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O Episódio Histórico Do Centenário Do Eclipse De Sobral E Suas Implicações Para O Ensino De Física Por Meio Da Divulgação Científica1

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O Episódio Histórico Do Centenário Do Eclipse De Sobral E Suas Implicações Para O Ensino De Física Por Meio Da Divulgação Científica1 2020 | Volume 4 | Nº 2 | Pág. 294 a 307 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15536/reducarmais.4.2020.294-307.1800 O episódio histórico do centenário do eclipse de Sobral e suas implicações para o Ensino de Física por meio da divulgação científica1 The historical episode of the centenary of the eclipse in Sobral and its implications for the Teaching of Physics through scientific divulgation El episodio histórico del centenario del eclipse en Sobral y sus implicaciones para la Enseñanza de la Física a través de la difusión científica Cristina Spolti Lorenzetti2; Felipe Damasio2; Anabel Raicik3 RESUMO Este trabalho apresenta um sucinto resgate histórico acerca do episódio que envolveu o eclipse em Sobral e a relatividade geral; que completou 100 anos em 2019. Além disso, discorre acerca de materiais e eventos de divulgação científica oriundos da comemoração da data, promovidos pelo Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina – campus Araranguá. Ainda, reflete acerca de como a divulgação científica pode contribuir para a abordagem de física moderna e contemporânea na educação científica. Palavras-chave: Eclipse; Sobral; História da Ciência; Relatividade Geral; Divulgação Científica. ABSTRACT This work presents a succinct historical rescue about the episode that involved the eclipse in Sobral and general relativity; which completed 100 years in 2019. In addition, it discusses materials and events for scientific dissemination arising from the celebration of the date, promoted by the Federal Institute of Santa Catarina - Araranguá campus. It also reflects on how science communication can contribute to the approach of modern and contemporary physics in science education. Keywords: Eclipse; Sobral; History of Science; General Relativity; Scientific Dissemination. RESUMEN Este trabajo presenta un sucinto rescate histórico sobre el episodio que involucró el eclipse en Sobral y la relatividad general; que completó 100 años en 2019. Además, se analizan materiales y eventos de divulgación científica derivados de la celebración de la fecha, promovida por el Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina - campus de Araranguá. También reflexiona sobre cómo la comunicación científica puede contribuir al enfoque de la física moderna y contemporánea en la educación científica. Palabras clave: Eclipse; Sobral; Historia de la Ciencia; Relatividad General; Divulgación Científica. 1 A versão inicial e resumida deste trabalho foi apresentada, em forma de pôster, no VIII Encontro Estadual de Ensino de Física/RS. 2 IFSC - Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina, Araranguá /SC - Brasil. 3 UFSC - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina / Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Científica e Tecnológica (Egressa), Florianópolis/SC - Brasil. 294 Revista Educar Mais 2020 | Volume 4 | Nº 2 1. INTRODUÇÃO Nas últimas décadas, a literatura vem enfatizando que o ensino continua expositivo tradicional, fomentando uma aprendizagem mecânica de conteúdos descontextualizados historicamente e, também, desprovidos da realidade e experiências dos estudantes (Moreira e Massoni, 2016). A Física Moderna e Contemporânea (FMC), por exemplo, não tem tido espaço nas aulas de física no ensino médio, por mais intrínseca que esteja no cotidiano da sociedade (Siqueira et al., 2018). Os próprios cursos de licenciatura, normalmente, tratam os poucos conteúdos relativos à FMC de forma mecânica, contribuindo tanto para desatualização no currículo quanto para uma formação limitada de futuros professores; que acabam não recebendo uma adequada orientação didática nesse sentido. Consequentemente, no que tange este último aspecto, formam-se docentes despreparados para tratar FMC na educação básica (Moreira, 2017). A abordagem de FMC, na escola, mas não somente nela, torna-se ainda mais indispensável para a formação de um cidadão crítico, capaz de atuar no ambiente em que vive, pois assuntos científicos são tratados frequentemente na mídia e permeiam, por certo, discussões políticas sobre a ciência (Assunção e Nascimento, 2019). Além disso, pode tornar mais significativo o aprendizado de conteúdos de física, já que permite representar o elo entre a ciência vista na escola e o cotidiano do aluno (Monteiro, Nardi e Filho, 2012). Um elemento que tem se mostrado útil no ensino de física, em espaços formais e não formais, é a divulgação científica (DC). Vista como um meio de democratização do conhecimento, a divulgação científica pode ser usada como forma de descentralizar as aulas de livros didáticos, promover reflexões acerca de ciência na sala de aula e para além dela e, também, auxiliar na alfabetização