Uma sequência didática envolvendo leis de Newton e lei de Hooke à luz da aprendizagem significativa

Abstract

The teaching of Newton's laws and Hooke's law still presents challenges related to theoretical abstraction and the difficulty of contextualization by students. This work investigates the application of a didactic sequence based essentially on the use of cardboard boxes, wooden blocks, and elastic bands. It is grounded in Ausubel's Theory of Meaningful Learning, with the objective of making teaching more accessible and interactive for students. The developed educational product was applied in high school classes at the Maple Bear Canadian School. Its structure follows three stages: the application of a diagnostic questionnaire to identify prior knowledge, the carrying out of didactic experiments to explore the physical concepts involved, and the reapplication of the questionnaire to evaluate the evolution of learning. During the application, students actively participated in the experimental activities, relating theory and practice. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data demonstrated that experimentation with accessible materials favored the comprehension of the concepts and equations, increasing student engagement and promoting a more meaningful learning experience. Furthermore, the adopted approach proved to be aligned with the guidelines of the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) for the teaching of Natural Sciences. The results indicate that experimentation and active student participation are effective alternatives to traditional teaching. Thus, this dissertation presents a replicable didactic proposal that can be used by Physics teachers in basic education to make the teaching of Newton's laws and Hooke's law more dynamic and contextualized.