Waves in a swimming pool: a teaching/learning path for teachers' education

Abstract

An innovative teaching sequence on underwater diving Physics has been experimented for nine years in a High School in Milano (Italia) to help teachers and students to build a deep comprehension of the wave phenomena. This activity involves all the 15-year-old students attending their second year in the school together with their teachers. It has been implemented under the supervision of the Milano City Police Diving Division in collaboration with the Physics Department of the University of Milan. Many Physics issues, such as optics, acoustics, heat, fluids and dynamics laws, can be explored under water. In the presented contribution the focus will be on the main features of acoustic and electromagnetic waves propagation through air and water by using common descriptors like impedance and energy. The presented proposal may be used as a case study on how to improve the physics teachers' skills to innovate their educational approach in full autonomy.