This Friday the students will finish up Module 9, An Introduction to the Physics of Motion, in Physical Science. Like all other modules we spent two weeks on it. This module was a little tough for them, because of the math equations. I wish we had an extra week, just to go over the equations again and again. During the first Monday, I went over all but one of the equations. I wanted them to have enough time to study each one before the exam the second week.
The students enjoyed experiment 9.1, The Importance of Direction. It involved rolling eggs down a small ramp. There is something really exciting about forcing eggs to crack crash. The sound of breaking shells sent several of the students into high pitch squeals of delight. I really can’t blame them. 
After the experiment we went outside to test gravity. Yep, we dropped the eggs off a fire escape. What else are we going to do with them? Throw them away. 
What gravity does to perfectly good eggs…
During the first Monday, to get their brains working over time, I announced there will be a quiz the following Monday. *insert faint smilie here* (six times). The students were not happy, but the quiz gave them an idea of what to expect on the test. They were still having trouble understanding that an answer is wrong if units are not written down. Now that they REALLY know, I think they will do better on the exam on Friday. I hope so anyway.
To make up for the horrible quiz I forced them to do, I took them outside and we launched several potatoes down the field, using the catapult. The velocity was great!
14 responses so far ↓
Elaine // January 16, 2008 at 5:48 pm |
I know that I’ve said this before but I sure wish that my kids could take science from you, they’d have more fun w/you teaching than they are with me.
// January 16, 2008 at 5:48 pm |
< ![CDATA[I know that I've said this before but I sure wish that my kids could take science from you, they'd have more fun w/you teaching than they are with me.]]>
appliejuice // January 16, 2008 at 10:26 pm |
Thanks Elaine.
One of my friend’s daughter is in the General Science class at co-op and she said we have more fun in our class than they do in General Science. LOL
// January 16, 2008 at 10:26 pm |
< 
One of my friend’s daughter is in the General Science class at co-op and she said we have more fun in our class than they do in General Science. LOL]]>
Donna // January 17, 2008 at 12:07 am |
That experiment is a lot of fun! It’s one of the few that I can remember doing with the kids. After we rolled the eggs as per instructed, they made lego cars for the eggs and those rolled those down the ramp.
We have so much in common, I don’t throw away eggs either.
I hope they remember the importance about the units. I had to remind and remind (–tape recording–) and remind them a few times a year for years. Hopefully yours will do better. lol
I think they would have liked to have done the lego cars. I didn’t think of that one.
// January 17, 2008 at 12:07 am |
< ![CDATA[That experiment is a lot of fun! It's one of the few that I can remember doing with the kids. After we rolled the eggs as per instructed, they made lego cars for the eggs and those rolled those down the ramp.
We have so much in common, I don't throw away eggs either. ;)
I hope they remember the importance about the units. I had to remind and remind (--tape recording--) and remind them a few times a year for years. Hopefully yours will do better. lol
I think they would have liked to have done the lego cars. I didn’t think of that one. ]]>
fourhisglory // January 17, 2008 at 8:07 am |
We have not gotten to that one yet. Dd is going to love it. I’m not sure I will though, with the price of eggs like they are.
// January 17, 2008 at 8:07 am |
< ![CDATA[We have not gotten to that one yet. Dd is going to love it. I'm not sure I will though, with the price of eggs like they are.]]>
Donna // January 17, 2008 at 11:13 pm |
The lego cars were fun to do, but we sat and played with the legos for hours. It’s hard to break away from legos.
I can see where that would be a problem. LOL
// January 17, 2008 at 11:13 pm |
< ![CDATA[The lego cars were fun to do, but we sat and played with the legos for hours. It's hard to break away from legos.
I can see where that would be a problem. LOL]]>
Karen T. // January 18, 2008 at 8:59 am |
We hada tough time with those math problems too! This year, Tyler is doing Biology. It looks like you guys are doing a great job! Love, Karen T.
// January 18, 2008 at 8:59 am |
< ![CDATA[We hada tough time with those math problems too! This year, Tyler is doing Biology. It looks like you guys are doing a great job! Love, Karen T.]]>
Maureen // February 23, 2008 at 6:37 pm |
We just finished this module too. This happened to be review of some math we had just completed, so it became a fun cross-curricular unit.
// February 23, 2008 at 6:37 pm |
< ![CDATA[We just finished this module too. This happened to be review of some math we had just completed, so it became a fun cross-curricular unit.]]>