A teaching sequence is presented to support the modeling of energy transfer and transformation by connecting everyday and astronomical phenomena. The proposal is organized into three stages: initial exploration of stacked balls, modeling with experimental data from carts on an inclined track, and transfer of the energy model to the case of a supernova. Based on the IPM cycle, it promotes the expression, use, evaluation, revision, and application of models. The sequence has been implemented in school and teacher education contexts, articulating laboratory data, physical analogy, and the interpretation of an astrophysical phenomenon.

About Rubén Montecinos

Rubén Montecinos is a physics professor at the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, and a research assistant at the Millennium Nucleus on Young Exoplanets and their Moons (YEMS). He holds a degree in Physical Engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile. His research interests include astronomy education, modeling-based teaching, professional learning communities, the use of real data in the classroom, and teacher education.