Sequência didática com fogão solar: uma proposta para o ensino contextualizado de óptica geométrica e termodinâmica no ensino médio

Abstract

This work presents a proposal for a Didactic Sequence (DS) centered on the construction and use of a parabolic solar cooker as an experimental resource for teaching topics in Geometrical Optics and Thermodynamics. The general objective is to develop a didactic sequence structured around the construction and analysis of a parabolic solar oven, in order to integrate concepts from Geometrical Optics and Thermodynamics and to offer a contextualized pedagogical resource for Physics teaching.The hypothesis guiding this study is that the proposed DS using the parabolic solar cooker constitutes a robust didactic-experimental resource capable of integrating and contextualizing concepts from Geometrical Optics and Thermodynamics. The methodology is applied in nature and uses a qualitative approach, aimed at designing a pedagogical intervention. It was organized into three stages: a literature review on the topic, the practical construction of the parabolic solar cooker, and the final development of the DS, structured into phases of Conceptualization, Experimentation, and Evaluation/Argumentation.The study validates the hypothesis by confirming that the solar cooker DS is an instrument capable of capturing students’ attention and enabling the visualization of certain concepts in practice. It functions as a “miniature laboratory,” unifying reflector design (Optics: concentration at the focal point) and the analysis of heat transfer (Thermodynamics: radiation, conduction, and convection), thereby providing the necessary conditions for learning based on questioning, investigation, and contextualization.