physicsatthecastleonthehill

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Benefits of Integrating Audio and Video in the Classroom

There are many benefits of integrating audio and video in the classroom. Incorporating audio and video in the classroom inspires students and engages them in the learning process. The flipped classroom model allows learners to digest content at their own pace and possibly explore content more deeply during class (for quick learners) or after class. It also has the ability to help with differentiation in the classroom. Integrating audio and video in the classroom can also help students to acquire good problem solving skills by watching and modeling the appropriate process. Khan Academy is an excellent resource that I have been integrating in my classrooms for a few years now. As a matter of fact, my soon to be 10th grade son is currently utilizing Khan Academy independently on his own time to better prepare him for his upcoming PSAT’s. I love what he is gaining by spending time on Khan Academy. Fabulous Resource. There is a known connection between visual clues and memory; and as a result students are able to learn and retain information more efficiently.  When a teacher is out sick, video can be almost as good as an instructor at presenting facts, procedures, concepts and skills. In addition, I think that the right videos can facilitate academic rigor in the classroom. Everything has drawbacks, however, the drawbacks of integrating audio and video in the classroom are minimal compared to the benefits. Cost of technology, technology problems and inadequate teacher training with technology are the only possibly drawbacks that I can think of.

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Brain Pop Lesson Plan: Friction

Teacher: Suzanne Fredericks

Grade Level: 11th and 12th grade

Introduction

The friction lesson that I am proposing is geared to an 11th and 12th grade Honors Physics class. The typical Honors Physics class that I teach is composed of accelerated 11th and 12th grade students that excel in math and science. The prerequisites for the class are an A or B in Honors Chemistry, Algebra 2 and Geometry. The class must be taken concurrently with Trigonometry. In addition, students must have scored advanced on the Keystones Algebra, and Keystones Biology Exams in order to be enrolled in the class. I have never had any students with learning disabilities in the class before. Occasionally, there are gifted students with GIEP’s in the class. For those students I would challenge them to come up with a combination of two materials that result in a very high coefficient of static friction.

Learning Goals:

To understand that friction is a force that opposes relative motion. To understand how to calculate friction and what variables can be adjusted to increase and decrease the force of friction.

Objectives:  

1. Understand that friction is a force that is equal to normal force multiplied by the coefficient of friction.

2. Understand how to calculate the force of friction.

3. Understand that the force of friction is a vector quantity that always opposes relative motion.

4. Define friction and normal force.

5. Determine the SI units of the force of friction and normal force.

Standards:

3.2.12.B6 CONSTANCY/CHANGE -Compare and contrast motions of objects using forces and conservation laws.

NETS (for students)1. Basic Operations and Concepts: a. Demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. b. Are proficient in the use of technology.

Student Characteristics:

The lesson plan is for my Honors Physics classes. Being an honors class, the students are all accelerated junior and senior students with very good math and science skills. The class never has students with learning disabilities. The typical class size of my Honors Physics classes is 15 to18 students. However, sometimes I have a very small number of students (4 to 6) in one section of the class. The class may have a student or two that are gifted in which case their GIEP must be followed. Classroom management is usually not a problem because of the quality of student that takes Honors Physics.

Prior Knowledge:

Before this lesson, students will have learned about forces, kinematics, and motion. They will have read the class reading assignment about friction. They will have mastered calculating the force of gravity which is a key concept in all of physics. Students will understand the importance of the SI System of Units. Students will be in the process of developing good problem solving skills. Students will know how to properly complete a formal science lab write up in their lab notebooks since they will be completing lab write ups on a weekly basis.

Materials:  

Calculators, iPads, lab notebooks, wooden blocks, concrete slabs, spring scales, triple beam balances, string and mass sets.

Lesson Procedures:

1. Go over the Vocabulary of this Chapter. Friction Force (Newtons) is a force that opposes relative motion. Normal Force (Newtons) is supporting force that acts perpendicular to the object resting on a surface.

2. Show the BrainPop movie “Forces” https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/forces/

on the White Board for the entire class.

2. Instruct students to work collaboratively in groups of three to complete a lab that enables them to experimentally determine the coefficient of kinetic friction between a wooden block and concrete using the following materials: one 5 cm x 5 cm wooden block with a hook, one large thin slab of concrete, one spring scale, triple beam balance, one piece of string and a mass set. Complete and detailed directions for the lab will be handed out to all students. Students will not be told what the actual coefficient of kinetic friction between a wooden block and concrete is; they will only be encouraged to take accurate measurements and to act like a scientist when conducting the experiment.

3. After the friction lab is completed, play the following Khan Academy Friction Video for the class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA_D4O6l1lo

Closure:

Five minutes before students are dismissed, I will ask my students to think of some positive and negative effects of friction in the world around us. We will end with a short discussion on this topic.

