THE CAZA-NANO GAME AND THE TEACHING OF NANO-RELATED CONCEPTS: LUDIC ACTIVITIES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL

Abstract

The topics of nanoscience and nanotechnology (N&N) are present in the media and in the everyday life of society. However, their teaching continues to pose major challenges. In Brazil, the educational proposals that deal with concepts of N&N in the context of basic education are still incipient, although they are present in students' lives. This situation may be attributed to several factors, but mainly to the fact that teacher-training courses do not systematically include the necessary methodological basis for teaching such current and relevant topics of science. The articulation of this content with innovative and motivating approaches is essential to improve learning at the High School. We present an educational proposal of N&N-related themes, through a playful activity: the game called as Caza-Nano. This has been designed to improve the use of scientific notation and understanding of the order of magnitude and the learning of topics of contemporary science. In this regard, the investigation revealed that, when appropriately prepared, playful activities may be used at different levels of education. Therefore, the research highlights important aspects and the potential of recreational activities as tools for the quality of teaching and learning in science.