Successful implementation of historical approach to teach nature of science (NOS) requires suitable curriculum material. Several research and development projects have produced lesson plans for science teachers. 25 lesson plans from four different projects involved in creating curriculum material utilizing historical approach in chemistry education were analyzed to describe NOS content included as well as the historical experiments and narratives used. Based on the results of descriptive content analysis of existing curriculum materials, several suggestions on the successful design of lesson plans utilizing historical approach are made. To increase the coherence and clarity of learning objectives and instruction, each lesson plan should focus on the limited amount of specific NOS issues instead of several overtly general NOS aspects. To support explicit classroom discussion on the selected NOS issues, historical narratives used in the lesson plans should illustrate these issues. The lesson plans should also include instructions on how to facilitate classroom discussion, such as questions for students to discuss and reflect. Recommendations are also made concerning the appropriate use of historical experiments and narrative elements such as viewpoint characters and conflicts.

Historical approach is one way of supporting the learning of concepts and phenomena of chemistry, and nature of chemistry. In this article, project works dealing with the topics to chemistry (organic reactions and synthesis, acid and alkali oxides, mass and mole, Le Châtelier’s principle, atom models, electrochemistry, gas laws, and periodic table of elements) by the students of Central Topics of Chemistry Teaching II course are being presented. First, based on research literature, a summary on how history is used to teach each topic is presented in English or in Finnish, with the results of a case study regarding each topic. In most of the presented studies, it was noted that using historical approach increased the interest towards the subject. All designed materials and lesson plans can be found online: www.luma.fi/materiaalit. They can easily be implemented in chemistry teaching on different levels of education.

The article discusses the significance of science theatre and the role of nature of science in it, as well as the significance of history of chemistry, and different methods for popularizing it and using it in teaching. The study includes two surveys (N=45 and N=126) conducted among the audiences of “Virtanen!” play, performed in 2011. The data was analyzed using content analysis. Based on the results, the history of science was mainly portrayed through the life of the protagonist of the play, and the play showed the human side of science to the audience. In addition, from the viewpoint of nature of science, the play emphasized the role of social interaction in science as well as the interaction between science and the society. According to the audiences, national expertise in chemistry should be emphasized more in order to increase interest towards the subject and also to promote national self-esteem. It was suggested that history of chemistry should be presented through different methods, such as science theater, school teaching, exhibitions, and documentary films, in future. Also, it was hoped that history would be included in chemistry teaching together with other chemistry contents, through historical portraits of scientists, in collaboration with other school subjects or as a separate lesson on history of science. Science theatre was found to be a good method to teach history of chemistry and nature of science, and to popularize chemistry.

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