The Use of Fiction in Physics Lessons

Students of innovative educational institutions should acquire not only a strong foundation in science and practical skills in working with instruments and setups, but should also leave school as truly cultured and educated individuals. One element of culture is the ability to use written and spoken language. Being able to write correctly and express thoughts clearly and accurately is mainly taught in language and literature classes. However, the development of cultured speech should not be the sole responsibility of language teachers — it must also be supported by teachers of other subjects, including physics.

A physics teacher should make broad use of students’ interest in science-related literature. Even a brief retelling of episodes from a science novel during the explanation of new material not only raises students’ interest in physics, but also inspires them to explore the literary work further on their own.

Many physics topics can benefit from literary techniques, making explanations more engaging. Here are some examples:

1. The philosophical ideas of Epicurus were presented in the early 1st century BC by the Roman poet Titus Lucretius Carus in his famous poem *On the Nature of Things*.

2. In Serafimovich's story *The Snake Puddle*, there is a scene: “The snake was crawling quickly through the grass. Gavrila bent down, caught the disappearing snake with a swift movement, and spun it in the air. The snake tried desperately to curl and bite his finger, but due to the rapid motion, it was flying around his hand stretched like a stick.” Why couldn’t the snake curl and bite Gavrila's finger?

3. In the Soviet writer Kostylev’s novel *Ivan the Terrible*, there is a passage: “With a trembling hand, Tsar Ivan moved the curtain aside. With frightened eyes he looked at the sky. His face twisted with fear: in the dark silence of the heavens, a cross-shaped sign stood still. Leaning on his staff, he stepped out onto the Red Porch to observe the wondrous vision. For a long time, silently, frozen, he gazed at the sky studded with stars and at the cross that mysteriously appeared in the celestial depths, and suddenly, swaying from weakness… he whispered: ‘This is the sign of my death. Here it is!’” (Grade 11)

4. Who said the aphorism: “If someone asks you which is more useful, the sun or the moon, reply: ‘The moon, because it shines at night when it’s dark, while the sun shines during the day when it’s already light.’”

Thus, while teaching physics, one should build upon the students’ existing knowledge.