Uma história para o Ensino Médio: o experimento da gota de óleo de (Begeman–Fletcher–) Millikan

Abstract

This paper presents a proposal for a historical approach to high school education, taking as its starting point the oil drop experiment, traditionally attributed to Robert Millikan. Based on the analysis of Santos (1995), it highlights the underrecognized contributions of Louis Begeman and Harvey Fletcher, reinforcing the understanding of science as a collective process, socially and culturally situated, in contrast to the idea of individual discoveries. The proposal is grounded in the Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC; Brazil, 2018), the Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCNs; Brazil, 1999), and the Proposta Curricular do Ensino Médio da Paraíba (Paraíba, 2023), documents that emphasize the relevance of incorporating the History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) into science education. An analysis of a PNLD 2023 textbook revealed weaknesses in addressing this historical episode, which was limited to brief and superficial mentions. As alternatives, didactic strategies were suggested, such as an illustrative panel, cordel literature, and comic strips. The application of these methodologies in a 12th-grade class at a public school in the interior of Paraíba demonstrated potential to promote greater student engagement, critical thinking, and a more humanized understanding of science, supporting studies that advocate the integration of HPS in physics education (Rincoski & Florczak, 2015). Thus, by revisiting and updating the discussion proposed by Santos (1995), this work reaffirms the importance of HPS as a didactic resource capable of enriching teaching through meaningful and contextualized narratives.