Promovendo o pensamento científico em estudantes do ensino médio: uma abordagem prática

Abstract

In this work, we propose one of the many possible ways in which the scientific method can be introduced in different schools, utilizing simple materials such as a ruler, paper, a twelve-sided die, and creativity. The objective is to promote the development of scientific thinking in high school students through pedagogical interventions, involving activities related to both science and pseudoscience in the classroom. Pseudoscience is represented by Astrology, and the activity is divided into two parts: in the first phase, each student must choose one of the twelve presented characteristics that they identify with the most, and then roll a twelve-sided die, noting the upper face that appears. The idea is to demonstrate that both events are random. On the other hand, science is represented by the scientific method, and the activity involves calculating the area of three different rectangles, so that in the end, students realize that the precision of calculations results from errors and refinements throughout the process. The results obtained show that the majority of personality descriptions chosen by each student do not coincide with their birth sign and follow a random distribution, much like the numbers obtained from the die. They also demonstrate that the values of the area for the rectangle with a more defined border deviate much less compared to the one with a thicker border. This is because achieving a value closer to reality requires adjusting materials, methods, and discussing conclusions with others. This approach allows students to discover connections between different topics, such as the concept of measurement involved in calculating the areas of a simple geometric figure, in this case, the rectangle, and the randomness associated with Western Astrology sun signs.