Category: Modeling

Last blocks with buggies: Here’s another close up of the target sheets I use with my students. The complete the top, then find where on the row of four metersticks they need to place their prediction. I give not help at this point, and often ask “Are you sure it’s in the right place?” (even when it is). I try...

Here’s a classic physics problem: One train leaves a station at 2:30 at a speed of 40 m/s, and a second train leaves another station at 50 m/s. The stations are 40 km apart, and the trains are heading toward each other. At what time and position will the trains collide? These days, many teachers use this as a chance...

OK, I’m cheating a bit, but I do teach the same classes on Thursday/Friday this week. I tried  a new technique this year for introducing motion maps. I stood at the board and asked a student to call off every second. I started a car moving at the base of the boards (my new classroom has floor-to-ceiling whiteboards), then draw...

I’m a big one on looking at large quantities of data. In each of my physics classes, I have seven to nine groups. In the Buggy Lab, that provides enough data that whiteboard sessions go fairly well, with: at 3-4 groups going in each direction two groups starting at extreme positive or negative locations three to four starting at medium...