A história do fogo na formação dos professores de Química

A literatura descreve uma crise no ensino de ciências evidenciada pelos altos índices de analfabetismo científico. Uma das razões apontadas é o fato de alunos e professores apresentarem noções distorcidas do que é ciência. Visando combater tais deficiências, neste trabalho testamos uma metodologia que utiliza a história da ciência para ensinar sobre aspectos da natureza da ciência (NdC). Elaboramos um estudo de caso a partir da obra Ensaio sobre o fogo, publicada em 1790 pelo filósofo suíço Marc-Auguste Pictet, e aplicamos essa atividade em duas turmas de licenciatura em química do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo (IFSP). A metodologia empregada, chamada História Interrompida, constrói-se com base numa narrativa linear com questões que interrompem a história e fomentam a participação dos alunos em debates sobre aspectos da NdC ligados ao caso. As aulas foram gravadas em vídeo e as falas dos alunos analisadas segundo referencial de Análise de Conteúdo, tomando aspectos previstos da NdC como categorias a priori. Todas as categorias previstas registraram ocorrências e, além destas, identificamos outras que surgiram de maneira espontânea nas falas dos alunos. Esses resultados reforçam a potencialidade de discussões explícitas sobre NdC na formação de professores.The history of fire in the training of chemistry teachersAbstractSpecialized literature describes a crisis in science education evidenced by high rates of scientific illiteracy. The problem would in part derive from students and teachers with naive perceptions of science. In this work we present the testing of a didactic strategy that uses history of science to approach features of nature of science (NoS) in classroom. We started by elaborating a case study based on the 1790 book An Essay on fire, by the Swiss philosopher Marc-Auguste Pictet. Then we applied the methodology in two pre-service chemistry teacher education classes at São Paulo Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology (IFSP). Such methodology is known as Interrupted Story. It comprises a linear narrative which is interrupted at some points by questions that try to encourage students to participate in debates on NoS topics related to the case. We videotaped the classes and took some foreseen aspects of NoS as a priori categories to proceed the analysis of the students' speeches according to a Content Analysis framework. All the predicted categories registered occurrences. Furthermore, we identified other categories that arose spontaneously in the students' debates. Such results reinforce the potential of explicit discussions about NoS in teachers’ education.Keywords: History of chemistry; Nature of science; Interrupted story; Fire; Pictet.

Anales de Química, la Revista de la Real Sociedad Española de Química – The Magazine of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry

: Anales de Química de la Real Sociedad Española de Química is the flagship journal of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ). Anales currently publishes different types of articles including essays, interviews, opinion, and review articles written for readers (scientists and teachers) who are not specialists in the field. The journal has a special focus in didactics and history of chemistry. A substantial part of its content is directed towards high school chemistry teachers. An overview of the history of the journal together with its current activities, as well as a brief history of the RSEQ are presented.

Chemistry, Society and Uncertainty

In recent years, besides the increased interest in philosophy of chemistry, we have witnessed a "material turn" in philosophy and the history of sciences with an interest in putting instruments, objects, materials and practices at the core of historical reports. Since its alchemic past, chemistry has worked with and on materials, so that its history is also a "material history". Thus, in the wake of this "material turn", it is up to philosophy and the history of chemistry to perceive the chemical substances, the chemists that create them and the industries that produce them as part of culture, society and politics. This overlap between chemical reasoning and materiality as well as the artificial character of its products makes chemistry an eminently technoscientific science. In this context, we will analyze the most general aspect that led us to identify it as "technoscientific", the hybrid that exists between chemistry and society. With that, we intend to argue in favor of considering the modern societal necessities (material, environmental, and human) with chemistry, in an effort to build a more harmonious relationship, being that it will be long and, maybe, indissoluble. Following that, our aim is to develop a concept that cannot be separated from the capillarity of chemistry in societies and the environment, the imprevisibility and essential uncertainty of the behavior of chemical entities in multiple contexts. Finally, we will highlight some reflections concerning chemical ethics associated with the production and creation of new substances that may become a part of the lifeworld.

Icilio Guareschi and his amazing “1897 reaction”

Organic chemistry honors Icilio Guareschi (1847–1918) with three eponymic reactions, the best known ones being the Guareschi synthesis of pyridones and the Guareschi–Lustgarten reaction. A third Guareschi reaction, the so-called “Guareschi 1897 reaction”, is one of the most unusual reactions in organic chemistry, involving the radical-mediated paradoxical aerobic generation of hydrocarbons in near-neutral water solution. A discussion of the mechanism of this amazing reaction, the only metal-free process that generates hydrocarbons, and the implications of the approach in biology and geosciences mirrors the multifaceted scientific personality of the discoverer. Thus, Guareschi’s eclectic range of activities spans a surprising variety of topics, overcoming the boundaries of the traditional partition of chemistry into organic, inorganic, and analytical branches and systematically crosses the divide between pure and applied science as well as between the history of chemistry and the personal contributions to its development.

A história da química por meio dos “ares”: uma contribuição experimental direcionada ao ensino de química

Resumo: O Ensino de Química no Brasil nos dias atuais segue, predominantemente, um modelo tradicional, sendo verificada a utilização de metodologias pedagógicas repetitivas de baixo potencial de aprendizagem. Nesse contexto o presente trabalho teve por intuito elaborar um plano de aula diferenciado que envolvesse conteúdos químicos, dados históricos e discussões filosóficas a partir do tema “Ares”, utilizando a demonstração investigativa como recurso didático para propiciar uma maior motivação e envolvimento dos discentes. Para se alcançar o objetivo proposto, foi realizado um conjunto de quatro experimentos, utilizando materiais de baixo custo e fácil aquisição, a saber: Peso do flogisto; Síntese do Ar Fixo (CO2); Síntese do Ar Inflamável (H2); Síntese do Ar Desflogisticado (O2). A análise qualitativa dos dados obtidos demonstrou que o formato de aula utilizado é aplicável ao Ensino Médio, tornando a aula mais dinâmica, sendo, portanto, apreciada pela maior parte dos discentes, o que possibilitou uma maior motivação desses.Palavras-chave: Experimentação Demonstrativa; História da Química; Recursos no Ensino de Química. The history of chemistry through the “airs”: an experimental contribution to chemistry teachingAbstract: The Chemistry teaching in Brazil nowadays follows, predominantly, a traditional model, being verified the use of repetitive pedagogical methodologies with low learning potential. In this context, the present work aimed to elaborate a different lesson plan involving chemical contents, historical data and philosophical discussions based on the theme “Airs”, using investigative demonstration as a didactic resource to provide more motivation and involvement of students. To achieve the proposed goal, a set of four experiments was carried out, using low-cost and easy-to-acquire materials, namely: Weight of phlogiston; Synthesis of Fixed Air (CO2); Flammable Air Synthesis (H2); Synthesis of Dephlogisticated Air (O2). The qualitative analysis of the data obtained showed that the class format used is applicable to high school, making the class more dynamic, being, therefore, appreciated by most of the students, which enabling a greater motivation.Keywords: Demonstrative Experimentation; History of Chemistry; Chemistry Teaching Resources.