Elizabeth M. Cavicchi: publications

My research integrates historical accounts of learning into contemporary experiences in Physics, encouraging students to follow their own paths and develop their own questions and experiments, much as the original discoverers of physical phenomena. This interdisciplinary task requires both historical research and critical analysis of learning as it occurs as a transaction between teacher and student.

• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Learning Science as Explorers: Historical Resonances, Inventive Instruments, Evolving Community", in P. Heering, S. Klassen, D. Metz, Enabling Scientific Understanding through Historical Instruments and Experiments in Formal and Non-Formal Learning Environments , Flensburg Studies on the History and Philosophy of Science in Science Education, 65-86, vol. 2, Flensburg, Germany: Flensburg University Press, 2013. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "The Trust of Spring", in W. Shorr, S. Hoidn, C. Lowry, E. Cavicchi, [eds.], Always Wondering: A Mélange of Eleanor Duckworth and Critical Exploration, 10, Critical Exploration Press, 2013. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Shadows of Light and History in Explorative Teaching and Learning", In Silva, C. C. & Prestes, M. E. B. Learning science and about science through history and philosophy. Sao Paulo: Editora da Livraria da Física/FAPESP, 2014 in press. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Explorando Péndulos en el Salón de Clases", in Z. Monroy-Nasr, G. Alvarez & R. León (eds.), Enseñanza de la Cienciai , 27-50, México: Facultad de Psicología y DGAPA, UNAM, 2012. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, " Time Traveling - An Intuitive Grasp of Time Takes Time ". In: Science & Culture: Promise, Challenge and Demand , Proceedings of 11th International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Group Conference, Thessaloniki, Greece, Editors: Fanny Seralou, Vassilis Koulountzos, Anastasios Siatras. Publisher Epikentro, June 2011. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, " The spiral conductor of Charles Grafton Page: Reconstructing experience with the body, more options, and ambiguity". In K. Staubermann (Ed.), Reconstructions: Recreating Science and Technology of the Past , 2011, (pp. 127-170). Edinburgh, UK: National Museums Scotland. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, " Classroom Explorations: Pendulums, Mirrors and Galileo's Drama". Interchange, 42 (1), 2011, 21-50. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Reflections on the Teaching of Gerbert of Aurillac", in Orbe Novus, C. Sigismondi, ed., Universitalia, Rome, 2010, 7-21. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Activity inspired by Medieval Observers with Tubes", in Orbe Novus, C. Sigismondi, ed., Universitalia, Rome, 2010, 22-39. PDF
Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Exploring Mirrors, Recreating Science and History, Becoming a Class Community", New Educator,   5(3), 2009, 249-273. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, Son-Mey Chiu, Fiona Hughes-McDonnell, "Introductory Paper on Critical Explorations in Teaching Art, Science and Teacher Education", New Educator,   5(3), 2009, 189-204. PDF
Online New Educator site: Open access special issue
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Earth Grounds and Heavenly Spires:  Lightning Rod Men, Patent Inventors and Telegraphers", chapter for Playing with Fire: Histories of the Lightning Rod,   Peter Heering, Oliver Hochadel, David Rhees (Eds.), Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 99(5), Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 2009, 181-205. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Charles Grafton Page's Experiment with a Spiral Conductor", Technology and Culture, 49, 2008, 884-907. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Opening Possibilities in Experimental Science and its History: Critical Explorations with Pendulums and Singing Tubes", Interchange, 39, 2008, 415-442. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "A Witness Account of Solar Microscope Projections:  Collective Acts integrating across Personal and Historical Memory", British Journal for the History of Science, 41, 2008, 369-383. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Historical Experiments in Students' Hands:  Unfragmenting Science through Action and History", Science and Education, 17(7), 2008, 717-749. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Berlin Electropolis:  Shock, Nerves, and German Modernity, Andreas Killen" (review), Technology and Culture, 49(1), 2008, 256-257. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Blind Experimenting in a Sighted World:  The Electrical Innovations of Jonathan Nash Hearder", Proceedings of the Plymouth Athenaeum, X, 2004/2007, 39-48. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Mirrors, swinging weights, lightbulbs:   Simple experiments and history help a class become a community", 47-63, in  Constructing Scientific Understanding through Contextual Teaching, Peter Heering and Daniel Osewold, eds., Frank & Timme, Berlin, 2007. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Nineteenth century developments in coiled instruments and experiences with electromagnetic induction", Annals of Science, 2006, 63, 319-361. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Sparks, Shocks and Voltage Traces as Windows into Experience:  The Spiraled Conductor and Star Wheel Interrupter of Charles Grafton Page", Archives des Sciences, 2005, 58, 123-136. PDF.
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Opening the Circuit to the Body, more Options, and Ambiguity: Charles Grafton Page's Experiment with a Spiral Conductor", unpublished manuscript (2007). PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Faraday and Piaget: Experimenting in Relation with the World", Perspectives on Science, 2006, 14(1), 66-96. PDF.
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Exploring Water: Art and Physics in Teaching and Learning with Water", p. 173-194, in Facilitating Watershed Management: Fostering Awareness and Stewardship, R. France, ed., (Rowman and Littlefield Pub.: Lanham MD), 2005. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Thing Knowledge: A Philosophy of Scientific Instruments, Davis Baird" (review), Technology and Culture, 46 (1), 2005, 243-245. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Experiences with the magnetism of conducting loops: Historical instruments, experimental replications, and productive confusions" American Journal of Physics, 71(2), 2003, 156-167. PDF
Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Changing Minds: Computers, learning and literacy, Andrea A. DiSessa" (review), in Education, Communication & Information, 2 (2), 2002, 249-253. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Series and Parallel Experimenting with Electromagnets", in "Volta and the History of Electricity", 1999 Conference Proceedings, Milan Italy, 2002. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, Fiona Hughes-McDonnell, Petra Lucht, "Playing with Light", Educational Action Research, 9, 2001, 25-49. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Experimenting with Wires, Batteries, Bulbs and the Induction Coil: Narratives of Teaching and Learning Physics in the Electrical Investigations of Laura, David, Jamie, Myself and the Nineteenth Century Experimenters -- Our Developments and Instruments", Dissertation, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1999.
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Experimenting with magnetism: Ways of learning of Joann and Faraday", American Journal of Physics, 65, 1997, 867-882. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Watching Galileo's Learning", in Explorations in College Algebra, Linda Kime and Judy Clark, (John Wiley: NY) 1997. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Frances Wick", in Women in Physics and Chemistry: A Biobibliographic Sourcebook, L. Grinstein, ed., (Greenwood Press: NY) 1993. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, "Painting the moon", Sky and Telescope, Sept. 1991, 313-315. PDF
• Elizabeth Cavicchi, Jayant Kumar, and Sukant Tripathy, "Nonlinear Optical Spectroscopy of Polymers", in Optical Techniques to Characterize Polymer Systems, (Elsevier Press: Amsterdam) 1989.
• Sukant Tripathy, Elizabeth Cavicchi, Jayant Kumar, and R. Sai Kumar, "Nonlinear Optics and Organic Materials (Part 2)", Chemtech., Dec. 1989; "(Part 1)", Chemtech., Oct. 1989. PDF