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The authors of this article applied the determination of phenolic and flavonoid content in small berries to create a didactic cycle based on student-centered active learning (SCAL) in which students actively participated in the topic while studying and profile-forming as future biology and chemistry teachers. The fundamental part of the proposed didactic cycle is that students solve the following task: Determine the phenolic and flavonoid content in berries ("Vaccinium myrtillus" L., "Vaccinium vitis-idaea" L., and "Vaccinium corymbosum" L.) in your region. The submitted interdisciplinary topic is relevant to everyday life, and it aroused interest and enthusiasm among students. The students had the opportunity to test their theoretical knowledge in practical experimental research, and they attempted to work as researchers.

Ticks are ectoparasites of a wide range of animals and are important vectors of numerous pathogens affecting humans, livestock, and pets. This study investigates possible correlations between selected factors, altitude, soil pH, and a factor called 'amount' (number of ticks examined in pooled samples) on the occurrence of I. ricinus ticks positive for selected tick-borne microorganisms. Questing I. ricinus ticks were collected in 2016 and 2017 across various altitudes, at two mountain ranges in central Slovakia. Tick pools were screened for the presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl), Babesia/Theileria spp., Rickettsia spp., and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) using molecular methods. Regression analysis was employed to evaluate relationships between selected factors and the occurrence of vector-borne microorganisms. This study revealed a statistically significant influence of altitude on the occurrence of A. phagocytophilum; increasing altitude of the sampling site was associated with increased probability of pathogen occurrence. For Babesia/Theileria spp., neither altitude nor soil pH significantly affected pathogen occurrence. The occurrence of Bbsl was notably impacted by both altitude and soil pH; higher altitudes were associated with a decreased probability of pathogen presence, whereas higher soil pH increased the likelihood of pathogen occurrence. The presence of Rickettsia in a pooled sample was not affected by altitude and soil pH, but the 'amount' factor was a significant predictor, increasing the probability of pathogen detection. Neither altitude nor soil pH had a significant impact on TBEV occurrence. The regression models showed moderate goodness-of-fit levels to the data, underscoring their utility in examining the role of altitude and soil pH on pathogen occurrence. However, they explained only a small portion of the overall variance in pathogen occurrence, indicating the presence of other significant factors not covered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present relationship between a man and a biosphere results from the level of progress of human civilization. The idea of permanently sustainable development is based on condition of positive qualitative attitudes, behavior and actions of people in the various spheres of society. Education and training is the main tool of creating positive attitudes towards the environment and permanently sustainable development. At present, developing contextual thinking in pupils seems to be in the forefront of the educational process. The need for direct contact with the environment and direct participation in the monitoring and problem solving activities prevails over the need of obtaining individual knowledge. We can "brand" this understanding of education as an environmental education. According to the progressive changes in the lifestyle of population, it is necessary to implement environmental education in all the social and educational levels of education. It cannot be understood as an isolated matter, but it must be an integral part of education as well as professional training for life. It must not be applied forcibly and should focus specifically on the environmental conditions of men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is not a commercial product, but the legacy that we must honor and protect. The global water problems led the European Parliament to adopt a coordinated water policy in the EU Member States. On December 22nd 2000 entry into force of the European Parliament and Council n.2000/60/EC establishing a framework in the field of water policy, called the Water Framework Directive. The Directive provides a legislative framework for the introduction of a single water policy in the EU. According to the requirements of the Directive member states must make the identification of anthropogenic impacts on the status of surface waters and introduce monitoring programs for surface water. Teachers and stu-dents at the Catholic University are actively in-volved in monitoring streams. As part of ongo-ing learning project where students learn the methodology used for monitoring rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several attempts to establish the new teaching methods using school experiment as a tool developing pupil's personality are known from history of science education. The goal of the reform of education system in Slovakia is to transform the traditional encyclopedic teaching for the creative and value education, which emphasis is on activity and personal freedom, the power to create its progressive, creative way of being to live in the new millennium. This could be reached by gradually introducing of the innovative elements of project teaching to the science education what should finally lead to the pupil's visions of the nature as a whole. It is important that the student is able to orient himself in the topic, to gather information, process it and sort and be well on its own original solutions and design. Our article refers to the possibility of using the project teaching in topic "the cycle of substances in nature". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimedia educational systems create new possibilities in the access to some information. They communicate with users using text, video for real experiments projection, animations for viewing some processes or sound. Moreover these att ributes are connected by interactive links, and that is why this type of multimedia education system allows individual requirements. Computer can be used in any school subject and in any phase of teaching process (e. g. motivation, explanation, or in repetition of fi ndings and conclusions). Work during the school lessons will be more interesting and att ractive for students and using this kind of education, students who would probably never show their talent can excel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]