The science

in everyday life

Due to the traditional form of

teaching, many people have
an image of boring science and
monotonous. However, it is possible
transmit it from a perspective
practical and playful. Starting from
situations of everyday life
how to cool a bottle of water,
without ice or refrigerator, or to find out if
an egg is fresh, the students and
students can develop their
creativity and learning concepts
scientists while having fun.

The experiment of lifting a person by blowing is one of the most successful.

S
and someone thinks that science is
boring and monotonous, she makes a
big mistake: as we must demos-
Cayetano Gutiérrez Pérez bringourstudentsthescience
Professor of Physics and Chemistry and science communicator. allows you to enjoy and have fun while learning,
Correo-e: disfrutalaciencia@[Link] develop imagination and creativity,

38 WORKBOOKS OF [Link]. 408 JANUARY 2011}Nº IDENTIFICADOR: 408.010

 experiences Secondary Education/High School

and also provides us with knowledge to the people who reject their form How do we find out the surface of
and useful strategies for our daily life traditional to expose oneself, just as it an irregular piece of cardboard?
Diana. Without a doubt, we learn more easily and Review the latest PISA report. How do we measure the volume of a
quickly what interests us; for so- Three major concepts can be developed ring?
that, if some are taught in the classes transverse rectrices that allow us To address the first issue, one can
contents that favor the solution of use everyday life as a tool- they would weigh two packs of 500 sheets,
problems of our daily life and us appropriate teaching material for the teaching without the wrapping, and the result would be divided
they help to better understand the world than training of the sciences: useful science for the between 1,000 (one A4 sheet, 80
surrounds us, it will be achieved that the students daily life, sustainability for a hu- g/m2, it has a mass of 4.98 g). The thickness
enjoy and learn what we teach you. humanity with a future and critical spirit it would be measured by determining the height of the
This is the crux of the matter. on information manipulation. It addresses- two packs of paper, tightly packed,
we remove from this text each of the three and would be divided by 1,000 (one sheet usually
guidelines. having a thickness of 0.1 mm.
An attractive class Science allows for enjoyment and fun.
learning, as happens when doing the
Throughout my lengthy teaching career In daily life following experiments:
I have been able to verify that the students How to lift a person off-
they enjoy when they see a direct relationship The knowledge and the strategies that plan?
among the abstract concepts of the science- providing science proves to be very useful How can a balloon be maintained?
CIA and the phenomena of everyday life: to resolve numerous issues that inflated without holding it with the hands and without
when can these last ones be explained we are faced with daily: no knot?
with the first ones. The emotional gratification How can we know if an egg is How can we get a
what students experience with the fresh or not? Can a bottle swallow a boiled egg?
the use of this methodology constitutes Without ice or refrigerator, how can we Lifting a person by blowing is a
the first strategy that we can use cool a bottle of water? surprising experiment, tremendously-
in the classroom. In a portable cooler, where does it de- it's spectacular, that will impact
Science has evolved by questioning- I'm going to place the soda cans to your friends, and I assure you that the party or
to be concerned with the why of things, let them cool down first, below or above the the meeting in which you carry it out will be unforgettable
and this has led them to carry out experiences ice? blueandeveryonewillrememberitdespitethepassageoftime.

to contrast their hypotheses. Well, In relation to this last question, time.

this procedure constitutes the second sure that some of the readers, upon leaving To do this, we are first going to lift so-
strategy that we can employ in the on a trip, with your family or friends, you placing a medium object, like a ma-
class for our students to inter- has raised on occasions where I should letter, or a box of milk cartons,
they pray for science. With this methodology put the ice, on top or underneath the that weighs about 10 [Link], to give-
I have checked that in my class it increases- soft drinks. Well, now I am going to the most excitement, we will lift by blowing
both participation and motivation: the to give them the answer to clear up any doubts: to some boy or girl present who weighs
students begin to ask about it should be put over the soft drinks. The around 40 kg. Finally, to arrive
what certain phenomena occur the reason is that cold substances are more at the peak of emotion, we are going to apos-
from everyday life, something they had not you think the hot ones. When placing the ice we will be able to lift, for
questioned before. on top of the cans, the upper layers supposedly just blowing, to whom
In my experience, these strategies the liquid cools down, it becomes more den- more weight than the entire meeting (80 kg).
they produce good results, both in the they rise and descend; then, they occupy their We will use the following materials:
students who express a rejection of place other milder portions, that a normal table, a board or table pe-
stuck in the subject, like in the most they are cooled and descend. At a bag of trash plastic,
conflictive, which stop bothering in cla- after a certain time, all the count- a piece of hose 20 cm and tape
as soon as they start to be addressed the soft drink nest will have been refrigerated. By insulator.
issues, because obviously it results to them on the contrary, if the cans are placed on top We take a small table and exten-
so motivating and useful for your life. Ló- from the ice, the first layer cools down and is we put a plastic bag on top of
logically, if we manage to keep them motivated makes it denser, but remains in the trash, to whose mouth we have previously
let's go, by domino effect, so too same place and does not give up its position to others placed the piece of hose and we have
we will be and we will enter into a portions that remain warm, sealed with duct tape. Then, place
magnificent vicious circle. at the top of the can. we put on top of the plastic bag a
In summary, we can all contribute. When posing unknown problems board or small table: in schools
to the dissemination of science, improving its that test our ingenuity, the two classroom tables can be used, one
teaching-learning. For this, you have to science develops the imagination and creates it one positioned normally and the other upside down, yes-
more than breaking with the topic of his activity, as reflected in the following swinging between both the plastic bag,
abstract and boring character, offering examples: and thus the student grabs onto the legs of the
its funniest, most curious aspects and How do we calculate the mass of a sheet of paper? table. Now, we place the object to the le-
creative way. We must convey it in a if we do not have a pre- empty (box of milk packages) or if-
a different way that manages to attract even incision?, and its thickness? We put the person on the table,

