The local territory as a resource for learning science: A proposal for the design of teaching-learning sequences in science education

The present work arises from the need to reform Science Education, particularly through the contextualization of teaching. It is proposed to achieve this through the use of local territory as a resource for the design of teaching-learning-sequences (TLS). To do this, an interdisciplinary group of researchers and teachers from a Secondary School created a Professional Circle for Reflection on Teaching, which constructed an emerging conceptualization of Territory, analyzed the possibilities of the local area and established a relationship with the national curriculum. On this basis the TLS were designed, with an interdisciplinary aspect, and implemented with pupils aged 14 to 17. The results show that the contextualization of teaching through the use of local territory is possible, and is positive for pupils, and that collaborative work and reflection by teachers are fundamental for this process. (C) 2013 The Authors Published by Elsevier Ltd.