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Abstract(s)
O princípio de Malthus, que constata que as populações naturais têm um
potencial de crescimento muito superior ao potencial de crescimento dos
recursos que as suportam, foi fundamental para que Darwin e Wallace, de
forma independente, propusessem a seleção natural como processo capaz de
promover a evolução biológica. Este facto sugere que a confrontação do
potencial reprodutivo de uma espécie com os limites impostos pelos recursos
pode facilitar a compreensão do mecanismo de seleção natural. O crescimento
potencial das populações naturais atendendo apenas às características
reprodutivas das espécies pode ser traduzido por uma sequência matemática,
por uma função definida por essas características. Assim esta temática revelase
potencialmente interessante para a realização de atividades que
desenvolvam simultaneamente competências e conhecimentos em duas áreas
distintas: a biologia e a matemática. Planeamos, por isso, o desenvolvimento
de uma atividade destinada ao quarto ano de escolaridade que, ao longo de
três sessões, explora o crescimento populacional e a capacidade de carga do
meio numa perspetiva matemática e biológica. O desenvolvimento de
competências nos alunos será medido de forma independente nas duas áreas,
através da realização de dois pré-testes e dois pós-testes em duas turmas alvo
(onde a atividade será aplicada) e duas turmas controlo (onde a atividade não
será aplicada). Os resultados obtidos com este trabalho permitir-nos-ão testar
se a exploração do princípio de Malthus fomenta a aquisição de competências
e conhecimentos na área da biologia e matemática.
The Malthus principle, which determines that the natural populations have a growth potential above the growth of the resources that support them, was crucial for Darwin and Wallace, who independently have proposed natural selection as a process capable of promoting biological evolution. This fact suggests that the confrontation of the reproductive potential of a species with the limits imposed by the resources can enable the understanding of the mechanism of natural selection. The growth potential of natural populations taking into account only the reproductive characteristics of the species can be translated by a mathematical sequence and a mathematical function defined by these characteristics. Therefore this issue is potentially attractive to perform activities that develop simultaneously skills and knowledge in two distinct areas: biology and mathematics. Consequently, we plan the development of an activity for students from year four that, over three sessions, explores the growth of population and the carrying capacity of the environment from a mathematical and biological perspective. The development of skills in the students will be measured independently in two areas, through the completion of two pre-tests and two post-tests in two target groups (where the activity will be applied) and two sample groups (where the activity is not applied). The results obtained in this study will allow us to test whether the exploitation of the Malthus principle encourages the acquisition of skills and knowledge in the areas of biology and mathematics.
The Malthus principle, which determines that the natural populations have a growth potential above the growth of the resources that support them, was crucial for Darwin and Wallace, who independently have proposed natural selection as a process capable of promoting biological evolution. This fact suggests that the confrontation of the reproductive potential of a species with the limits imposed by the resources can enable the understanding of the mechanism of natural selection. The growth potential of natural populations taking into account only the reproductive characteristics of the species can be translated by a mathematical sequence and a mathematical function defined by these characteristics. Therefore this issue is potentially attractive to perform activities that develop simultaneously skills and knowledge in two distinct areas: biology and mathematics. Consequently, we plan the development of an activity for students from year four that, over three sessions, explores the growth of population and the carrying capacity of the environment from a mathematical and biological perspective. The development of skills in the students will be measured independently in two areas, through the completion of two pre-tests and two post-tests in two target groups (where the activity will be applied) and two sample groups (where the activity is not applied). The results obtained in this study will allow us to test whether the exploitation of the Malthus principle encourages the acquisition of skills and knowledge in the areas of biology and mathematics.
Description
Keywords
Progressões geométricas Evolução biológica Capacidade de carga Seleção natural Princípio de Malthus Geometric progressions Biological evolution Carrying capacity Natural selection Malthus principle
Citation
Publisher
Instituto Politécnico do Porto. Escola Superior de Educação