Biology teacher Dovhal Liudmyla and journalist Oleksii Yurin spoke about the new textbooks for the New Ukrainian School and the design of lessons based on the textbooks in the studio of Ukrainian Radio Suspilne Cherkasy.

Becoming one of the authors of the new “Biology” textbooks for students of the New Ukrainian School and joining the team of developers of these textbooks is a new experience for the biology and ecology teacher of our school Liudmyla Dovhal. In a live conversation with Oleksii Yurin, the teacher spoke about her new experience in writing textbooks for the New Ukrainian School. During the conversation, Liudmyla Volodymyrivna spoke about the features of working on the textbook.

The textbook “Biology Grade 8″, written according to the model curriculum (MNP) “Biology Grade 7-9″ Samoilov A., Tahlina O., Utevska O., differs from others in combining classical views on human biology with the modern content of the textbook itself, which best meets the requirements of the National Secondary Educational Service.

The textbook contains rubrics that will help the teacher organize 3–4 different types of activities in the lesson in accordance with the concept of the National Secondary Educational Service. The practical part of the course is placed directly on the pages of the textbook and is often a separate element of the lesson, contributing to the development of GR 1 and GR 3 in students. A large number of high-quality info graphics, tables and illustrations facilitate the perception of the material by students with clip thinking.

The textbook’s rubric system allows you to organize interactive learning using the “peer-to-peer” approach – this is “Open Microphone”, and “Think and Discuss the Situation”, “Pair Work”, “Group Work”, “Find Information and Complete the Task”. The textbook is moderately rich in info graphics, tables, diagrams, which makes it possible to organize research activities on the transformation of one type of information and texts into others, develops critical and creative thinking. All the methods, that we used in the textbook, correspond to the main idea of ​​the New Ukrainian School – competency-based learning. The content and methods offered by the textbook are aimed at the necessary educational result – the formation of cross-cutting competencies, the ability not only to acquire, but also to apply the knowledge gained in practice, the disclosure of personal opportunities and interests of those who study. The textbook provides the introduction into the learning process of such approaches that ensure the formation of soft skills, the development of personality and creative thinking. It provides the opportunity to use project technologies. Interesting methods of the textbook are reflected in its sections: “Think and discuss the situation”, “Share your thoughts”, “Open microphone”, “Find information and complete the task”, “Solving problematic issues and tasks on the topic”, “Individual work”, “Work in pairs”, “Work in a group”. It is these rubrics that provide the opportunity to form such cross-cutting skills as the ability to express one’s own opinion and defend it, to think critically and systematically, to logically justify one’s position, to act creatively, to show initiative, to make decisions, to solve problems, to cooperate with others. Such textbooks will make the New Ukrainian School a reality of school life.