As part of our chemistry club we did a research on the influence of certain external factors on photosynthesis. We chose an experimental approach. Our focus was on aquatic plants in which we were monitoring photosynthesis by measuring generated oxygen.
The aim of the article is to show how to encourage students to deepen their knowledge, creativity and their enthusiasm for research. In this way we can also promote the popularization of science and technology as well as the identification of students talented in specific research areas. This article presents an example of writing a research assignment undertaken by students in the final year of primary school (class 9, i.e. age 14-15).We live in the age of diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and consequently a growing interest in the renewable energy sources, including biofuels. Through research assignment, we wanted our students to learn more about the characteristics
of biofuels which we haven’t discussed in detail in class. Biofuel is a solid, liquid or gaseous fuel, obtained from a relatively recently deceased biological substance. For the production of biofuels, we use various plants and substances of plant origin, which are known under the term “biomass”. In addition to looking for information in literature and electronic resources, we conducted experiments in which we measured how many degrees a particular quantity of water heats up by the burning of various fuels, and the amount of residue left after burning. The biofuels we used were: pellets, briquettes, olive pulp, cherry stones, biodiesel, ethanol and sawdust.
We established that different types of fuel emit, when burnt, different amounts of heat. Water heated up the most when burning ethanol, while it heated up the least when using biodiesel. Experiments showed that different fuels burn for different amounts of time, leaving a residue which depends on the type of fuel
Research in primary school has recently become a hot topic and is gaining a foremost position among the educational goals and objectives in primary education.
Thus a responsible contemporary teacher of a natural science subject enables the student to get to know research work, which means that he or she guides them – through quality mentoring – through the methodology of writing a research paper, which is basically the same at all levels of the educational system, differing only in the complexity of the set research problem. At the same time, a teacher mentor should find pleasure in doing research work with their students, and regard that as an opportunity to make their work more interesting and to enhance their own knowledge. At our primary school we decided to actively integrate students into research work. The article presents a research assignment in which students in the final year of primary school (age 14-15) researched the question of what happens to apple juice of different sorts of apples before and after alcoholic fermentation. We tried to find out whether the sort of apples and the amount of sugar in apple juice affect the process of alcoholic fermentation. During experimental work, we took notes and gathered data on the amount of sugar in juice and the temperature changes that occur during alcoholic fermentation, which we measured by using a Vernier interface.