History of Physics for Education: The Scientific Contributions of Enrico Fermi

Physics teaching often leads students to believe that the content presented is either the result of chance or, rather, is due to geniuses far removed from their world. Telling the story of brilliant individuals who did physics, outlining their biographies and work, and even telling intriguing anecdotes, can then encourage students to follow their example. It can indeed create that spirit of curiosity, of putting themselves to the test, and of feeling the challenge that underlies the success of the learning process at high levels, obviously depending on the enlightened guidance of an educated teacher. We present here the engaging example of Enrico Fermi, who brought back Italian physics to shine with the splendor lost since the time of Galileo (except for the small parenthesis of Alessandro Volta), starting from the small world of his daily life, and arriving to give birth to so many stars wherever he was. A shining example for students and teachers.