científica de estudantes e público em geral (Silveira e Sandrini, 2014). O certo é que o ensino de ciências da natureza, em particular o de física, necessita de menos treinamento científico e, deveras, mais educação científica. Como destacam Damasio e Peduzzi (2016), um treinamento científico está focado em um fazer ciência, pura e simplesmente, a partir de equipamentos laboratoriais e teorias científicas, sem grandes preocupações de criticidade ou de uma aprendizagem significativa sobre a ciência. Não obstante, uma educação científica se volta (ou deveria) à significação da ciência, e nessa perspectiva, estimula-se, o desenvolvimento de abordagens históricas, filosóficas, epistemológicas etc. Estas últimas abrem caminho para a reflexão da ciência como um empreendimento humano, portanto falível e inacabado. No que diz respeito, então, especificamente à História e Filosofia da ciência no ensino, há tempos pesquisas vêm evidenciando que o seu uso didático pode: dinamizar as aulas, contextualizar a evolução do pensamento científico, auxiliar na compreensão de teorias e conceitos científicos, desmistificar a visão estabelecida de um método científico (único e infalível), evidenciar a não neutralidade da ciência; mostrando as relações dialéticas da ciência com a sociedade, a cultura, a arte, etc. (Damasio e Peduzzi, 2016; Peduzzi, 2001; Matthews, 1995; Jorge, 2018). Com efeito, temas relativos à FMC podem subsidiar discussões nesse sentido e propiciar – quando alinhados a referenciais educacionais – a elaboração de materiais potencialmente significativos de divulgação científica. Uma temática que, além de instigante, envolve uma figura icônica e uma história espetacular da ciência e do Brasil, é o famoso eclipse de Sobral, que comemorou seu centenário em 2019. O episódio ficou notável na história da ciência ao confirmar uma das mais importantes previsões da Teoria Geral 295 Revista Educar Mais 2020 | Volume 4 | Nº 2 da Relatividade, aquela que afirmava a existência de desvio na trajetória de raios luminosos (Videira, 2005). Nesse sentido, este artigo salienta a relevância e interlocução que pode ser promovida entre episódios de FMC com seu resgate a partir da História e Filosofia da ciência e a divulgação científica a partir de um breve resgate histórico do Elipse Solar de Sobral; peça chave para a corroboração da Teoria Geral da Relatividade de Albert Einstein. Além disso, elucida sucintamente, uma série de atividades desenvolvidas em um Instituto Federal de Santa Catarina, articuladas à divulgação científica dessa temática, a partir da produção de um material de divulgação científica e sua difusão por diferentes meios de contato com o público. 2. O ECLIPSE DE SOBRAL: UM SUCINTO RESGATE HISTÓRICO Após o desenvolvimento da Teoria da Relatividade Restrita (TRR), o físico alemão Albert Einstein (1879-1955) começou a trabalhar em incoerências teóricas que essa teoria havia deixado. Uma delas é que a gravitação newtoniana não era compatível com o sistema de referenciais da TRR (Peduzzi, 2015). Depois de 1905 – conhecido como ano miraculoso de Einstein em razão da publicação de cinco trabalhos relevantes, sendo um deles a TRR – o cientista publicou alguns trabalhos relacionados com o entendimento da gravidade. Em 1907 Einstein publicou um trabalho – Über das Relativitätsprinzip und die aus demselben gezogenen Folgerungeni – no qual ele busca uma resposta para a questão da propagação da luz sobre influência da gravitação. Em 1911, o físico publica um novo trabalho onde ele estabelece uma nova relação da propagação da luz nas mesmas condições anteriores e sugere uma forma de testar a sua teoria (Einstein, 1911). Utilizando o princípio de Huygens – que basicamente diz que a luz que se propaga por um campo gravitacional é defletida – Einstein chega a um valor de deflexão de 0,8 segundo de arco, para a luz de estrelas que passassem pelo campo gravitacional do Sol. Para que isso pudesse ser testado Einstein (1911) sugere que “como estrelas fixas nas partes do céu perto do Sol ficam visíveis durante um eclipse total do Sol, essa consequência da teoria pode ser comparada com a experiência” (p. 908), ou seja, ele sugere a observação e registro de um eclipse solar total. A partir disso, astrônomos de diversos países começaram a procurar meios de realizar esse experimento. Erwin Freundlich, depois de ter entrado em contado com as ideias da publicação de Einstein de 1911, procurou em registros de eclipses passados a deflexão, entretanto como tais registros não foram feitos com esse objetivo, não eram adequados para a análise (Peduzzi, 2015). Em 1912, uma expedição argentina veio para a cidade mineira de Cristina, a qual seria, em princípio, um ótimo local para realizar registros do eclipse total que aconteceria; o mau tempo não contribui com o objetivo. Em 1914, Freundlish – incentivado, inclusive financeiramente, por Einstein – se dirige à Rússia para registrar um eclipse solar. Todavia a Primeira Guerra Mundial já havia começado os telescópios
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