Context

Physics, as a scientific discipline, has at its core the measurement and quantification of natural phenomena. For this, the existence of a unit system that allows standardization and comparability of these measurements is essential, hence the importance of the International System of Units (SI).

The International System of Units, or simply SI, is the set of fundamental units of measurement recognized and adopted worldwide by the scientific community, encompassing disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and biology. Its creation took place during the 11th General Conference on Weights and Measures in France in 1960. The SI is composed of seven fundamental units, from which all other units derive.

Theoretical Introduction

The seven fundamental units of the SI are the meter (m) for length measurement, the kilogram (kg) for mass measurement, the second (s) for time measurement, the ampere (A) for electric current, the kelvin (K) for thermodynamic temperature, the mole for amount of substance, and the candela (cd) for luminous intensity.

In addition to the set of fundamental units, the SI also establishes a set of derived units for quantities composed of two or more fundamental units, such as meters per second (m/s) for speed or newton (N) for force.

In-depth knowledge of the International System of Units, its measurements, and conversion rules is essential for any student wishing to venture into science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. In addition to being essential in understanding natural phenomena, the use of a standardized unit system allows communication and collaboration among scientists worldwide.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Discovering the International System - A Friendly Competition"

Project Objectives:

1. Understand what the International System of Units is.
2. Relate the fundamental units to their respective physical quantities.
3. Apply conversion rules between the various units belonging to the SI.

Detailed Project Description:

In this activity, students will be divided into groups of 3 to 5 members. Each group will represent a country, and the goal is to structure a presentation on the use of the International System of Units in this country in a friendly competition among nations.

The presentation should address how the SI is used in various spheres of the country's society. For this, students must choose a historical event, a monument, a typical product, or a personality of great importance to the country and present how SI units are/were used. The idea is to make learning about the SI more practical and contextualized to reality.

Project Duration: approximately 4 hours for each group member.

Required Materials:

• Books and/or internet access for research.
• Materials for making posters (optional).
• Support material for the presentation (slides, flashcards, etc).

Detailed Step-by-Step:

1. Divide the class into groups of 3 to 5 students and assign each group a country to represent.
2. Encourage the groups to research the use of the International System of Units in the country they represent. They can choose topics such as the construction of a monument, the production of a product, a historical event, etc.
3. Guide the students to also research the conversion rules for the units of measurement used.
4. After the research, each group should work on the presentation. It is important to remember that it should be a creative as well as informative presentation.
5. Each group will present their findings to the class. The presentation should last from 10 to 15 minutes, and all group members must participate actively.

Deliverables and Connection to Suggested Activities:

After completing the practical part, each group must produce a written report that includes four main topics: Introduction, Development, Conclusions, and Bibliography used.

• Introduction: Students should contextualize the chosen country, briefly present the importance of the SI for the country, and the project's objective.

• Development: In this stage, students should explain the details of the chosen topic (event, monument, product, etc.), how SI units were/are applied, the methodology used for research, and the main findings. The conversion rules of units should be well explained.

• Conclusions: Students should review the main points, what they learned from the project, and what conclusions they were able to draw from the process.

• Bibliography: Students should list all resources (books, websites, videos, etc.) that were used for the research.