Day 78 - Physics finished project & Physical Sci did energy Quiz. Had our winter assembly & I’m annoyed at the lack of respect so many Ss have for their peers who put it on. School spirit really hasn’t been a thing, bummer way to go into break #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 77 Physical Sci - Used students rollercoaster designs to measure heights at 8 diff points then calc PE, Total Energy, KE Velocity, etc. would’ve liked more time but need to assess before the break so hope they paid enough attention! #iteachphysics #teach180 drive.google.com/file/d/17OIo...

Day 77 Physics - Bridge Test Day! Used a vernier force plate to apply compressional force and pause to view cracking then continue until failure. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 76 Physics - letting concrete beams cure for one more day, Ss began creating a multimedia presentation to show their results. Some Ss weren’t in class today due to historic flooding our region is experiencing so Ss collaborated over email #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 76 Physical Sci - Set up a “rollercoaster” and put a photogate at the end. Ss calculated velocity at the end then tested predictions. Obvi some error due to friction but # gets close enough to get the idea for cons of energy. Designed their own coasters on graph paper #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 75 Physics - pouring concrete day. Students worked through lunch to finish #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 75 Physical Sci - talked energy transfers in the context of food (chemical potential) to kinetic energy and analyzed some nutrition labels. Connected to energy transfers in roller coasters #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 74 Physics - last day for students to work on their bridge molds. Students started to figure out how to place their rebar and make use of other supplies. Will mix and pour concrete next day. Vid from a previous year #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 74 Physical Sci - in WA state about 3/4 of our ⚡️is powered by dams, did a data dive then did @phetsims.bsky.social Energy transfer lab to see how energy forms transform #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 73 Physical Sci - definitely a punt day, short class, lots of students missing. Put on a PBS show about energy and had them do a color by number for KE and PE #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 73 Physics - A short day since we spent half the day over at one of our elementary schools doing a winter community event. Great to see how much the littles look up to the HS Ss. Used our short class to finish the molds. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 71-72 Physics - ending our unit in forces and torque with casting a 1 yard concrete beam and developing it into a bridge that can support as much load as possible. Worked today on making molds, first time for most students using any type of power saw and drill #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 71-72 Physical Sci - always a bummer to miss the first days of a unit but always making a pivot. Focused on defining types of energy, LOL diagrams, and calculating KE and PEg #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 69 & 70 - my whole family was hit with norovirus over the weekend and into the week so put together a couple sub days so I could tend to everyone. Rough time of year to be a parent of littles. #teach180

Day 68 Physics - tested our new reinforced concrete, focus on beams next week #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 68 Physical Sci - Students had time to write their evidence-based conclusions for whether rear or forward-facing infant car seats are safer #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 67 Physics - Students used popsicle sticks to reinforce their next concrete structure. Worked on building those then mixing and pouring concrete in batches. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 67 Physical Sci - finished collecting data today with our rear and forward facing head on collision test. Data comes from a vernier accelerometer in the styrofoam head of the “baby”. Wrote about this project in the vernier blog: www.vernier.com/blog/three-r... #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 66 Physics - took our concrete out of the molds and tested them by compressing, bending, twisting, and pulling them. W/o reinforcement they showed signs of failure early on. This led students to predict that they needed some other material to help resist internal tension #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 66 Physical Science - predicted and collected data for a “front end” collision forward and rear facing. In my old hallway we had a smooth tiled ramp that led to a cinder block wall and would just let the cart roll and hit it. Had to be more creative with a carpeted ramp #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 65 Physical Sci - started our force and momentum unit summative with the goal of making an evidence-driven argument for whether infant car seats should be installed rear or forward facing. Started today with testing rear end collisions #iteachphysics #teach180 youtu.be/gM4ItmJpjiQ?...

Day 65 Physics - introduced concrete and gave them a cup of quikcrete to guess what the composition of concrete is. Discussed the shortage of river sand and ecological impacts. Had them cast a simple cup mold of concrete that we’ll test tomorrow #iteqchphysics #teach180

Day 64 Physical Sci - sub day, turned what was a quiz last year into a formative since we just did a one-paper project before the break #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 64 Physics - sub day, had students take notes on 5 “building” forces followed by a bridge force simulation www.dot.state.mn.us/stem/curricu... #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 63 - 1/2 day and it was a “community day” meaning teachers were responsible for setting up workshops/fun activities for Ss to come to 🫠 with an hour left in the day we went into a modified lockdown due to nearby shooting + manhunt so were stuck at school an hour+ past the bell #teach180

Day 62 Physical Sci - a work day for students to do their Momentum one-pagers. I don’t often do a lot of poster type projects anymore, in part because of how many students will use AI resulting in me telling them to start over or accept a 0. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 62 Physics - wrapped up our modulus of elasticity activity and then introduced bridge design #iteachphysics #teach180 drive.google.com/file/d/1Gwvo...

