Microscopy images as interactive tools in cell modeling and cell biology education.

The advent of genomics, proteomics, and microarray technology has brought much excitement to science, both in teaching and in learning. The public is eager to know about the processes of life. In the present context of the explosive growth of scientific information, a major challenge of modern cell biology is to popularize basic concepts of structures and functions of living cells, to introduce people to the scientific method, to stimulate inquiry, and to analyze and synthesize concepts and paradigms. In this essay we present our experience in mixing science and education in Brazil. For two decades we have developed activities for the science education of teachers and undergraduate students, using microscopy images generated by our work as cell biologists. We describe open-air outreach education activities, games, cell modeling, and other practical and innovative activities presented in public squares and favelas. Especially in developing countries, science education is important, since it may lead to an improvement in quality of life while advancing understanding of traditional scientific ideas. We show that teaching and research can be mutually beneficial rather than competing pursuits in advancing these goals.

Knowledge of forests and their representation among urban children (elementary school children in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro): considerations about environmental education

The relation of the urban child with the forest environment has been investigated in a health education project aimed at primary schools in order to understand the child's knowledge and feelings towards this environment. Among the students who stated having visited a forest, 35,3 per cent from the North Zone (NZ) and 37.5 per cent from the South Zone (SZ) failed to characterize it adequately, mentioning instead, leisure sites in the urban area such as the Zoo or parks. Among the students who described a forest, 44.1 per cent (NZ) and 47.9 per cent (SZ) refer to the occurrence of the trees and animals in the environment. Out of these 49.3 per cent (NZ) and 61.2 per cent (SZ) refer positively to what they had experienced. The negative records are rare and generally attached to fear of animals, which demonstrates insufficient knowledge of the national fauna. The previous comprehension of the students'knowledge and their relation with the natural environment enables us to re-address the question of environmental education, raising questions which may stimulate more participation and constructive action by children.