Physics Intensive

Overview

Reading Calendar

My Textbook Notes

Daily Schedules:

Day 9: Thursday, November 5, 2015

Physics (day 9 of 14)

-let me explain a bit more about internal/external control

-be aware of your reaction to difficulty or complexity; maybe change it

-demonstration: Meg

"Probes" about topics you've been studying (Following Jack, Rolling Marbles, Parade Ride, Strength Contest)

-one of each per table

-read and write response

-discuss with others at table and get their ideas & reasons

-meet with others who did similar kind

Demonstrations of Motion

-balls rolling down ramps

-timing movement of a low-friction car of varying mass

-rolling ball effect of side-force

-bowling ball meets golf ball

Momentum

-describe in your own words, with then without "like when"

-conservation of momentum

-Newton's cradle: big one, many combinations

-reading quiz for 6-3

Day 8: Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Physics (day 8 of 14)

-demonstrations: Joshua, Elise, Rachel

Newton's 3 Laws (day 2)

-finish posters and learning what to teach the other 2 in your triad

-post posters and visit each with your partners and author explains

-quiz for 6-2 (4 questions)

Day 7: Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Physics (day 7 of 14)

-demonstrations: Liselle & Hannah

Gravity & Motion (day 2)

-ping-pong & golf ball drop: the basic and then the improvements (to the drop of the hit)

-your objects to drop: same shape, different mass and same mass, different shape

-videos: dropping balls & common misconceptions

-notes at nine: Liselle, Arianna, Daryan, Jovin, Meg

-discussion of the content of 6-1, then the 7 quiz questions

Newton's Three Laws of Motion

-groups of 3; one person per law

-three law-groups at 3 big tables with one big paper

-learn about your law, decide on contents, and start

Day 6: Monday, November 2, 2015

Physics (rm 29)

-passback chapter 5 quiz paper & discuss grading

-you've got to up your game because its not right for me to down mine much

-missing demo proposals

-data collection & calculation problems: not yours, not accurate, not meaningful

Google Classroom

-I'll use this to hopefully make some document management easier

-log into your mydiscoveryk8 account

-open a new tab and go to classroom.google.com

-click the + sign and join the class using the code vim9fij

-I'll add an assignment that is the notes template for 6-1

-when you open it, it will make you your own editable copy

Gravity & Motion

-chapter 6, section 1

-lets do one "red header" section of that section together

-how iFly works

Day 5: Friday, October 30, 2015

Physics (rm 29)

-demonstrations: Colleen & Nathan

-the assignment wall

Motion (day 3)

Yesterday you made a position-time graph

Take a look at my spreadsheet

I calculated the time-gaps

Then divide 5m by each time gap to get average speed during that gap (in m/s)

Finally found the change in speed, which is acceleration

Friction (day 2)

-what you should be measuring & how to be most accurate

-finish the chart on back of page 1

-collect data for the second chart (side 1 of page 2)

Gravity (day 1)

-review then reading quiz on 5-4

Day 4: Thursday, October 29, 2015

Physics (rm 29)

-demo: Nathan (set up, get attention & explain actions, explain the science and elicit questions)

Scooter Track

-to make a distance-time graph:

1. spread out log sheets

2. choose a person to track

3. get graph paper and make a data table of their distances & times

4. draw and label axes, decide on max-space increments, plot points

5. draw "best fit smooth curve" line (not connect-the-dots)

Friction

1. questions or discussion prompts for 5-3

2. reading quiz for 5-3 and discuss/demonstrate answers

3. Thomas' description of friction, normal force, coeficient of friction, etc (ppt)

3. measuring friction with a spring scale

4. pulling the block set along various surfaces and writing down results

Day 3: Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Physics (rm 29)

-thanks for yesterday

-demo spot selection

5-2 Forces in Motion

-do you have any questions about the topics or can you seed a discussion?

-reading quiz: answer my 6 questions in the bottom left quadrant of your sheet

-lets review the answers together

Balancing Forces

-when using your contraption, did you intentionally balance the two forces

-what did you write down on the sheet

-relate it to Earth orbit vs sun's gravitation (the 13,000 satellites)

-draw a diagram of Earth and it's orbiting objects (Here is mine)

Your Accerometer

-how is the weight on a string an accelerometer?

