How to Teach Physics to Middle School Students
Content
How to Teach Physics to Middle School Students
By braniac, eHow User
y y y y Print this article Middle school physics is a great opportunity to show your students the usefulness of the scientific method as a way to explore the world around them. By using experiments and brainstorming as a way to investigate Newton's laws of motion, your students will learn the relevance of science to everyday life. Read on to learn how to teach physics to middle school students. Difficulty:
Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
y y y y y 1. o Wooden ramp Toy cars Marbles Newton's cradle Yard stick
1
Ask your students what happens when their mom accelerates suddenly in the car. Then ask what happens when she breaks suddenly. Once you establish that the passenger is pulled back by acceleration, and forward by breaking, ask them why. Give them a few minutes to think about it.
o
2
Have your students share their answers. Use these answers to lead into an explanation of Newton's first law of motion: that objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless a force acts on them.
o
3
Set up a ramp or track and roll a small marble down it. Have students observe how far it rolls. Roll a large, heavy marble down it and have students observe how far it rolls. Now repeat the experiment, only this time use the same marble starting from two heights. Have the students discuss why the marble sometimes rolls farther than others.
o
4
Discuss the second law of motion: force equals mass times acceleration. Explain that the marble can build up more force if it has more mass or has more acceleration. Explain that the more force acting on the marble, the farther it will continue to roll after it rolls off the ramp.
o
5
Give your students three marbles, two of known weight and one of unknown weight. Have them do several trials, measuring how far the known marbles roll when they are started from a certain height. Based on these measurements, have them calculate the weight of the unknown marbles.
o
6
Have your students observe a Newton's cradle. Ask them to explain why, when the first ball hits the row, it stops and sends the last ball flying out.
o
7
Explain the third law of motion: that every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. When the first ball collides with the second, it stops and sends its force to the second, which collides with the third, and so on. The last ball has nothing to collide with, so it swings out and back, starting the sequence over again.
o
8
Have your students come up with examples of each law of motion. For example, when you hit the cue ball into another ball and it stops, sending the second ball on, this demonstrates the third law of motion.
By braniac, eHow User
y y y y Print this article Middle school physics is a great opportunity to show your students the usefulness of the scientific method as a way to explore the world around them. By using experiments and brainstorming as a way to investigate Newton's laws of motion, your students will learn the relevance of science to everyday life. Read on to learn how to teach physics to middle school students. Difficulty:
Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
y y y y y 1. o Wooden ramp Toy cars Marbles Newton's cradle Yard stick
1
Ask your students what happens when their mom accelerates suddenly in the car. Then ask what happens when she breaks suddenly. Once you establish that the passenger is pulled back by acceleration, and forward by breaking, ask them why. Give them a few minutes to think about it.
o
2
Have your students share their answers. Use these answers to lead into an explanation of Newton's first law of motion: that objects at rest tend to stay at rest and objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless a force acts on them.
o
3
Set up a ramp or track and roll a small marble down it. Have students observe how far it rolls. Roll a large, heavy marble down it and have students observe how far it rolls. Now repeat the experiment, only this time use the same marble starting from two heights. Have the students discuss why the marble sometimes rolls farther than others.
o
4
Discuss the second law of motion: force equals mass times acceleration. Explain that the marble can build up more force if it has more mass or has more acceleration. Explain that the more force acting on the marble, the farther it will continue to roll after it rolls off the ramp.
o
5
Give your students three marbles, two of known weight and one of unknown weight. Have them do several trials, measuring how far the known marbles roll when they are started from a certain height. Based on these measurements, have them calculate the weight of the unknown marbles.
o
6
Have your students observe a Newton's cradle. Ask them to explain why, when the first ball hits the row, it stops and sends the last ball flying out.
o
7
Explain the third law of motion: that every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. When the first ball collides with the second, it stops and sends its force to the second, which collides with the third, and so on. The last ball has nothing to collide with, so it swings out and back, starting the sequence over again.
o
8
Have your students come up with examples of each law of motion. For example, when you hit the cue ball into another ball and it stops, sending the second ball on, this demonstrates the third law of motion.
