Day 8: “Aha” moments with kinematics graphs

Kinematics is clicking into place for the Mechanics students. We wrapped up the TIPERs problems in our packet (including whiteboarding), and we’re ready to add in the quantitative side by using the graphs to solve problems. For this problem, there was a lively discussion about tangent lines (ARE THEY REAL OR MADE UP???), the intermediate value theorem, and whether you could say two things had the same speed … Continue reading Day 8: “Aha” moments with kinematics graphs

Day 9: Students Interacting with Test Questions

I started the day at a coffee shop writing on the tests from last class so that I could return them this morning. And just overall being psyched about what these kids can do. For a variety of reasons, these students were ready to interact with the test in just the kinds of ways that I wanted (even though it was their first graded assessment). … Continue reading Day 9: Students Interacting with Test Questions

Day 15: Tortoise and the Hare Graphs

Today the 10th graders turned in their free quiz (not graded, just feedback, take-home). It was our 5th class together, and we are getting close to finishing our Constant Velocity unit. The other day, one of my students had a side conversation with me about the graph from this problem: She said that it reminded her of the tortoise and the hare. We talked about it … Continue reading Day 15: Tortoise and the Hare Graphs

Day 13: Ug-o-meters and a New Energy Experiment in Physics 9

Today’s 9th grade physics class started off with students writing notes on their free quizzes. (Not graded—just feedback.) Then we went back to figuring out how to do some experiments to determine the equations for some flavors of energy. Since they all have iPads, we’re trying to use Video Physics to take data. To crack open the problem, they need to know some quantity of … Continue reading Day 13: Ug-o-meters and a New Energy Experiment in Physics 9

Day 10: First Whiteboarding Session with Physics 9

Today was our third class of Physics 9, and our first day of whiteboarding. They had spent some time working on their first qualitative LOL diagrams, so now they were ready to discuss some of the trickier points together. I let them sign up for problems and we talked about making good mistakes. A few groups checked their mistakes with me, and they were overall … Continue reading Day 10: First Whiteboarding Session with Physics 9

Day 3: Journal Writing in Physics Class

Last year, I piloted this journal-writing idea with my awesome 9th grade math students. I started re-reading some of the journals to find a good example to put here, and I wished I could put ALL of them here! Reading these journals was kind of like reading goal-less problems at the end of the year in physics—I was just overcome with the awesomeness of what … Continue reading Day 3: Journal Writing in Physics Class