A Journey to the Origins. The Astrobiology Paradigm in Education

摘要

Astrobiology is a new multi-disciplinary field of knowledge concerned with the study of the origin, distribution, and destiny of life in the universe and, naturally, in our planet. For this goal we must introduce and develop the adequate tools for teaching this science in schools and universities. New curricula, with a more open mind, must be established for the formation of the present and future generations of students and also, in our point of view, of teachers. One example of this effort can be seen in the Portuguese project "A Journey to the Origins. Astrobiology in the Lab", where secondary school students recreate experiments regarding the Origin of Life and Cellular Evolution. The work will be widened to the educational community through the carrying out of Open Laboratory Sessions, conferences and the drawing up of a digital portfolio compiling all of the material developed by students and teachers throughout the project. A proposal will be made to restructure the curriculum to include a new unit entitled "Astrobiology and Cellular Evolution". The repercussions of this innovative paradigm could be seen in the future, not only in the educational community, but also in the society in general.