How does atmospheric pressure behave? Some problem-situations based on the History of Science and researches on the subject

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the results of a series
of problem-situations on the subject atmospheric pressure ,
which were answered by Physics teachers-to-be during their
training program. Those activities, which could be developed
with Elementary School Students and/or High School Students,
have as their basis the active participation of the students in the
learning process. The arrangements of the activities result from
some data found through researches carried out on the subject,
besides some occurrences in the History of Science and the
activities have two main axis, which take as starting points some
obstacles students have to overcome in order to understand some
phenomena related to atmospheric pressure. In each activity,
the main types of answers obtained from the Physics teachers-tobe
are presented. From the results some strategies to be used
by teachers, while developing the subject, are pointed out.