Do you remember those cool hands on projects you did in science classes? Those were the ones you still talk about today, I know because I do. So let's engage this generation and let them have hands on projects that they can tell there kids.
I teach the gifted and advanced students who are engaged and want to see why things work the way they do, and how can I make it do that for me.
They are fun, challenging and excited about learning. My students are children of the University of Florida faculty in many disciplines. My school is in a higher socially economic area of town in Gainesville Fl. My students are overachievers and polite, respectable young women and men. They still love school and it makes me want to come to work everyday.
My Project
Remember that Newton's Law's of Motion were what got you to build catapults, roller coasters and rockets. I want my students to not only build their catapults but challenge other groups of students to beat them at their own game. I want to bring in the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit where they used the catapults in their battles against the castles.This uses movies and real life to show how the physics actually can work. Students will use all the algebra for speed/velocity and acceleration of their objects when shot out of the catapults. We can even do terminal velocity due to gravitational force.
First off with budget cuts, this money will allow me to buy and build a project that I would not even be able to dream about otherwise.
It would be a way to tie into the upcoming 5th graders from the elementary school next door. We could get them to come join us and make this a fun time. I teach students that are going into the Cambridge and IB programs at High School. This keeps them excited about Science.
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