Transcript Document

U of T Lab Practical 1
Forces, Motion & the Scientific Method
Heather Andres, Alireza Mashayekhi and
Jason Harlow
University of Toronto,
Department of Physics,
St. George Campus
Workshop presented at Ontario Association of Physics Teachers
32nd Annual Conference University of Toronto. Apr. 29- May 1, 2010
1
Today’s Workshop
let’s begin…
• Form groups of 3 or 4
• Introduce yourselves, write your names on
the first blank page of the black notebook,
date and page #.
• Choose / elect:
– Facilitator (record on page 1)
– Note-taker (record on page 1)
• Record answers and observations in the
notebook in “jot-note” form.
2
Mechanics Module 2, Activity 10:
Introduction to the Motion Sensor
• Try it out on yourself as
you walk toward and away
from the sensor.
• Comment on the
“smoothness” of the
position, velocity and
acceleration graphs.
3
Mechanics Module 2, Activities 12, 13:
What does “force” feel like?
• Compare your
intuition about forces
and adding forces to
a measurement.
4
The Scientific Method
1. List five different general patterns that might be true
for the cards in the deck. For each pattern, give an
example what cards would support the hypothesis and
what cards would falsify the hypothesis.
2. Identify any assumptions that you have made.
3. Your Instructor will show you the first three cards of
the deck. Revise your list of possible patterns.
4. Your Instructor will show you the next three cards of
the deck. Revise your list of possible patterns.
5. Can you now say what the pattern of the cards in the
deck is? What would be necessary for you to be 100%
sure that you know what the pattern is?
5
Mechanics Module 2, Activity 14: Kinematics
of Constant Acceleration
• Combine a
measurement of
acceleration with a
measurement of
force to test
Newton’s 2nd Law:
F = ma.
6
Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…
Practicals replace conventional
Tutorials and Labs in 1st Year Physics
• Students work in Teams of 3 - 4
• 2 hours per week in addition to regular
lectures.
• Work on conceptually based guided
discovery activities
• The activities involve real apparatus,
simulations, etc.
• Closely coupled to what is being discussed
in class
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Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…
Teams share the work,
…and share the mark!
• Each team has a notebook, which never
leaves the classroom.
• Teams at pods are assigned, not chosen.
• Teams are scrambled once per semester.
• The roles of Note-taker and Facilitator
must change person every session.
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Parting Thoughts on the Pedagogy…
Could this work for you?
• Does this remind you of anything you are
already doing?
• How can you motivate a team of 4
students to stay on task?
• They are talking.. But are they talking
about physics? If so, is it the blind leading
the blind?
• Is it fair for the entire team to share a
mark? What about free-loaders?
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