Using history of science to implement inquiry-based teaching C. de Hosson and D. Jasmin (19/05/2010)

A caricatural way of using the history of science History of science is often used as anecdotal and almost caricatural. Its use is limited to a few biographical details of famous scientists associated with anecdotes far from the reality (E.g. the bathtub of Archimedes, Newton's apple ...). The textbooks are full of examples of this type (see Slisko).

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A caricatural way of using the history of science

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3 groups (45 min) G1 : historical context of the immergence water pump

G2 : Description of Al Jazari’s water pump

G3 : Implementing the discovery of Al Jazari’s water pump as a clasroom activity Presentation of the work performed by the group in the form of a poster (10 min each) 4

Implementing the discovery of Al Jazari’s water pump in the classroom, by the use of a children’s story. 5

Step 1 : Problem to be solved after the reading

“My problem is : I do not know how to draw the water up. Nabil will be tired by sucking the water”

Step 1 : Problem to be solved after the reading

“We will raise the water through the mills. Problem : If the hill is very high, it seems I need yet other mills since the water will not be strong enough to climb up the hill”.

“It takes wind to make it works”

Step 1 : Problem to be solved after the reading

Two problems have to be solved : • Raise the water and conserve it • Force the conserved water up
Principle of a « force and suction pump »

Technical devices have to be found to : • Raise the water and conserve it (suction) • Force the conserved water up (forcing)

Step 2 : Suggest technical devices How can we conserve the water that has managed to raise a certain height ?

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Step 2 : Suggest technical devices

taps

Raising the water

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Forcing the water

L’animation sur la pompe

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Step 3 : Using a video

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Step 4 : Maintaining the back and forth movement

> Discovering the « Rod and Crank system »

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Step 5 : Diagram of al-Jazari’s water pump

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Step 6 : Performing the water pump with gear

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Steps 1 to 7 : Retrieval

Al-Jazari’s water pump: 1. 2. 3. 4.

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The scientist The discovery The time Applications

Science and language

Publishing and reporting on wiki website Posters realization Letter adressed to Nabil and Fadela My dear Fadela and Nabil,

I wrote you to explain how to build the Al-Jazari waterpump. There is a waterwheel which will turn thanks to the water fo the river…

Science fair 17

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Conclusions

Give a concrete reality to science, to be taken in a historical perspective Develop a multidisciplinary project, linking science and history, and covering many parts of the curriculum. Valorize immigrant cultures. Implement IBSE in class by coupling experiment / retrieval / debate / object fabrication / drafting .. Introduce children to IT publishing their works on a website. 19

Discoveries Scientific discoveries in Islamic countries

A K4 to K7 project Ten major scientific discoveries and inventions coming from the “golden age” of Islamic science( VIII° to XVI° centuries)

www.lamap.fr/decouvertes 20

The 10 discoveries Vision theory - Ibn al-Haytham (965-1038) Water pump - Al-Jazari (XIIth century) Islamic contribution to distillation Al-Razi (864-932) Rainbow theory - Al-Farisi (1260-1320) Balance of wisdom - Al-Khazini (????-1121) Pulmonary circulation - Ibn al-Nafis (1210-1288) Symmetry in oriental art. Islamic contribution to astrolabe - Abu Behr Ibn Yussuf (1208) Pharmacology and Botanic - Ibn al-Baytar (11971248) Samarkand observatory - Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) 21

Objectives

Documentary research on the scientist and its discovery ( or invention) Reproduce the discovery in class Publish the results on a website Exchange with the other classes involved in the project

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Tools for teachers A book • • •

Historical background Learning activities for the class Story for the pupils

Multimedia • •

website Flash animation for the pupils

Collaborative tools : • • • •

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Sharing pupils works Publication (wiki) To help each other (forum) Exchange (community)

History of science in science education History of science

? Tool for a learning pathway 24

History of science in science education

Provides teachers difficulties

with

the

students’

Provides students with a more comprehensive and consistant view of science Gives turning-points that can inspire teachers with pedagogical strategy 25

Thematic project : a multidiscplinary approach

The thematic projects emphasize a multidisciplinary and experimental approach with sometimes international exchanges. The implementation of these projects is done over a period ≥ 6 weeks.

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On the footsteps of Eratostenes ( 2000)

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Eratosthenes: sizing the Earth (1)

The European discoveries

www.lamap.fr/europe 29

Europe of discoveries

Major discoveries by famous scientists from European countries 0- list a priori ideas The Sun is always the same Galileo Galilei: It does not move around the Earth Observing with a telescope 1-Observations with the telescope • Moon craters & mountains The image moves ! • Sun spots There are black dots ! 2-Hypotheses • Satellites of Jupiter The telescope is not stable • Venus phases The lenses are duty reproduce Galileo’s findings 3-Experimentation Stabilize the mount Clean the lens 4-Re-observe and draw Conclusions: The image still moves • the spots belong to the sun Thecenter, spots are still there (rather around equator, darker in their move along! with days) The spots move along with days • images move because the sun moves

(rotation of the Earth to compensate) • what is inside the telescope ? => dismount & built own telescope !

The climate, my planet and I

Learning units Multimedia animation Collaborative tools

www.lamap.fr/climat

Calendars, mirrors of the sky and the culture

www.lamap.fr/calendriers Coming soon (10/10) : biodiversity, ecohousing

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