Assessments:

1). Students will be formally assessed during the friction lab.

2). Lab notebooks will be graded. This will be a summative assessment.

3). Students will be formally assessed during the Khan Academy Video. I will pause the video intermittently and we will discuss all questions as a group.

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Great ways to stop bullying from occurring in your classroom!

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Socrative Lesson Plan: Work and Power

Teacher: Suzanne Fredericks

Grade Level: 11th and 12th grade

Introduction: 

This is a lesson geared towards 11th and 12th grade honors students. This lesson will most likely take 1 and ½ class periods. Work and Power is a topic in physics that comes during the second quarter of the school year. Students are becoming effective problem solvers and are feeling comfortable participating in class discussions. This lesson begins with an overview of work and power. A short lab will follow that allows students to calculate their work and power walking and running up the stairs.

Learning Goals:

To understand that in order to do work a force must be applied to an object and the object must move some distance. To understand that power is the time rate of doing work. To be able to solve complex word problems in Physics class and in the real world.

Objectives:  

1. Understand that work is equal to a force times a distance.

2. Understand how to calculate work and power.

3. Define Work and Power.

4. Determine the SI units of Work and Power.

Standards:

3.2.12.B6 CONSTANCY/CHANGE -Compare and contrast motions of objects using forces and conservation laws.

NETS (for students)1. Basic Operations and Concepts: a. Demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. b. Are proficient in the use of technology.

Student Characteristics:

The lesson plan is for my Honors Physics classes. Being an honors class, the students are all accelerated junior and senior students with very good math and science skills. The class never has students with learning disabilities. The typical class size of my Honors Physics classes is 15 to18 students. However, sometimes I have a very small number of students (4 to 6) in one section of the class. The class may have a student or two that are gifted in which case their GIEP must be followed. Classroom management is usually not a problem because of the quality of student that takes Honors Physics.

Prior Knowledge:

Before this lesson, students will have learned about forces and motion. They will have read the class reading assignment about work and power. They will have mastered calculating the force of gravity which is a key concept in all of physics. Students will understand the importance of the SI System of Units. Students will be good problem solvers at this point. Students will know how to properly complete a formal science lab write up in their lab notebooks since they will be completing lab write ups on a weekly basis.

Materials:  

Calculators, iPads, lab notebooks, stopwatches, meter sticks.

Lesson Procedures:

1. Go over the Vocabulary of this Chapter. Work (Joules) is a scalar quantity that is equal to a force times a distance that the force moved an object. Power (Watts) is a scalar quantity that is equal to the timed rate that work is done.

2. Write the definitions, equations and SI units of work and power on the white board.

3. Instruct students to determine their mass in kg and write this information in their lab notebooks. I will model how to do this on the board by finding my mass in kg using my approximate weight in pounds. (Weight in pounds/2.2 = Mass in kg)

4. Tell students that today we will be calculating the work and power done in walking up and running up the stairs from the ground floor to the third floor.

5. Have students measure the height of one step in meters and count the number of steps from the ground floor to the third floor. Using these two values have students come up with an approximate height from the ground floor to the third floor. Tell students to write this information in their lab notebooks.

6. Have students use their stopwatches to determine the time that it takes for them to walk up the steps and run up the steps. Tell students to write this information in their lab notebooks.

7. Using the data collected and the equations for work and power, have students calculate the work done in walking and running up the stairs in units of (Joules); and the power that they generated in walking and running up the stairs in units of (Watts). Instruct students to write all calculations and results in their lab notebooks.

8. Have volunteers write their results on the white board and discuss the similarities and differences with the class.

9. Instruct students to get their iPads out and to go to the Socrative Website for an in class short ten question Quiz on Work and Power.

10. Instruct students to complete a formal lab write-up and to hand it in at the beginning of the next class period.

Closure:

Five minutes before students are dismissed, I will instruct my students to conduct online research to determine the relationship between watts and horsepower. (1 horsepower = 746 Watts) Students will then be instructed to convert their power running up the stairs from (watts) into (horsepower). They will be instructed to write a one page paper about the history of a “horsepower”.

Assessments:

1). Students will be formally assessed during the work/power lab.

2). Students will be formally assessed while they are answering the Socrative multiple choice questions.

3). Lab notebooks will be graded. This will be a summative assessment.

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SHOULD TEACHERS ALLOW DIGITAL DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM?

In this day and age, this is a question that many teachers ponder. I read conflicting reports about the pros and cons of digital devices in the classroom. Some studies like the one that I posted previously in my blog indicate that digital devices are causing students to be distracted which is negatively impacting learning. Others site multiple benefits of allowing digital devices in the classroom.

