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Small Ideas of Science
In PLATON, we have reviewed the curricula of six countries and have come up with a "super-curriculum" (what we call the "Small Ideas of Science"); a curriculum that covers all the individual curricula studied and which encompasses all the science concepts taught in different science disciplines of differet countries. Based on our interdisciplinary methodology we are able to establish connections between these concepts through the Big and the Intermediate deas of Science, even if they come from different science disciplines. By identifying such connections, teachers are able to introduce them to students in an interdisciplinary way, communicate the Big Ideas of Science to them and ultimately help them understand that all science concepts, regardless the discipline they are taught in, are there to describe the same thing; our world!
Big Ideas of Science Intermediate Ideas of Science
CLICK ON THE BIG IDEAS BELOW TO VIEW THE CORRESPONDING INTERMEDIATE AND THE SMALL IDEAS OF SCIENCE
| ENERGY | Forms, Conservation of energy and energy transfer | Conservation and degradation of energy |
| Heat and thermodynamics | ||
| Mechanical energy | ||
| Energy and mechanical waves | ||
| Energy sources | ||
| Energy and forces | Electric and magnetic energy | |
| Gravitational energy | ||
| Radioactive decay and binding energy | ||
| Energy and mass | ||
| Electromagnetic radiation and radiant energy | ||
| Energy in chemical reactions | Energy in chemical processes | |
| Energy in organisms | ||
| Energy in everyday life |
| UNIVERSE | Earth and the solar system | Earth and other planets |
| The origin of our solar system | ||
| Earth, Sun and the Moon | ||
| Earth's place in the universe, Celestial objects | Stars, their life and death | |
| Galaxies | ||
| Planets, exoplanets | ||
| Moons, comets and asteroids | ||
| Cosmic radiation | ||
| The history of our universe | The big bang theory and the timeline of our universe | |
| Scales of our universe | ||
| The origin of the elements |
| PARTICLES | Structure,properties and function of elements (Periodic table) | Elementary particles |
| Structure of atoms and isotopes | ||
| Properties and categorization of elements, the periodic table | ||
| Structure and properties of matter | Types of bonds | |
| Macromolecules | ||
| Structure and properties of organic molecules | ||
| Structure and properties of inorganic molecules | ||
| States of matter | ||
| Solutions, mixtures and their properties | ||
| Chemical reactions | Neutralization | |
| Chemical equilibrium | ||
| Redox | ||
| Chemical kinetics | ||
| Properties and principals of reactions, formulas and equations (inorganic chemistry) | ||
| Nuclear processes | Nuclear fission | |
| Nuclear fusion |
| QUANTUM | Subatomic particles properties | Quanta and quantum waves |
| Quantum properties | ||
| Phenomena and applications | Macroscopic quantum phenomena and applications | |
| Quantum phenomena |
| EVOLUTION | Natural selection and Darwininan theory | Adaptation |
| DNA, Genetic information and mutations | ||
| Inheritance of traits | ||
| Biodiveristy | Biodiversity and humans | |
| Biodiversity, plants and animals | ||
| Evidence of common ancestry and diversity | ||
| Variations of traits |
| CELL | Structure and function of cells | Elements and macromolecules in cells |
| Transport of macromolecules and production of energy in different cells | ||
| Growth and development of organisms | Information processing | |
| Organization for matter and energy flow in organisms (food chains) | ||
| Structure and function of organisms (humans, animals, plants, microrganisms) |
About
PLATON is a two-year European project launched on September 2016. It aspires to provide teachers and school communities with a coherent teachers’ training framework which will update their current teaching practices. More particularly, PLATON aims to offer an open and innovative training framework to teachers of primary and secondary education which will focus on:
- Promoting student-centred teaching approaches;
- Promoting a holistic interdisciplinary approach;
- Support the use of online educational tools;
- Support the meaningful collaboration between teachers of the same school.
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Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European (2016-1-PT01-KA201- 022881) 