Northwest
Physics matters here
By Andrea Rivera
Arizona Daily STar
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.14.2009
Science teacher Donna Baker doesn't like teaching from a textbook.
Proof of that could be seen as her eighth-grade students at Marana Middle School ended a six-week unit on physics by spending three days building paper bridges, throwing paper airplanes and shooting marbles down student-built roller coasters to reinforce Isaac Newton's three laws of motion.
"All of my classes are as hands-on as possible," Baker said. "There are so many different learning styles. The kids who do really well with worksheets and textbooks and things like that don't get to shine. This gives them the opportunity to shine."
During a unit on physics, Baker's students working solo or in teams are assigned three different projects to complete.
At the end of six weeks, three days of competition are held for each project type.
Baker started the competition at Marana Middle School, 11279 W. Grier Road, back in 2002.
Last month, students competed in different events with their electric cars, jet cars, joule cars, mousetrap cars or roller coasters. For the joule car, one kilogram of weight is attached to the axle of the car and the car moves when the weight is dropped and the string pulls the axle, which creates the momentum needed to move the car.
Eighth-graders Angel Encinas and Austin MacDonald constructed a roller coaster using recycled material such as Popsicle sticks and paint sticks and other material, such as foam tubing.
Students are required to use some recycled material.
Roller coasters had to include one loop, one gap or jump and had to have an ending that collected the marble, or "car."
"It's fun because you get to learn about how things move," 14-year-old Angel said.
Austin, 14, said he and Angel needed about three weekends to complete their roller coaster, which they named "The Green Machine."
"It's fun," he said. "You get to build things and test them out. I like to build things."
After putting his mousetrap car to the test against another mousetrap vehicle in a tug-of-war race last month, Matthew McGhee said he will know how to make a better car in the future.
"I learned that I need a lot more traction on my wheels and it needs to be more aerodynamic," he said.
Baker provided suggestions and ideas to her students as they worked to make the most efficient projects and followed their progress through weekly journal entries handed in by the students. "They are taking the work they are learning in class and applying it to their projects," she said.
Kala Strunk built an electric car with enough power and speed to demolish most of her competition in the tug-of-war event.
"I loved it," the 14-year-old said about the competition. "It was so much more fun than sitting in the classroom and learning from a book."
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