I believe that allowing digital devices in the classroom can be extremely beneficial to the learning process as long as it is done in a “controlled atmosphere”. A “controlled atmosphere” would be a classroom that is equipped with device synchronization software that allows users to project the content of their screens to the class projector for everyone to observe.  However, I believe that if students are free to use digital devices in an uncensored way the results can and will be extremely detrimental.

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Is all of the technology in classrooms helping or hurting education?

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Why is it easier to float in salt water than in pure water?

Lesson Plan: Buoyancy - Why do things Float?

Teacher: Suzanne Fredericks

Grade Level: 11th and 12th grade 

Introduction:

This is a lesson geared towards 11th and 12th grade honors students. This lesson will most likely take 1 and ½ class periods. Buoyancy is a topic in physics that comes at the second half of the school year. The concept of Buoyancy is sometimes hard for students to grasp completely but I believe that with the help of my Ted Ed Lesson and Multiple Choice questions, it will be easier for my students this time around. By this point students are becoming very effective problem solvers and are feeling comfortable participating in class discussions. This lesson begins with a short but important demonstration of sinking objects and floating objects to get students wondering about why some things float and some things sink. The demonstration will lead to a discussion. Instructional notes will be written on the white board and explained to students in detail. At the conclusion of this entire lesson, we will begin a buoyancy group project that involves students working in pairs to design and construct a cardboard box that results in the greatest buoyancy force. 

Learning Goals:

To understand that there are many forces that exist in the world and that forces result in changes in motion. To be able to solve complex word problems in Physics class and in the real world.

Objectives:  

1.  Define Buoyancy Force, Force of Gravity, Density, Mass

2. Identify the forces that make objects float

2. Calculate Buoyancy Force

3. Determine the SI units of Buoyancy Force and Force of Gravity

4. Explain how Buoyancy force is determined

5. Determine if an object floats or sinks

6. Describe how the density of a liquid effects the buoyancy of objects immersed in it

Standards:

3.2.12.B6 CONSTANCY/CHANGE -Compare and contrast motions of objects using forces and conservation laws.

NETS (for students)1. Basic Operations and Concepts: a. Demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. b. Are proficient in the use of technology.

Student Characteristics:

The lesson plan is for my Honors Physics classes. Being an honors class, the students are all accelerated junior and senior students with very good math and science skills. The class never has students with learning disabilities. The typical class size of my Honors Physics classes is 15 to18 students. However, sometimes I have a very small number of students (4 to 6) in one section of the class. The class may have a student or two that are gifted in which case their GIEP must be followed. Classroom management is usually not a problem because of the quality of student that takes Honors Physics.

Prior Knowledge:

Before this lesson, students will have learned about forces, motion, density, mass and force of gravity. Students will have mastered calculating the force of gravity. Students will know the basic concept of buoyancy. Students will be well versed at problem solving since the unit on buoyancy comes later in the year.

Materials:  

Calculators, iPads, head phones, small tub of water, cork stopper, rock, metal block, wooden cube

Lesson Procedures:

1. Begin by writing “Why do things float?” on the white board, and ask students to think about their responses and share their ideas with the class. Slowly drop the cork stopper, rock, metal block and wooden cube into the tub of water and observe what objects sink and what objects float. Allow up to 10 minutes for the in class discussion.

2. Present a short Mythbuster’s Buoyancy video clip to the class.

3. Project the following information on to the white board and instruct students to copy the information in their class notebooks:

Buoyancy force is an upward force that is equal to weight of the fluid displaced by the object. Since weight (N)=mass(kg)x9.8m/s2And Density (kg/m3) = mass (kg)/volume (m3)It follows that Buoyancy force (N) = Density of the fluid displaced by the object (kg/m3)xVolume of the fluid displaced (m3)x 9.8 m/s2.When the upward Buoyancy force exceeds the downward weight of the object, the object will float.

4. Instruct students to access my TedED lesson on their iPads with their headphones and to complete the short online lesson and answer all questions in their notebooks.

5. Instruct students to complete the Sink or Float Homework assignment that has been uploaded into the homework folder on our classroom Schoology Site.

Closure:

Five minutes before students are dismissed, I will instruct my students to think of a situation that involves buoyancy force, and how this force benefits our lives. I will instruct students to write a short but complete answer to the question on a piece of notebook paper and to hand it to me on their way out of the classroom. The “Big Idea” of this lesson is that there are many forces in nature that effect the way that things move in water. By the end of this lesson, students will better understand the forces in nature and they will be able to calculate those forces and subsequently determine if an object will sink or float in a given liquid.

Assessments:

1). Students will be formally assessed during the in-class discussion. 2). Students will be formally assessed while they are answering the TedEd multiple choice questions. 3). Sink or Float? homework papers will be collected and graded. 4) I will also assess student comprehension by reviewing student answers to the summarizing activity

TED ED Lesson will be inserted here.