Il sogno di Giovanni. Un progetto di inquiry al Liceo

All teachers would like to have students that study either because they consider learning important, or because new knowledge is useful in solving a problem they like to participate in. Students who love challenges, who accept the effort as a means to improve and persist even when they get negative results. The good news is that we can have an impact on students’ attitudes. This paper reports an experience of a fourth class where the theme of water pollution, and more generally environmental chemistry is dealt with by an investigative approach. After the presentation of the problem, four groups were formed, each group and student with roles, tasks and responsibilities. The discussions helped to clarify and enrich the scope of the project. The students felt personally involved and suggested several improvements. The involvement of the students, already great from the beginning, grew steadily in the course of the project. Afternoon meetings, use of social networks, interviews with experts, presentations, sampling and analysis of lake waters have also contributed to further develop a strong interest in chemistry. This work has been a confirmation of what we already know: students are more engaged in the study if they have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of exciting – even though complex – problems. Problems close to real situations that allow them to deal with life outside the classroom. The students, the analysis, the time spent to design the project, and the search for all possible connections with the chemistry syllabus contributed to the didactic success of this work.