Abstract:

In order to foster scientific thinking and research skills in students, it is essential to promote laboratory teaching in schools and to support science teachers in setting up, proposing and leading experimental activities, also and especially by drawing inspiration from everyday experience and poor man’s laboratory.

In this contribution we present a collection of 234 physics and science experiments proposed, optimized and validated by secondary school and university teachers, and show how this resource is currently also used for teacher professional development initiatives.

The teachers who proposed the experiments have provided their colleagues with the experiences gained over the years with their own classes: the topics in the collection cover most of those included in the Italian secondary school guidelines for physics and science.

Underlying this collection of experiences is the idea of a laboratory perceived not as a physical space where to conduct experiments, but as an attitude that consists in observing phenomena, linking observed quantities with causal relationships, making quantitative measurements, analyzing the data and developing mathematical models.

This volume constitutes a user-friendly handbook for all secondary school physics and science teachers who want to promote and develop a path of teaching innovation and can represent a good practice of collaboration between school and university to be exported to other countries as well.

Keywords:

Lab, experimental activities, physics experiments, science experiments.