial entender a evolução e as diferenças entre os alunos por ser o centro do processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Assim, o trabalho do professor, começa muito antes do espaço de sala de aula (Fentermacher & Soltis, 1986). A comunidade escolar da Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira, compreende que a disciplina tem benefícios educacionais, mas nem sempre a consegue suportar. Assim, é necessário promover experiências positivas no 1º ciclo, de forma a desenvolver atitudes positivas face à Educação Física.

Longitudinal and cross-sectional changes in active commuting to school among Brazilian schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal changes in children's commuting to school in a representative sample of a Brazilian city. METHODS: Two school-based studies were carried out in 2002 (n=2936; 7-10years old) and 2007 (n=1232; 7-15years old) in Florianopolis, Brazil. Cross-sectional data were collected from children aged 7 to 10years in 2002 and 2007. Longitudinal analyses were performed with data from 733 children participating in both surveys. Children self-reported their mode of transportation to school using a validated illustrated questionnaire. Changes were tested with chi square statistics and McNemar's test. RESULTS: Cross-sectional data showed a 17% decline in active commuting; a decrease from 49% in 2002 to 41% in 2007. On the other hand, active commuting among the 733 children increased as they entered adolescence 5years later, rising from 40% to 49%. CONCLUSION: Active commuting to school decreased in Brazilian children aged 7-10years over a five year period; whereas, it increased among children entering adolescence. Policies should focus on safety and environmental determinants to increase active commuting.

Career satisfaction among medical school professors: a case study in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the career satisfaction of medical school professors in relation to initial motivation, satisfaction factors, and the desire to remain in the profession. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative methodology was used, based on questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with faculty members at a federal institution of higher education in Brazil. RESULTS: For 42.86% of the sample, teaching began while they were medical students; 80% had chosen teaching either as a vocation or due to influence from families or professors; 20% chose teaching as a professional opportunity. The majority, 57.14%, stated they were happy with teaching, and 51.42% did not plan to leave the career. Factors involved in satisfaction with teaching were: the possibility of remaining up-to-date in the medical profession, the feeling of doing their duty, their contribution to training future doctors, and contact with young people and the university setting. Factors leading to dissatisfaction were pedagogical (33.33%), economic (30.95%), institutional (14.28%), and relational (14.28%). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects expressed a positive attitude towards teaching, and because of their great personal satisfaction with the career, they did not plan to leave it. These findings should shed light on factors that interfere with career satisfaction and help increase those that promote satisfaction, thus improving the productivity and well-being of medical professors.

Are birth weight and maternal smoking during pregnancy associated with malnutrition and excess weight among school age children?

In the late 1980's child malnutrition was still prevalent in Brazil, and child obesity was beginning to rise in the richest regions of the country. To assess the extent of the nutritional transition during the period and the influence of birth weight and maternal smoking on the nutritional condition of schoolchildren, we estimated the prevalence of excess weight and malnutrition in a cohort of Brazilian schoolchildren from 1987 to 1989. We calculated the body mass index (BMI) of 8- to 10-year-old schoolchildren born in Ribeirão Preto in 1978/79. We considered children with a BMI <5th percentile (P5) to be malnourished, children with P5³BMIschooling) and type of school using nominal logistic regression. A total of 2797 schoolchildren were evaluated. There was a significant prevalence of malnutrition (9.5%) and excess weight already tended to increase (15.7%), while 6.4% of the children were obese. Excess weight was more prevalent among children attending private schools (odds ratio, OR = 2.27) and firstborn children (OR = 1.69). Maternal smoking during pregnancy protected against malnutrition (OR = 0.56), while children with lower birth weight were at higher risk for malnutrition (OR = 4.23). We conclude that a nutritional transition was under way while malnutrition was still present, but excess weight and related factors were already emerging.

Do intrauterine growth restriction and overweight at primary school age increase the risk of elevated body mass index in young adults?

Obesity is one of the rising public health problems characterized as a risk factor for many chronic diseases in adulthood. Early life events such as intrauterine growth restriction, as well as life style, are associated with an increased prevalence of this disease. The present study was performed to determine if intrauterine growth restriction interacts with overweight at primary school age to affect body mass index (BMI) in young adults. From June 1, 1978 to May 31, 1979, 6827 singleton liveborns from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil, corresponding to 98% of all births at the 8 maternity hospitals, were examined and their mothers were interviewed. Samples from the initial cohort were examined again at primary school age (8 to 11 years of age) and at the time of military service (18 years of age). There were 519 male individuals with complete measurements taken in the three surveys. Intrauterine growth-restricted individuals had a BMI 0.68 kg/m² lower than that of individuals who were not restricted (95%CI = -1.34 to -0.03) and overweight at primary school age showed a positive and strong effect on BMI at 18 years of age (coefficient 5.03, 95%CI = 4.27 to 5.79). However, the increase in BMI was much higher - 6.90 kg/m² - when the conscript had been born with intrauterine growth restriction and presented overweight at primary school age (95%CI = 4.55 to 9.26). These findings indicate that the effect of intrauterine growth restrictionon BMI at 18 years of age is modified by later weight gain during school age.