In 2009 a fully Digital Planetarium (DP) has been built in Caserta (a city near Naples in Italy, http://www.planetariodicaserta.it), with the support of the City Municipality. DP proposes activities for students, teachers education, general public. Main objectives are: to improve the basic scientific knowledge of students (from Primary to Graduate ones) through experiences by means of digital representation of celestial phenomena; to link with salient achievement in History of Physics and Astronomy; to help in-service teachers develop deeper competences on the addressed topics; to offer citizens high-quality scientific edutainment. At secondary school level, in 2009 - 2011, about 200 schools, 300 teachers and 7000 students have been involved; teachers and students education is combined according to active-learning strategy. In a typical activity, in classroom leading activities students approach the problem with respect to the main aspects using books and internet. They built a basic background concerning with the phenomenon. The Planetarium activity is focused to show details in a multimedial advanced ambient from different points of view (Earth vs Space, for example). Students lived a strong emotional experience due to the innovative technology improved as well as the methodological approach to build own model. Since Eratosthenes (230 B.C.), through Aristarchos, up to Galiei (1610) and Halley (1716), geometrical Euclidean methods aimed Astronomy to estimate several dimensions and distances in Solar System (Earth radius, angular dimension of Sun and Moon, Moon diameter, Moon and Sun distances to the Earth, size of Moon’s mountains, and closer stars distances). For each of the quoted historical experiences, the show of the Caserta Planetarium leads students into the historical contexts, offers a quick panoramic on the astronomical properties of the bodies involved, simulates the celestial phenomenon, performs the original measurements and compares it with the mathematical model. The show is proposed in real-time by a live performance (professional scientific guide). The educative path is close in classroom discussion concerning with the specific contents as well as the physical and mathematical aspects. In a deeper approach, each student will be guided to analyse the critical aspects of historical methods, their fails, and the level of the approximations involved.
GEOMETRIC HISTORICAL APPROACH TO INVESTIGATE CELESTIAL BODIES WITH A FULL DIGITAL PLANETARIUM / Sassi, E.; Smaldone, LUIGI ANTONIO; Di Lorenzo, P.; Ricchi, I.. - (2014), pp. 65-76. (Intervento presentato al convegno The World Conference on Physics Education 2012 tenutosi a Istambul nel luglio 2012).
GEOMETRIC HISTORICAL APPROACH TO INVESTIGATE CELESTIAL BODIES WITH A FULL DIGITAL PLANETARIUM
SMALDONE, LUIGI ANTONIO;
2014
Abstract
In 2009 a fully Digital Planetarium (DP) has been built in Caserta (a city near Naples in Italy, http://www.planetariodicaserta.it), with the support of the City Municipality. DP proposes activities for students, teachers education, general public. Main objectives are: to improve the basic scientific knowledge of students (from Primary to Graduate ones) through experiences by means of digital representation of celestial phenomena; to link with salient achievement in History of Physics and Astronomy; to help in-service teachers develop deeper competences on the addressed topics; to offer citizens high-quality scientific edutainment. At secondary school level, in 2009 - 2011, about 200 schools, 300 teachers and 7000 students have been involved; teachers and students education is combined according to active-learning strategy. In a typical activity, in classroom leading activities students approach the problem with respect to the main aspects using books and internet. They built a basic background concerning with the phenomenon. The Planetarium activity is focused to show details in a multimedial advanced ambient from different points of view (Earth vs Space, for example). Students lived a strong emotional experience due to the innovative technology improved as well as the methodological approach to build own model. Since Eratosthenes (230 B.C.), through Aristarchos, up to Galiei (1610) and Halley (1716), geometrical Euclidean methods aimed Astronomy to estimate several dimensions and distances in Solar System (Earth radius, angular dimension of Sun and Moon, Moon diameter, Moon and Sun distances to the Earth, size of Moon’s mountains, and closer stars distances). For each of the quoted historical experiences, the show of the Caserta Planetarium leads students into the historical contexts, offers a quick panoramic on the astronomical properties of the bodies involved, simulates the celestial phenomenon, performs the original measurements and compares it with the mathematical model. The show is proposed in real-time by a live performance (professional scientific guide). The educative path is close in classroom discussion concerning with the specific contents as well as the physical and mathematical aspects. In a deeper approach, each student will be guided to analyse the critical aspects of historical methods, their fails, and the level of the approximations involved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
