Project-based learning is a common practice in the Greek Educational System during the last decades, mostly at Primary and at lower Secondary levels.

Environmental programs and health Education programs are based on this method.

There are also project-based lesson plans suggested by teachers.

It was proposed as an innovation in Teaching and Learning

to provide

•Investigative approach to learning

•Teachers cross curricular cooperation

•Pupils cooperation (group work)

•Differentiation of the content, procedure, and context of Learning

For us, teachers in lykeio, this was a great challenge.

Although, most of us feel more confident with traditional teaching , we cannot ignore the need for change and innovative teaching.

The challenge was that we had the chance of doing things beyond curriculum and beyond textbooks with our students in the class.

THE PERFUMETHE PERFUME

Cross curricular project (Chemistry and History)C. Doulaki, Chemistry TeacherP. Pinakidou, Theology Teacher3rd Lyceio of Alexanroupolis

“The perfume” project class 20 pupils Grade A 16girls – 4 boys

Step 1: Brainstorming – Research Questions

Step 2: Research

Step 3: Workshops

Step 4: The Outcome

Step 5: Research Report – Public Presentation

Step 6: Evaluation

Activities to introduce the subject and bring ideas in mind.

Step 1: Brainstorming – Research Questions

Pupils try to identify smells with closed eyes.

Cinnamon, oregano, garlic etc.

Olfaction test

After these activities, pupils

• write down words that come to minds,

• organize them to categories and

• find research questions

Finally, we create 4 subgroups for labor sharing

The history and the chemistry of perfume

Step 2: Book and text research

History of perfumes

Pupils studied many texts and they found information about perfume making and the use of perfumes from the ancient years to nowadays.

Biochemistry of smell In this part pupils had to read extracts from biology and chemistry textbooks and research reports, exploring :• the mechanism of smelling,• the chemistry of smelling substances and • the importance of this scientific Knowledge to the development of perfume making methods.

During their book research pupils used worksheets, provided by teachers, helping them extracting the

information.

Also, there were meetings where subgroups presented their work to the whole project class.

Groups of pupils presenting their findings to peers

Step 3: Workshops

making a natural air freshener…

…finding out old recipes…

Distillation is used in chemistry to separate mixtures, but also it is used in perfume making as a method of extracting essences from plants.

Extracting lavender essence Extracting lavender essence distillation

Before making perfumes, pupils make solutions in the chemistry lab so that they will practice the use of scale, volumetric flask etc.

More chemistry…

BECOMING SMALLBECOMING SMALL PERFUMERS PERFUMERS

Step 4: The Outcome

Making their own perfumes!!!

Step 5: Research Report – Public Presentation

From pupils’ diaries

Finally we ask pupils to fill in an electronic questionnaire about their experience with this project.

•They seemed enthusiastic with practical activities.• they found hard the book research and the writing up of the research report.

Step 6: Evaluation

Thank you!

Ευχαριστώ!