Objectives:
The present research had two purposes. The first, methodological, aimed to verify the effectiveness of laboratory teaching in Science. Currently, the didactics of this subject are based on a transmissive method linked to the textbook. However, this teaching type is ineffective from a lifelong learning perspective because it lacks a metacognitive approach, which is characteristic of laboratory-based methodologies. The second objective, content-related, investigated the possibility of teaching Genetics in primary school, a topic that is generally first studied in secondary school. The experimental hypothesis to be tested was that even a complex biological issue can be treated with children through an active approach.

Methodology:
The research involved two third-grade classes. In the control group, a traditional but still interactive approach was adopted, while in the experimental group, a laboratory-based methodology was employed. In this class, Mendel’s experiments and DNA were introduced using the scientific method through active proposals and a scientific experiment.

Results:
At the end of the experimentation, the same final tests were given to both groups. While good results were observed in both classes, they were higher in the experimental group. Moreover, all pupils in this group improved, whereas some in the control group showed no progress. In fact, a few even scored lower than in the pre-test.

Conclusions:
The experimentation yielded satisfactory results, confirming that with an adaptation of the contents and through appropriate methodologies, even a topic like Genetics, which is generally considered too complicated, can be taught in primary school.

Keywords: Biology Didactics, Genetics, Laboratory methodologies, Primary school.