My lengthy illness (severe sore throat, doc says it’s not coronavirus, but I did get tested for strep today) has presented an opportunity that I have always wanted to do, but never had the nerve to go through with:
Set a class to work on a topic and let them work it out with each other until they have it right, with no instruction from me (well, I have provided direct instruction last Monday and Tuesday, as well as some online videos and other tips).
I see you get down to work on whiteboards to solve problems from the book, but when you get your hands on equipment, many of you get frustrated when it gets hard.
Today’s the day to put all your brains together!
- If your group has a lot done, collaborate with other groups to help them along.
- Ask yourself what it is you are trying to measure, then decide how the equipment will get you that measurement.
- Don’t worry about making a mistake; you may have to repeat yourself, but you can’t really break the equipment.
In the end, if you can work your way through this somewhat complex experiment, the ‘grit’ and collaborative skills you develop will be much more valuable than any physics you learn in here.
Don’t give up! You are all intelligent people who can figure it out.
You’ve probably heard about grit and perseverance, but here’s a short video that you might want to watch for more info:
“Gritty people train at the edge of their comfort zone.”
Here’s a video to show you two different ways to think about momentum, using Newton’s laws and Galilean relativity.
Here’s one telling you all about the units and equation for momentum.