This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Teaching and Learning of the Natural, Social and Cultural Environment

Code: 102046 ECTS Credits: 10
2024/2025
Degree Type Year
2500798 Primary Education OB 2

Contact

Name:
Gustavo Alonso Gonzalez Valencia
Email:
gustavo.gonzalez@uab.cat

Teachers

Gustavo Alonso Gonzalez Valencia
Beatriz Ximena Cantero Riveros
Victor Lopez Simo
Francisco Gil Carmona

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

Non prerequisites


Objectives and Contextualisation

  • To analyse the Primary Education curriculum related to Natural, Social and Cultural Environment Education.
  • To interpret the curriculum in terms of several criteria to select, organise or order school contents related to natural and social education.
  • To identify and value the contributions of experimental sciences to teaching and learning, for a definition of a school science.
  • To identify and value the contributions of social sciences, geography and history to teaching and learning, for the building of a geographical space, historical time and social studies in the school
  • To value equality between all human beings. 

Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Develop and evaluate contents of the curriculum by means of appropriate didactic resources and promote the corresponding skills in pupils.
  • Developing and evaluating content of the curriculum using appropriate teaching resources and promoting the acquisition of basic skills by students.
  • Know the basic curriculum of the social sciences.
  • Know the curricular areas of Primary Education, the interdisciplinary relation between them, the evaluation criteria and the body of didactic knowledge regarding the respective procedures of education and learning.
  • Know the school curriculum for these sciences.
  • Maintain a respectful attitude to the natural, social and cultural environment to foster values, behaviours and practices that attend to gender equality, equity and respect for human rights.
  • Understanding the basic principles and fundamental laws of the experimental sciences (physics, chemistry, biology and geology).
  • Understanding the basic principles of the social sciences.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply models for teaching social sciences in developing the curriculum on knowledge of the Environment.
  2. Apply models of experimental sciences to the development of the curriculum on knowledge of the pec.
  3. Being able to apply scientific knowledge in order to interpret and act on the phenomena in everyday life.
  4. Being able to develop basic skills from the Environmental Studies curriculum in the students.
  5. Being able to use basic models of the experimental sciences in order to interpret and act on the phenomena in everyday life.
  6. Correctly relating the contents of Environmental Studies with the possible contributions in the corresponding skills.
  7. Demonstrate that attitudes regarding gender equality are identified, practiced and defended.
  8. Demonstrate that attitudes regarding human rights as knowledge and tools for coexistence are identified, practiced and defended.
  9. Demonstrate that attitudes regarding sustainability of the natural environment are identified, practiced and defended.
  10. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  11. Identifying and analysing aspects of interdisciplinarity present in the curriculum, taking into account aspects of the content, of the methodology of teaching and of the processes for learning the social and experimental sciences.
  12. Identifying the purposes, content and structure of the experimental sciences in the nature studies curriculum in primary education.
  13. Identifying the purposes, content and structure of the social sciences in the social environment curriculum in primary education.
  14. Knowing how to design didactic sequences and evaluate them, based on consistent teaching resources.
  15. Knowing how to interpret the contents of Environmental Studies and assess the learning using curriculum materials and relevant resources.

Content

Content

  • The goals of teaching and learning natural and social sciences through the environment in primary education
  • The evolution, structure, and characteristics of the “Environmental Knowledge” area within the Primary Education Curriculum 
  • The competencies approach to the curriculum in primary education: The competencies in the area of natural and social science
  • Content typology and selection criteria within natural science education
  • Content typology and selection criteria within social science education
  • Introduction to models on the teaching of historical time
  • The sequence of activities: The learning cycle
  • Assessment in the “Environmental Knowledge” area of primary education curriculum
  • Teaching and learning science in primary education: School Science
  • Modelling teaching approach in school science
  • Introduction to teaching models of geographic space
  • Globalization, interdisciplinariety, and transdisciplinariety in the teaching of natural and social sciences through the environment. Outdoor activities and field work
  • Promoting Scientific inquiry in primary education
  • The contributions of social sciences to the teaching and learning: School Social Studies

Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
(Seminars) Work spaces in reduced groups (1/3 out of the whole group) supervised by the professor. These sessions are devoted to deepen the contents tackled in whole group sessions. In these seminars, students work in groups to analyse and elaborate report 25 1
(Whole group sessions) Presentations about basic content knowledge carried out by the professor. These sessions are offered to the whole group and allow discussing main contents promoting students' active participation. 43 1.72 2, 14
(Whole group) Field trip – Outdoor activity 15 0.6
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials and assessment of students' reports and papers (case studies, posters, oral presentations, lab reports, field trip...) 42 1.68
Type: Autonomous      
Students' elaboration of papers, seminar reports, and tasks related to the whole group sessions. Students' search for information and materials, study and preparation of exams, readings. 125 5

This subject has been planned taking into account that there will be:
										
											
										
											- expositions by the teaching staff of the contents and basic issues of the syllabus
										
											
										
											- debates and discussions in small groups by students to analyze and prepare evaluation reports, study and/or resolution of cases
										
											
										
											- cooperative learning by the students to deepen the content and themes worked on during the lectures
										
											
										
											- Use of digital tools for completing various activities conducted during lectures, seminars, and laboratory practices.
- A day field trip to Ampurias for groups 21 and 31 on April 29, 2025, and for groups 41 and 71 on May 6, 2025. Attendance on the field trip is mandatory, and if students cannot attend due to justified reasons (work or health), an alternative assignment will be provided.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Group reports and tasks about contents tackled (Block 3, group) 25% 0 0 1, 2, 7, 9, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 6, 14, 15, 3, 5, 4
Group work about the field trip, outdoor visits and interdisciplinariety (Block 2, group) 25% 0 0 1, 2, 7, 9, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 6, 14, 15, 3, 5, 4
Individual assessment about knowledge developed (Written exam about content knowledge. Block 1, individual) 50% 0 0 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 6, 14, 15, 3, 5, 4

Evaluation is the process established to assess the achievement of learning outcomes based on the evidence defined in the course guide. The subject's evaluation will be carried out throughout the academic year through the proposed activities (the program released at the beginning of the course will specify the activities and submissions to be completed).

Students need to demonstrate responsibility and rigour in independent work, actively participate in classes, show critical thinking, and exhibit behaviours that promote a friendly and positive environment, democratic and respectful of differences.

This subject includes activities for the development of Digital Teaching Competence.

Attendance

 

Attendance in face-to-face classes is mandatory at 80% to be eligible for continuous evaluation. Justifications provided for absences only explain the absence and do not exempt attendance. If someone cannot meet the established attendance percentage, they cannot opt for continuous evaluation and must present themselves for the make-up evaluation, provided they have previously submitted 66% of the evaluation activities.

Students can choose between continuous and single evaluation in this subject.

 

Continuous Evaluation

 

Continuous evaluation includes:

1. Final Exam of the 1st Semester on 21/01/2025 (Individual - 25% of the subject):  It will consist of two parts, one related to natural environment content and the other to social and cultural environment content.

2. Final Exam of the 2nd Semester on 8/04/2025 (Individual - 25% of the subject): It will include questions on didactic design and interdisciplinarity related to the natural, social, and cultural environment.

3. Seminars (Group - 25% of the subject): Throughout the course, the teacher will assign tasks related to the seminars to be submitted on the Virtual Campus. Late submissions will be graded as 0 and averaged with the other submissions.

4. Ampurias Project (Group - 25% of the subject): To be presented in May 2024, it includes the grading of the written work and its oral presentation, as well as the completion of activities before, during, and after the visit to Ampurias.

 

To pass the subject through continuous evaluation, it is necessary to:

- Attend 80% of the sessions related to seminars, laboratories, and field trips.

- Obtain a score of 5 or higher in both the Seminars and the Ampurias Project, or in exceptional and justified cases, submit equivalent tasks agreed upon with the subject's teachers.

- Have an average score of 5 or higher between the two exams (1st and 2nd semesters). Otherwise, a single make-up exam for the subject will be held on 17/06/2025, including content from both semesters. The maximum score for this make-up exam is 5.

- Avoid fraudulent or unethical practices in task completion and comply with safety regulations in the laboratory or on field trips.

 In the recovery assessment, the maximum grade that can be obtained is 5 out of 10.

Single and Synthesis Evaluation

The evaluation for single and synthesis assessment of the subject will take place on 8/04/2025 and will include three sections:

1. Single Exam (Individual - 50% of the subject):  It will have three parts: natural environment content, social environment content, and didactic design and interdisciplinarity content. The overall score for the exam must be 5 out of 10, with a minimum score of 4 out of 10 in each part.

