Interactive activities to stimulate debate and critical thinking about issues related to Earth Sciences and Sustainable Development

During the International Year of Planet Earth (2007-2009), the Department of Earth Sciences (University of Turin) and the Museum Craveri of Natural History (Bra, Cuneo) promoted the project “Understanding how the Earth works: from local situations to global processes”. In this context, two geothematic exhibitions about Cape Verde were designed, both accompanied by guided tours and practical laboratories addressed to students of different ages (from nursery to secondary school), as well as workshops dedicated to in-service teachers. The exhibition "Knowing the volcano in order to live together with it" (February - April 2008) was the subject of an action-research carried out as part of a master's degree course in Natural Sciences. The research concerned the design of interactive activities related to the exhibition, the collection and analysis of data on the performance of these activities during the guided tours conducted with the students. The aims of the interactive activities were to generate emotional involvement, to stimulate interest and curiosity, to develop debates among visitors, to widen view points on topics of relevant scientific and social value: volcanism, hazards and sustainable development. The activities included discussions about questions with many possible answers, in order to trigger a process of discovery driven by the rise of multiple viewpoints. During the tours the museum guides (people involved in the action-research) moderated the discussions, helping both students and teachers in debate as well as in personal reflection. The action-research project undertaken enabled us to assess the effectiveness of this teaching strategy, in order to establish possible modifications on activities during their execution as well as in view of future events. To achieve this goal the research followed different ways: a quantitative analysis was completed on the worksheets elaborated by students during these activities, as well as the satisfaction questionnaires filled by students and teachers. From the qualitative point of view, the level of interest and participation of pupils and teachers were monitored during tours and, in some cases, it was possible to have a feed-back concerning the implications in the following classroom work. In this research, the qualitative aspects were crucial: despite the quantitative data analysis allowed to study the mental representations on socially relevant themes in students of different ages and to collect multiple points of view in this regard, the interpersonal relationships that occurred with students and teachers during and after the guided tours provided the best evidence of the value of interactive teaching strategies adopted. For example, the guided tours stimulated interest for the topics discussed: this was demonstrated both during the visits, through questions and observations, both in the classrooms, through the request for further details. Some special cases allowed to investigate these aspects. The exhibition was subsequently staged at other institutions, where the activities were offered again, with positive feedback. In conclusion, the effectiveness of the interactive activities and of the teaching strategies proposed was proved, as well as the possibility to re-propose them outside the context of the museum for which they were conceived.