In this work we present an educational proposal for high school students based on Brownian motion, an interesting phenomenon, easily observable but not so simply explainable. Why introduce Brownian Motion into the students curriculum? Because of large educational potential into STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics): it links microscopic to macroscopic world, and allows integrating many disciplines. Starting from the Brownian motion’s historical aspects, we want to highlight its transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature: mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science and biology could be involved and treated choosing the required level of detail, and extends to social and economic phenomena. According to the new National Guidelines for the Italian high schools, which in turn take into account the strategies suggested by the EU for the construction of the " knowledge society ", [2] our work propose an “action-research” approach, including Mathematics, ICT and Physics laboratories, to teach and learn by discovering. In order to contribute to revitalize school curriculum and improve digital literacies, starting from historical Brown’s experience, beside some classical experiments, real or virtual, we propose a simple macroscopic model of chaotic motion, and a “random walk” simulation made by using the software “Geogebra”. Both experiences are easily implementable in a classroom activity. This proposal is addressed to teachers who want to build “learning that was less about acquiring, remembering, and repeating subject content, and more about active participation in scholarly ways of doing and being” [10]
Brownian Motion and Simmetries: an Interdisciplinary Teaching Proposal
Capone, Roberto;
2016-01-01
Abstract
In this work we present an educational proposal for high school students based on Brownian motion, an interesting phenomenon, easily observable but not so simply explainable. Why introduce Brownian Motion into the students curriculum? Because of large educational potential into STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics): it links microscopic to macroscopic world, and allows integrating many disciplines. Starting from the Brownian motion’s historical aspects, we want to highlight its transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature: mathematics, statistics, physics, computer science and biology could be involved and treated choosing the required level of detail, and extends to social and economic phenomena. According to the new National Guidelines for the Italian high schools, which in turn take into account the strategies suggested by the EU for the construction of the " knowledge society ", [2] our work propose an “action-research” approach, including Mathematics, ICT and Physics laboratories, to teach and learn by discovering. In order to contribute to revitalize school curriculum and improve digital literacies, starting from historical Brown’s experience, beside some classical experiments, real or virtual, we propose a simple macroscopic model of chaotic motion, and a “random walk” simulation made by using the software “Geogebra”. Both experiences are easily implementable in a classroom activity. This proposal is addressed to teachers who want to build “learning that was less about acquiring, remembering, and repeating subject content, and more about active participation in scholarly ways of doing and being” [10]I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
