What do you have to do?

Last week of classes. Here is one groups to do list. 

Are you more powerful than a horse?

We made a rough calculation of or work and power today. 

Best Use Ever?

If this isn't the best use of the Iliad I am not sure what is. This is a setup for exploring momentum. It's cool because they realize mass is the factor that changes momentum the most. 

Reality Check? or Civ?

So my usual iPads are in the shop for some work. I had to get the white ones. Students were working on a Reality Check and then playing Civ? I thought Angry Birds was a stretch. Must be a history thing. 

When PhET?

We are working on a Forces in Motion PhET activity. We are using the sim to demonstrate Newton's Laws and Introduce friction. My question is when is PhET going to go onto iPads. It's the only thing I cannot do on the iPads. 

Which Would You Pick?

So I am holding Chemistry in the Physics room. I find it very curious that only 3 choose a desktop over a laptop. Wonder what that means?

Check out my panoramic picture of the class. 
http://360.io/mgzwuq

Confirmed, Plausible or Busted

Students are tasked with playing Mythbusters with 3 popular misconceptions in motion related to Newton's 2nd Laws. Can't wait to share pictures and video. 

How Did I Do This?

So here is a quick video of 6th hour on a Friday. I am kind of befuddled and happy at the same time. It still strikes me how different learning and doing can look like from student to student.  

Is Learning Happening?

http://360.io/uDf8KR

The link is to a panoramic picture I created with 360 Panoramic app for my iPhone. I don't have a 5. My question is how many classrooms will look like this and learning is still happening?

I also apologize about my hiatus for the class blog. Sometimes life gets in the way.

Who Needs Motion Probes?

Today we used Vernier's Video Physics to explore acceleration. We are exploring falling objects as well as horizontally accelerating objects. 

Finally! Some Practice Problems

We are using Schoology to do some velocity practice problems.  

The Moving Man? The One in Physics? Yeah, the Moving Man.

Using the PhET sim, Moving Man to enhance our understanding of motion graphs. 

Spirit Day

Today is Spirit Day. It's the last day in homecoming week. We had shortened classes for Carnival. Spent some time updating the iPads and came across this. Made me chuckle. It had to be a physics student because the periodic table app was in the useless folder. 

Which one is correct?

Today we are doing a little activity called Hitting the Brick Wall. We are watching 4 different videos of a car hitting a wall and analyzing the graph. There are 4 total graphs. One is correct, the other 3 are not. They have to identify the correct one and describe what is happening in the incorrect ones. 

Happy Halloween?

We are still working on the graph matching lab. One group showed me theirs and I liked it. I don't think anybody could match this if they tried to. Is it Dracula or a snake mouth? You pick. 

When will we be done graph matching?

The last few classes have been spent doing the graph matching lab. I love the intensity in this lab. I am picky about what I accept. As you can tell from the body language they are trying hard and get very disappointed when I won't accept their matches. I would like to be done with it but they are into it so I cannot complain. 

What else can you use an iPad for?

I saw a couple interesting uses for iPads to day. We are using motion detectors to match different graphs. It turns out that iPads are good reflectors of sound. I also like the group that was using the timer to help.

How much is too much?

Monday and Tuesday were spent finishing up the What does Your DT Look Like and the Ultimate Graphing Challenge. 

Nothing new to report. 

What does that graph say?

Students are having fun playing the ultimate Graphing Challenge. 

What to blog about on the second block day?

So today is basically a repeat of yesterday so I always struggle with blog or not to blog. I have a few thoughts today. First, the iPads in class have gone extremely well. The students are engaged and always looking how to different things. They are collaborating and helping each other. I even heard a student say: "I didn't think I would like the ipad but now I want one." It really has been a welcome tool.
Second, I have been surprised by the creativity in solving problems. The second picture is of a group using different colored lengths of yarn with a time with video to track their car for 10 seconds. I am curious to see their distance versus time graph. Lastly, the Go Cougar Kart project is going well. I am 2 scooters away. My dad is helping me figure out the frame from conduit.

How the heck do we do that?

So we are starting to do position time graphs of the cars they made. Interesting ways to leave breadcrumbs to determine the position at each second for 10 seconds. There are some creative solutions. 

What Does your DT Look Like?

Today, we are constructing distance time graphs using our model electric cars. They have to graph their car for 10 seconds going away from them and going toward them. This group got to test out a scooter so I could get an idea of how fast they should go. 

iPads!!

Normally I ask a question for my titles but for our first full day with iPads I could not resist. We spent our Monday continuing the Catch Me If You Can assessment and playing with the iPads. 

Can you catch me if you can!?

Today we had our first performance assessment. The idea came from another 180 blog. We used our data from block day to calculate when two cars of different speeds would finish at the same time. They get two chances to get it right. Some groups even used algebra without me telling them to. 

How fast do they go?

We are using video cameras and Logger Pro to video analyze how fast my buggies and their cars go.  I will post what the data looks like tomorrow.