Leonardo + Galileo STEAM learning with experiments, heuristic and socratic guidance

STEAM teaching is based on a linear model of knowledge transfer that “explains” experiments within the framework of knowledge present in textbooks, often poorly translated or decontextualized (e.g. using examples from the developed world in underdeveloped countries). Worse still, scientific laws are “proven” with experiments or examples, distorting the actual sequence of the scientific method: experiment to law. Art is presented as a mere visualization tool. At the same time, the painting techniques are the same as those of the Renaissance and the only innovations are the adoption of materials (inorganic pigments, acrylics, synthetic solvents, polymers) from the construction industry. The color technique is the simple mixture of pigments, with little knowledge of color theory and saturation or of photophysical processes (fluorescence or phosphorescence) on the apparent color or of light on it. Electrochromic systems, known since the 19th century, are not used as a pictorial technique. Furthermore, there is a wide variety of sustainable pigments and colorants, which can be created ex-situ or in-situ. This situation contrasts with the art of Leonardo, who used all the pigment chemistry and techniques of his time, even with the risk of creating unstable works. At the same time, a hierarchy of knowledge is proposed, according to which certain simple knowledge can be understood by children, while other more complex knowledge can only be understood by adolescents or students. Given the inequalities in the duration of the educational experience, which are more acute in less developed countries, many students will never be exposed to basic scientific and/or technological knowledge (e.g. the law of conservation of mass) that would be of great use to them in the future. adult life and some (e.g. basic notions of statistics) essential for their activity as citizens. In addition, people are turned into consumers of technology, instead of its creators. The effects of inequalities in STEAM education for girls are especially severe for women, as interest in STEM is much more equal among boys than it is among adolescents and adults. On the other hand, the educational model that we call “Aristotelian”, which explains and demonstrates laws “discovered” by “great men” generates the impression in girls that everything is discovered and they can contribute nothing, perpetuating discrimination against women. Likewise, this prejudice is formed among ethnic or religious minorities, as well as manual workers who do not find role models among their own.

Teach STEAM by solving simple experimental situations, especially those experiments that gave rise to scientific laws, throughout history. Follow in the footsteps of Galileo Galilei, learning from artisans and workers who have developed techniques through experimentation without relying on academic knowledge.The new methodology (which we designate Leonardo + Galileo) begins with the experiment, the data are recorded quantitatively. The experiment itself gives rise to the technology (e.g. pendulum clock) and/or pulls the technology to meditate (e.g. telescope). Art allows us to symbolically explore all possible worlds and its needs (e.g. pictorial techniques) generate new experiments.The results are interpreted under the Socratic guidance of the instructor. This allows the rediscovery of scientific laws, the application of the principle of induction (cases never studied) and the detection of limits of the law or apparent breaches that reveal new phenomena. These concepts generate technological and/or engineering innovation.The rediscovered (or hopefully discovered) scientific law is expressed in symbolic models, aided by art, which again interacts bidirectionally with science. Technology and engineering also have a bidirectional interaction with science, since new technologies allow us to explore other areas and science allows us to design or imagine new technologies.As in any experimental activity, manual action and intelligence go hand in hand (mens et manus), allowing the role of manual workers and excluded minorities such as women, indigenous people and ethnic minorities to be valued.
Experiments
The multiplication “table”
The density of an irregular body
The density of a liquid.
The addition of integers by Gauss
The sum of angles of a triangle.
The law of flotation (“principle” of Archimedes.
The normal distribution of a natural variable (e.g. weight, height of human beings)
Galileo's inclined plane
Boyle's law with a plastic tube or syringe
Gay Lussac's law with a plastic tube
Electromagnetic induction (Ampere-Faraday)
The pendulum with different masses (Huyghens)
Young's slit
Foucault's pendulum
Boyle's air pump
The Volta stack
Thermoelectricity
Faraday's law of electrochemistry
Synthesis and decomposition of zinc iodide
Newton's prism
Faraday's candle
Leloir's aspirin
The debunking of mesmerism
Darwin's phototropism
Pavlov's dog
The Kirchhof-Bunsen prism
Freezing and melting of substances (not water)
Iodine sublimation.
Vaporization/condensation due to pressure change (syringe)
Diffusion of a dye in water or gelatin (Fick)
Brownian movement
Seed hibernation
The discrediting of spontaneous generation (Pausteur)
The separation of isomeric crystals of tartaric (Pasteur)
Graphic relationships with web data
More soluble with temperature (LCST)
Less soluble with temperature (UCST)
LCST and UCST (phenol)
Enzymes on sugar
Calculation of the area of ??an irregular spot with the sum of known figures
Marie Curie's experiment, but with color
Liebig's experiment with seedlings

All types of people, from kindergarten kids to adults (and older adults) could learn by L&G STEAM. Especially ethnic minorities, women, workers, indigenous people, who can rediscover science and art, which was often created by them, applying it for the first time to new systems and objects. In this way they gain confidence and self-esteem in their role in the modern world. Many sustainable solutions can be traced to technologies empirically developed by marginalized groups.

