Opportunities for Applying Mathematical Modeling and Co-Teaching in a STEM Lesson in Biology and Health Education (7th Grade)

Abstract

The article presents a structure and toolset of a STEM lesson in Biology and Health Education (grade 7), which also provides opportunities for implementing co-teaching. The lesson was implemented by a biology and health education teacher with students from “Yane Sandanski” Primary School, Plovdiv. The current problem under consideration is antibiotic resistance of disease-causing bacteria. Students model the effect of an antibiotic on the number of bacteria with different sensitivities. In the course of work, learners actively acquire knowledge, apply skills for calculating probabilities and for graphical presentation of data, and increase their digital skills. They practically go through the stages of scientific research: predict, investigate, analyze and draw conclusions. Critical thinking is developed and students‘ communication and cooperation skills are enhanced.