Uma abordagem histórica e experimental sobre eletricidade no ensino fundamental e médio

Abstract

The present work has for basic principle the teaching of Electricity, specifically the theme “Electrostatics”, through practical/experimental activity at the classroom. Based in the main ideas of Vygotsky, we produced a didactic kit using materials which have low cost and easy access, aiming its reproduction and application by the teachers of Physics and Science in Brazil, if they wish. This didactic kit contains materials for the construction of instruments with focus on the realization of experiences which facilitate the learning of some topics such as electric charges of opposite signs, electric attraction and repulsion, conservation of electric charge, study of conductors and insulators, etc. The didactic kit was applied in a class of the ninth grade of an Elementary School and in a class of the third year of another High School in the city of Juiz de Fora – MG during the Physics classes. Through the application of the kit, we noticed the great interest of the students in assembling the instruments and participating in the activities, as it is different from the traditional expositive classes. Another benefit observed was the better understanding of the subject matter presented in the classroom. We analyzed the application of the kit, the questionnaires and free texts written by the students, together with their participation in the experiments during the classes. With this analysis we concluded that practical activities have a very important role in the learning process of the students as they help to establish the connection of the abstract concepts with the real phenomena observed during the experiments. The materials that compose the kit and the assembly of the instruments used are described in Chapter 4, while the experiments realized are described in Appendix B of this Masters dissertation. The project, in general, showed us the importance to search new strategies and methodologies which could serve as a support in the teaching of Physics and Science, giving the students the opportunity to test phenomena rarely observed.