-what did you do to test it and what problems did you encounter

-how would you improve it

Scooter Graph

1. overview & practice timing

2. two timers at 5 meter increments with a clipboard and a three-column chart

3. a few scooter racers; accelerate for first 20 meters, then decelerate for last 20 meters

4. making the chart for one person and starting the line graph

Day 2: Tuesday, October 25, 2015

1. name card and question 2

2. science demonstration form, spreadsheet, calendar

Balancing Forces (centripital & gravitational)

1. softening the edge of your tube

2. reviewing the variables to manipulate and how to keep safe

3. outside: find open space, experiment (both of you), read paper

change a variable to a few levels and document results

4. relate it to Earth orbit vs sun's gravitation (the 13,000 satellites)

5. draw a diagram of Earth and it's orbiting objects (Here is mine)

Book Quiz & Review

1. reading quiz for chapter 5 section 1 (you can use any notes you wrote)

2. discuss definitions and add to notes if needed

Day 1: Monday, October 26, 2015

Overview

-open seats today

-name card and question 1 (what animal are you similar to, and why?)

-the shorter of the two intensives that we do together

-its about the "forces & motion" part of physics; the details about the things we rarely question

-the physics of the hockey slap-shot (video)

-tell me some things about your class (discussion style, worktime atmosphere, cooperation/competition, work quality, accountability, teacher role)

-topics, routines, and reasons for this intensive

-textbook reading, notes (sample), and questions (mine and yours)

-my website and the homework page

Science demonstrations

-the idea and some samples (Spangler, Danology, Quirkology)

-Homework: viewing a bunch, choosing one or two, filling in the form

-Tomorrow: get approval and choose date on the rm 29 calendar

String & Weights Activity

-a centripetal-gravitational force experimentation device

-making the device, minimizing friction, and keeping safe

-variables to change, observations to make, what to write down

-you’ll DO the experiment tomorrow

Orbits

-draw a diagram of Earth and orbiting objects

Here is mine from the board

Communication

Email from Day 1

Hello Parents of Room 29,

Introductions: Today marked the beginning of a three week physics "intensive" for your 8th grade student. My name is Chris Heumann and I'll be spending the next 13 mornings with room 29 kids exploring the "Forces and Motion" aspects of physics. I met the class today and gave them an overview of the intensive and explained some of the routines and requirements. This document shows what I intend to cover each day; it is an ambitious schedule and the pace will be intense. The daily schedule on my website provides each day's agenda.

Homework: In general, the kids will read about a topic in the book at home each night and then do an activity during class that will strengthen their understanding.

I have a feeling that I will need your help and support regarding assinments. First, please take a look at the homework assignment sheet with your kid at some point each day/afternoon/evening. Discuss the items with your kid just to confirm that they have done them. When asked if they've done the reading and/or the work, most kids will say "yes", and so I encourage you to follow up with a simple "show me" -- at least until the homework routine is engrained and the kid is autonomous.

Grades: Although scores on daily reading quizzes and occasional assignments are not a completely reliable indicator of learning, they do hold some value as a measure of effort and possibly learning. I'll use PowerSchool to post scores and I encourage you and your kid to take a look at their grades online at least once per week. I assume that Mr. Dowling has sent home the letters to you that explain how to assces PowerSchool online.

Projects: The kids will be performing experiments in and out of class and may need your help once in a while regarding materials, advice, and permission. For example, they should be choosing a science demonstration tonight.

Communication: I feel that kids should be independent and self-responsible by 8th grade, but for some kids, the habits and self-discipline are not in place yet. I think that high expectations must be coupled with structure, support, and accountability. I'll be writing to you often to keep you appraised of the class' activies and accomplishments, and I hope that you will keep me informed about your kid's performance, attitude, and needs.

Thanks, and I'm eager to make this physics intensive a positive, challenging, fun, and educational experience.

Email from day 8 (11/4/15)

Hello Again Parents of Room 29

The physics intensive is a little more than half way over and I hope that you have been hearing about some of the class activities. The pace and demands of our time together are quite high, and most of the kids have been able to keep up, participate well, and hopefully learn a few new things. Below is a list of the topics, activities we've done, and the chapter sections the kids have read and been quizzed on.

After the first few reading assignments and quizzes it became clear to me that, for most in the class, the nightly homework practice was unfamiliar and the note-taking process ineffective or too time-intensive. So, I created a Google Classroom for them, gave them access to a reading-notes template, and worked through a few pages in the book together. From home that night I could monitor their progress on finishing what we started in school -- again, only about half the class did the work, but it was an improvement none the less. My reading notes, by the way, are embedded into the physics intensive page of my site, but of course I encourage the kids to create their own.

As I stated in my first email to you, it would help greatly if you could take a look at the homework assignment sheet nightly with your kid, ask them about what they did and learned in the class each day, and glance at the quiz scores (on PowerSchool) once or twice per week.

Our last 6 days together will be just as intense and active as we learn about fluids, pressure, buoyancy, and a bit about flight. Please feel free to let me know if you and/or your kid has comments, concerns, or suggestions.