Crude oil and its’ distillation: an experimental approach in High School using conceptual maps

Abstract

Conceptual maps are representations of ideas organized in the form of bidimensional diagrams. In the present work the theme of oil fractional distillation was explored, and the conceptual maps were elaborated both before and after the activities by 43 students from the 1st and 3rd High School grades of a public school in Londrina – PR. The study was conducted theoretically and in practice, with a daily life approach. The use of the motivational theme and the opening text as previous organizers, enabled the establishment of a cognitive link between the students’ previous knowledge and the new concepts. Differences between the maps were verified before and after the activities as well as among the work groups. The students, stimulated by the technique, created better structured maps