TOPICS OF ASTRONOMY, ASTROPHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY IN HIGH SCHOOL AS PART OF A DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULAR PROJECT IN PHYSICS

Abstract

In this paper we report part of the application and evaluation of an alternative curricular project in Physics, with emphasis on the insertion of elements of Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology integrated into the course of high school´s first grade at a São Paulo´s private school. The evaluation used a semi-structured questionnaire and an individual evaluation. Using the Content Analysis methodology, two main categories of analysis were constructed: "Change in world view" and "New cosmological vision". We note that 97% of the students who participated in the project evaluation answered affirmatively to a question that asked if the course of Physics of the 1st year had changed their vision about the world and on the Universe. Several contents were mentioned, demonstrating knowledge appropriation, highlighting "Spectrum/Spectroscopy" (28% of the students), "Stellar Distances" (28%) and "Big Bang" (23%). We believe the project had some impact on the universe view of the majority of the students, since they pointed out in the analyzed instruments that they had gained a greater perception of the size scales involved in Astronomy and / or they explained that "their Universes" were no longer the same, after they had passed the course.