OVERVIEW

Aim of the course is the training of future primary and nursery school teachers on physics, in particular, dealing with some topics presents in the school books. A phenomenological  and experimental  approach to the physics will be suggested based on the observation of the sorrounding phenomena followed by a description of what observed with a simple but correct language. An analysis of the text-books  will be made.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Future teachers will face the problems posed by young people's scientific learning. The themes of scientific education as a tool for the interpretation of reality will be studied along with the role of physics for the construction of interpretative models. In the course, the problems of measurements of lenghts, space, time, movement, forces  will be address  along with the importance of lab experiments.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The problems of young people's scientific learning must be tackled with appropriate educational tools. Indeed, the natural curiosity of young people is to be stimulated when they observe their surroundings and this simple action is therefore important to begin the foundation of scientific education for the interpretetion of reality. So one of the aims will be understanding the role of observation. Subsequently, the role of physics in constructing interpretative models that can simplify the complexity of phenomena will be introduced. This will be done  by addressing problems related to measurements starting from lengths, positions in space, time, movement, and forces. The aim is therefore the preparation of experiments whose role is essential to make the students protagonist and overcome the mere passive observation. Laboratory experiences will play an important role in this part of the course.

TEACHING METHODS

In the course we deal with the subjects with reference to everyday phenomena, actions and things. They  will be supplied with classroom experiments and a simple but correct explanation of the observed phenomena will be given, expounding the models and the physical principles on with they are based. The mathematical formalization will be reduced  to the lowest possible level. Some ways, suitable to introduce the choosen subjects in the primary and nurcery school, will be suggested and described in detail. A great importance will be given to stimulate the observation and the description of the phenomena and to the experiments.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

In this course we will discuss the following topics:

 - Experimental method, physical  quantities, unit.

  - Measurements of length, area and volume;

 -  The concepts  of mass and weight, density;

- Interactions between  two objects and definition of force;

- Forces , contact forces and dynamic equilibrium;

- Properties of fluids, pressure in a static fluid and Pascal’s principle, Archimede’s principle and applications;

- Concept of  energy and some its caracteristics;

. Light and  correlated  phenomenons: chromatic properties of a light source (visible specrum of light), the colour perception (the additive mixing of colours); the mixing of colored substance (the subtractive mixing of colours);  the colour  of the things  related to ligth source), reflectione and rifraction of light;

- Image formation and lenses  properties.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Handouts on the topics and experiments can be downloaded from AulaWeb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

GIANANGELO BRACCO (President)

NADIA PARODI (President)

CARLO SCHIAVI (President)

LESSONS

Class schedule

DIDATTICA DELLA FISICA

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

A discussion of a group didactic projects of a subject  choosen out of those dealed in the course will be made (no more than 4 students). Questions about the other subjets in the syllabus will be made.

Exam schedule