2. Seminars (Individual - 25% of the subject): It includes the submission of all tasks requested by the teachers throughout the course in a single document. The grading criteria will be equivalent to those used in the continuous evaluation format, but with an added short oral presentation to demonstrate the authorship and authenticity of the learning.

3. Ampurias Project (Individual - 25% of the subject): It includes the grading ofthe written work and its oral presentation, as well as graphic evidence of the visit to Ampurias before the work submission date.

 

To pass the subject through single evaluation, it is necessary to:

- Pass each of the three sections separately (Exam, Seminars, and Ampurias Project). If the exam is not passed, the student may opt for the make-up exam on 17/06/2025, along with the continuous evaluation students.

- Avoid fraudulent or unethical practices in task completion and comply with safety regulations in the laboratory or on field trips.

In the recovery assessment, the maximum grade that can be obtained is 5 out of 10.


Bibliography

Bale, J. (1989). Didáctica de la geografía en la escuela primaria, Madrid: MEC/Morata.

Batllori, R. (1995). Percepció i representació de l'espai. Una didàctica de l'espai. Guix, 208: 5-11.

Bell, B.(2005).  Learning in Science. London: Routledge Press

Benejam, P. (1997). Las finalidades de la educación social. Benejam, P. y Pagès, J. (coord.) (1997). Enseñar y aprender Ciencias Sociales, Geografía e Historia. Barcelona, ICE / Universidad de Barcelona / Horsori, 33-51.

Benlloch, M. et al. (2005) Curs per a l'actualització de l'ensenyament/aprenentatge de les ciències naturals. Barcelona: Departament d'educació

Canals, R. (2009). La evaluación de la competencia social y ciudadana. Aula de Innovación Educativa, 187:16-21.

Català, M. et al (2002) Las ciencias en la escuela. Teorías y prácticas. Barcelona: Graó

Council Of Europe. (2018). Reference framework of competences for democratic culture. Volume 1Context, concepts and model. Council of Europe. Council of Europe: Strasbourg

Cooper, H. (2002). Didáctica de la historia en la educación infantil y primaria. Madrid: Morata.

Driver, R. I alt (1989) Ideas científicas de la infancia y la adolescencia. Madrid. Morata.

Fien, J. (1993). Geografía, sociedad y vida cotidiana. Documents d'Anàlisi Geogràfica, 21: 73-90.

Izquierdo, M.; Aliberas, J. (2004) Pensar, actuar i parlar a la classe de ciències. Bellaterra: Servei de Publicacions UAB

Harlen, W. & Qualter, A. (2004). The teaching of Science in Primary Schools. London: David Fulton Press.

Jorba, J.; Sanmartí, N. (1994) Enseñar, aprender y evaluar: un proceso de regulación continua. Madrid: Centro de Investigación y Documentación Educativa

Novak, J.D. i Gowing, D.B. (1988) Aprendiendo a aprender. Barcelona. Martínez Roca.

Pagès, J. (2009). Competència social y ciudadana. Aula de Innovación Educativa, 187. Pàg. 7-11. 12-15.

Pujol, R.M. (2001). Les ciències, més que mai, poden ser una eina per formar ciutadans i ciutadanes. Perspectiva escolar, 257, 2-8.

Pujol, R.M. (2003) Didáctica de les Ciencias en la educación primaria. Madrid: Síntesis

Sanmartí, N. (2007) 10 ideas clave. Evaluar para aprender. Barcelona: Graó

Santisteban, A. (2009). Cómo trabajar en clase la competencia social y ciudadana. Aula de Innovación Educativa, 187.

Santisteban, A. ; Pagès, J. (2006). La enseñanza de la historia en la educación primaria. Casas, M. - Tomàs, C. (coord.) Educación Primaria. Orientaciones y Recursos, pàg. 468/129-468/160. Barcelona: Wolters Kluwer Educación.

 

 


Software

non


Language list

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 211 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 212 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 311 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 312 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 411 Catalan annual afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 412 Catalan annual afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 711 English annual afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 712 English annual afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 211 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 212 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 311 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 312 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 411 Catalan annual afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 412 Catalan annual afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 711 English annual afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 712 English annual afternoon
(TE) Theory 21 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 31 Catalan annual morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 41 Catalan annual afternoon
(TE) Theory 71 English annual afternoon