Day 61 Physical Sci - have done a lot of quizzes this year so switching it up with a one-pager assignment on where we see impulse in the real-world #iteachphysics #teach180. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 61 Physics - short week so squeezing in lessons on construction related forces. Stress vs Strain lab with clay to calculate modulus of elasticity. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 60 Physics - Translational Equilibrium Torque Quiz. Always meant to be an easy one but almost never see a bell curve. Ss either get 100% or barely pass. Start with 5 minutes of friends w/o pens which I learned from #modphys ppl like @msruggerio.bsky.social #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 60 Physical Sci - Impulse lesson began with comparing why NFL players wear pads and rugby players don’t. Led to a 5 minute convo on what rugby actually is. Will need to show some #AllBlacks clips! Impulse notes: docs.google.com/document/d/1... #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 59 Physics - Jeopardy review for Torque quiz tomorrow! #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/presentation...

Day 59 Physical Sci - Impulse Lab. Car with vernier force probe crashing into diff # of cushions or ball falling on to force plate. Measured max force and time of collision to graph F-T graphs #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 58 Physics - Translational Equilibrium lab. Each group gets 2 vernier force sensors and a meter stick. Set up a bridge, place a weight on the stick and calculate the supporting force of each sensor. Ss then set up multiple weights and rotated to solve other groups setups #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 58 Physical Sci - asked what’s safer, classic car with steel frames or modern ones with more plastic. Students were surprised when we watched a clip showing the two get into a collision! Led into our impulse lab designed to extend the time of collisions #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 57 Physical Sci - Ss showing they need more reinforcement when it comes to conservation of momentum so did some more review today with a focus on using tables #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 57 Physics - finished up our torque notes after having the students read their first published blog post through Vernier! Then wrapped up with @phetsims.bsky.social Balancing Act #iteachphysics #teach180 phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/ba...

Excited to have published another Blog post with Vernier on our Car Road Safety project! I’m really proud of the work my students put into this project and hoping this blog post adds more legitimacy to their advocacy as we take it up with the county #iteachphysics www.vernier.com/blog/real-wo...

Day 56 Physics - took a field trip around the school to look for where and how the roof of the school was balanced and supported in different areas. Talked about load capacity and finding potential points of failure. Continued torque notes and practice Qs #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 56 Physical Sci - conservation of momentum lesson continued, tying together newtons laws, F=MA with collisions, graphing total momentum, lots of Slo-Mo guy video clips #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 55 Physics - set up simple seesaws for groups. One student places a random object on one end, the other has to use slot masses to balance. Continued Torque notes and practice problems. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 55 Physical Sci - did the @phetsims.bsky.social collision/conservation of momentum lab today. Started with the Q of why don’t school busses traditionally have seatbelts. Students able to manipulate variables and see that momentum is conserved. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 54 Physical Sci - Momentum practice problems in groups, then compared momentum formula to linear patterns. Ended with consv of momentum demos and slo mo guys video of soccer ball to the face #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 54 Physics - gave every1 a meter stick and asked them to hold it level. Added a weight by their hand and asked them to move it further away in intervals. By the end students were sweating! Good intro to torque, followed with notes. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 53 Physics - To mix things up instead of a summative lab or quiz had Ss turn their μ lab into a one-pager/poster. Class time to work on it today, here’s one finished example: #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 53 Physical Sci - Started momentum today w rolling a ball into a cup warmup. Will do a more complex impulse lab coming up so nice to just do informal quick activities. Ss raised the ramp to increase momentum and measure distance of cup. Followed w notes and practice Qs #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 52 Physics & Physical Sci - School shooting threat today means no school. America! Only our school is cancelled so still counts as a school day for the district. I was excited to tell my wife I got the day off but she was concerned. Realized how desensitized I am to school threats #teach180

Can’t do yard work without trying to teach my kids some physics Good warmup question during a fluids unit is why does the ball get closer when it’s directly over the leaf blower vs at an angle? #iteachphysics #bernoullisprinciple

Day 51 Physical Sci - Sub day. Students had all their bridge materials cut, glue, and ready so had them in group bins ready for assembly and testing. Guided lab packet to make the process easier, Hope it went well! Will whiteboard FBDs for each block on Monday #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 51 Physics - Sub Day! October has no breaks so feels good to have a break. Students will be taking their data from yesterdays lab and creating a Friction one-pager #iteachphysics #teach180