Practical 8: Collecting information about bacteria, fungi, plants and animals
In this final practical project the class splits into four groups, and each group prepares a magazine on one world (bacteria, fungi, plants, animals). Each pupil gets a role: the editor supervises the work and keeps to the deadline, correspondents hold interviews, journalists write the text, photographers prepare pictures, and the designer decorates the magazine. The magazine is given a name and several pages are planned (for plants, for example, “The Green Pharmacy”, “Houseplants”, “Wonders of Nature”). Information is taken from popular-science books, encyclopaedias, magazines and reliable websites; it is good to check a fact in at least two sources. Texts are written in your own words, not copied from elsewhere, and the source is named. Work with an adult when using the internet and never give anyone your personal information (address, phone). Ask a person’s permission before an interview, and before photographing people. The finished magazine can be shown on screen or printed on paper; each pupil presents their part in the time allowed. Marking takes into account the accuracy of the information and the pupil’s ability to explain their own work.
As a group plan a magazine page: name, 4 pages, roles, a table of sources. Each member writes one short article (5–6 sentences) and chooses one picture. Finish with a 2-minute presentation. Safety: search for pictures or information with an adult nearby; do not visit unfamiliar sites or download files; interview only familiar adults, with parents’ permission; experiments (yoghurt, bread) only with adult help.