Young Scientists Discovering Food Web: An IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) Activity at Zoo Delle Maitine (Benevento, Italy)

The IBSE approach in the study of science allows pupils to formulate themselves the questions to which they need to find an answer. Is a highly stimulating approach that was used in an Educational Activity about food web at the Zoo. Starting from the observation of living creatures (from insects to reptiles and small mammals as well) and then posing themselves questions, kids were stimulated to find answers and to hypothesize conjectures. The success, calculated by questionnaires, both between kids and teachers, and checking every five minutes the attention of students, was great and the lesson about food web in nature was, for sure, learned. A total of 480 students participated in the activities; 69 teachers were present and questioned at the end of activities: 25 had the IBSE lab, 44 the non IBSE. Opinions about both activities, IBSE and NON IBSE, were generally good but the activity conducted with the IBSE method scored a higher value so the IBSE method was a great success