Among the members of the team, we have 75+ plus years experience of science research/teaching at university level and have been acquainted with the drawbacks of conventional teaching. At the same time, working in an impoverished country, we have to develop experimental strategies which use low cost equipment/ resources to teach science. 

We have prototyped some experiments/art forms, which are described in the video, which contain the framework of ideas which we want to develop. The experiments/art forms have to be extended to other systems: i) experimental geometry (triangles, paralelogram, rhombus, pentahon,etc.) ii) mass conservation to different visible chemical reactions (precipitation, complexation, electrochemistry, photochemistry, redox, etc.); iii) pictorial art techniques (complexation, redox, diazo coupling, eyc.) to allow that each learner could innovate and create in a sustainable way. 

Solve can partially help finance the project but, given its low cost, it is not the most critical barrier. On the other hand, it would provide a unique ability to disseminate the ideas that underpin the project, outside the confines of a small community in a sparsely populated and underdeveloped country (Argentina).

Teach STEAM by solving simple experimental situations, especially those experiments that gave rise to scientific laws, throughout history. Follow in the footsteps of Galileo Galilei, learning from artisans and workers who have developed techniques through experimentation without relying on academic knowledge.The new methodology (which we designate Leonardo + Galileo) begins with the experiment, the data are recorded quantitatively. The experiment itself gives rise to the technology (e.g. pendulum clock) and/or pulls the technology to meditate (e.g. telescope). Art allows us to symbolically explore all possible worlds and its needs (e.g. pictorial techniques) generate new experiments.The results are interpreted under the Socratic guidance of the instructor. This allows the rediscovery of scientific laws, the application of the principle of induction (cases never studied) and the detection of limits of the law or apparent breaches that reveal new phenomena. These concepts generate technological and/or engineering innovation.The rediscovered (or hopefully discovered) scientific law is expressed in symbolic models, aided by art, which again interacts bidirectionally with science. Technology and engineering also have a bidirectional interaction with science, since new technologies allow us to explore other areas and science allows us to design or imagine new technologies.As in any experimental activity, manual action and intelligence go hand in hand (mens et manus), allowing the role of manual workers and excluded minorities such as women, indigenous people and ethnic minorities to be valued.

By changing completely the approach of learning from experiments, following the footsteps of Galileo, using the method which gives such excellent results to him and other experimentalist, like Arquimedes (before), Fardaya, Lavoisier, Lomonosov, Brown, Liebig, Pasteur, Raoult, Fischer, Baeyer, Wohler, Perkin, Dalton, Joule, Young, Boyle, Hooke, etc. it is possible to rediscover the science and prepare the minds and hands to discover small and large phenomena and develop new technologies and engineering solutions

- Learning scientific methods

- Learning core scientific laws in different disciplines

- Developing original experiments

- Discovering new phenomena, small or big

- Developing new technologies or engineering solutions

- Critically assess facts an model in the public sphere

Experimental galilean science using low cost electronic technologies (balances, thermometers, camera microscopes, digital cameras in the visible-IR, mutimeters, colorimeters, etc.) to measure physical variables which can be used in simple experiments. The materials to build the experiments are both low cost and sustainable (biobased, non toxic, biodegradable, recycled, reused). 

10 persons, all full time at universities

We have trouble with the invitations and at this time are unable to reinvite people. 

9 montths directly working on the solution, we have been applying this kind of experiments along our careers and got dedicated during the COVID-19 pandemic when laboratory work at the university was suspended and we have to create home based experiments for the students (chemistry and non chemistry majors). At that time, we consult for primary and secondary where the graduates of our university (with chemistry, physics, mathematics and biology teaching degrees) conduct teaching. 

The team includes different ethnicities: european, hispanic, african-american, POC and descendants of indigenous people. 

Accordingly, the team is ethnically diverse and 66% are woman

Leader: Dr. Cesar Barbero (man, hispanic-indigenous)

Co-Leader: Dra Maria C. Miras (woman, hispanic)

Members

Dra Melina Monerris (woman, hispanic)

Dra Claudia Rivarola (woman, hispanic-indigenous)

Dr. Rusbel Coneo Rodriguez (man, african-american)

Dr. Edith Ines Yslas (woman, hispanic-POC)

Dr. Yanina J. Pereyra (woman, hispanic)

Dr. Diego Acevedo (man, hispanic-POC)

Dr. Gustavo Morales (man, hispanic-POC)

Dra. Victoria Martinez (woman, hispanic)

Dra Abril Molina (woman, hispanic)

Dra Evelina Frontera (woman, hispanic)

This is the complete team. We have trouble with the invitations and at this time are unable to reinvite people. 

We are a public university which collaborates with different school levels: primnary, secondary an tertiary. All public schools (including university) in argentina do not charge fees. 

We are a public university which collaborates with different school levels: primnary, secondary an tertiary. All public schools (including university) in argentina do not charge fees, but receive funding from different goverments (state or federal) as common budget or special programmes, sometimes funded by international banks (BID, World Bank, CAF)