{ No. 408 PEDAGOGY NOTEBOOKS.39

usando una silla a modo de escalera. Por climatic, why is the sea level rising
last, we started to blow through the man- sea with climate change?, duration
war, observing how, little by little, of classical energies, etc.
The object is rising, or the person is leaving.
elevating, simply with the little one
effort to blow. To prevent the per- And critical spirit
the sound that is on the table loses balance
book and it could fall, it is very im- Do we think for ourselves or of-
it's important that you give your hands to someone Let others think for us?
standing next to her. Why do they constantly tell us what
This experiment is based on the we must eat, how do we have to see-
hydraulic press, similar to the one that is in tire, what brands should we buy, etc.?
the vehicle workshops to lift them. Why do we allow ourselves to be dragged by the
That's why, placing a small body fads, even if they are absurd? We live
in one of its plungers, it can be raised in the era of globalization and in the face of the
to have another much greater one in the other, already multinationals the human being is mani-
that the pressure exerted on the piston is- pulado, it reduces its capacity to ma-
small (which would be the hole of the man- It undermines decision-making and nullifies their will.
war) is fully transmitted to the great- The degree of manipulation is directly
of (which would be the table or desk where proportional to culture or information
supports the person). The hydraulic press what the person owns. That is why it is logical
it is based on Pascal's principle. Here, to think that the greater the culture, the lesser the possibility

although air can be compressed, given deceptive ability. Multinationals

that the pressures are not very high, (lobbies) pressure and buy scientists to know more
it only has an impact on the outcome so that they do not investigate or disclose about-
of the experiment. For the presentation finished aspects that can be
may it go well for you and not leave you in embarrassment, to judge, misinform in some media XGutiérrez Pérez, Cayetano; Gutiérrez
remember that you must practice it before going- of communication, they manipulate the politi- Cánovas, Cayetano (2009): The act of
three times. With this new experiment cos, etc. action against climate change. Murcia:
you will check once more how fun The tactic of sowing doubts about the University of Murcia - Department of
What can science be (can you visualize- the validity of established science has been used- Education of the Region of Murcia.
zar the experiment at [Link] in the past to divide opinion XGutiérrez Pérez, Cayetano (2009): The
[Link]/watch?v=I9v6Pg8pWl0). public and delay the adoption of measures for science in everyday life, an alternative
Finally, we can also address pre- part of the administrations. Cases so- for teaching. Summer course "Hundred-
questions that, although they are not useful for the tobacco companies have been the ones (cán- keys for the Contemporary World.
our daily life, yes they make us re- lung cancer) and that of asbestos (asbestos- Didactic and practical approaches.
to reflect on the why of certain Thanks to massive campaigns of San Sebastián: University of the Basque Country.
phenomena, whose explanation we could advertising and pseudoscientific articles XGutiérrez Pérez, Cayetano (2008): Physio-
extrapolate to other different situations, they managed to postpone for years everyday. The physics of everyday life,
as demonstrated by the following cases: the measurement taking by the go- an alternative for the teaching of physics
- Why is the ground in Madrid rising and beer and the victims' complaints before sica. I Conferences "New trends in the
Does it go down 40 cm twice a day? the courts. teaching of the sciences and engineering.
What are eyebrows for? Acountry that invests in science and technology Murcia: University of Murcia - University
Why do herbivorous animals have logy is making a bet on fu- Polytechnic Cartagena - School Council
in the eyes on the sides of the face and the turbo, because they are the true locomotives- from the Region of Murcia.
Do carnivores have them on the same face? laws that move countries. That's why XGutiérrez Pérez, Cayetano (2008): "Another
A valid response to the second pre- We have a moral duty to spread science. form of teaching and learning Physics
The question is about the eyebrows of humans. cia to foster new vocations one- School Community, No. 830. Madrid: My-
they are used to prevent sweat from falling from the typical, contribute to dismantling the manipu- Ministry of Education, Social Policy and
in front of our eyes and it stings us. relations of truth and demagoguery of Sport, Madrid. [Link]
the power brokers, put an end to so much [Link]/830/[Link]
inaccuracy about the related issues XGutiérrez Pérez, Cayetano (2007): Fisi-
Sustainability for the future we need to be sustainable, etc. This type everyday, the physics of everyday life.
of initiatives will allow enjoyment of Murcia:Academy of Sciences of the Region
El empleo didáctico de la sostenibilidad doing science and it may end up des- from Murcia.
of planet Earth offers a very high stifling the scientific spirit of someone X[Link]
number of contents that may be of our students, since, as said X[Link]
exploited in the classroom, as they put it Miguel de Unamuno: "We must care about." X[Link]
manifest the following examples: me- little of what we are, the really impo- [Link]
individual measures to alleviate climate change Aunt is what we want to be.

40 PEDAGOGY [Link]. 408}