Training of Future Chemistry Teachers by a Historical / STEAM Approach Starting from the Visit to an Historical Science Museum

Abstract

The visit to a scientific historical museum represents a great opportunity for future science teachers to develop educational activities and effective laboratories for high school and first year undergraduate students. In this paper, a pilot educational project experimented in the frame of the course of ‘Fundaments and methods of chemistry education’ held at the University of Pisa (Italy) during the academic year 2019-2020, aimed to train future chemistry teachers, is described. The main steps of the project, from the visit to the Museum ‘Galileo’ in Florence (Italy) to the design of educational hands-on activities by the undergraduate students, are discussed. Emphasis will be given to the role of historical scientific collections, such as the Galilean thermoscopes and other historical thermometers’ collection, in stimulating the creativity and higher order thinking skills.