The Physics

Project based learning is a great way to keep students engaged, active, and collaborative. In this project, we saw every student working diligently, sharing ideas, and thinking creatively. Our classrooms were full of joy and energy!

But all of this is not enough. In addition, we wanted to make sure students were mastering the physics concepts made visible through their tinkering. While building their final contraptions, we required students to create slide shows and write essays exploring the ways Newton's laws of motion, calculations of force, and principles of air resistance informed their design.

Some sample slide shows from 6th-8th graders explaining how their understanding of Newton's laws, distribution of forces, and energy transformation influenced the designs of their contraption.

An 8th grader reflects on the design process, on what he learned about the underlying mathematical and physical principles, and how he did in the challenge.