Gravitação e marés: uma abordagem contextualizada para o ensino médio

Abstract

The phenomenon of tides, familiar to students in coastal regions, can serve as a starting point to give more meaning and spark students curiosity when introducing and exploring the principles of Universal Gravitation. From this perspective, Freirean pedagogy guides the teaching practice, stimulating curiosity and critical thinking while valuing students cultural and social contexts, encouraging them to reflect on their reality and everyday experiences. Based on the daily experience of this phenomenon, students can be encouraged to investigate and understand how the gravitational attraction between the Earth, the Moon, and, to a lesser extent, the Sun influences the tides, connecting this understanding to the mathematical formulation of Newton Law of Universal Gravitation. In this sense, this study developed a Didactic Sequence proposal for teaching Gravitation at any level of high school, which was applied to a second degree high school class, using the phenomenon of tides as a contextualizing theme. The methodology adopted for this didactic sequence includes practical activities, such as a beach visit and the measurement of sea level using a low-cost tide gauge. Additionally, it incorporates a simulation specifically developed for this study, allowing students to analyze tidal behavior and its relationship with gravity. The graphical language approach was also included through the construction of a graph, and the sequence concludes with a gamified assessment using the Kahoot platform. The results obtained demonstrated increased student engagement and motivation during the implementation of the didactic sequence, fostering a deeper understanding of the cause of the tidal phenomenon, its relationship with Gravitation, and its connection to everyday situations. Thus, this study aims to encourage other teachers to explore these topics, valuing the context in which students are inserted and bringing them closer to Science through phenomena relevant to their reality.