Research in the past decades has repeatedly revealed that first year university students struggle to understand two-dimensional projectile motion concepts. In contrast to high school, projectile motion frequently makes use of components and it requires at least a basic understanding of trigonometry concepts. To follow the lessons and generate…

Researchers have shown students develop misconceptions in projectile motion for various reasons. A common misunderstanding among first-year high school physics students is the notion that the horizontal and vertical components are interchangeable in projectile motion. The students' incorrect reasoning is connected to their personal experiences…

Vertical amusement rides let your body experience the tickling sensation of feeling light, but also feeling much heavier than as usual, due to velocity changes as you move up and down. Family rides offer different possibilities to visualize the forces that are experienced by your accelerating body. This paper presents a number of different ways to…

This column provides ideas and techniques to enhance your science teaching. This month's issue discusses how children think about the small-particle model of matter. What Richard Feynman referred to as the "atomic hypothesis" is perhaps more familiar to us as the small-particle model of matter. In its most basic form, the model states…

An exploratory study of a middle school curriculum directly aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards was conducted with a focus on how the curriculum addresses the instructional needs of students with learning disabilities. A descriptive analysis of a lesson on speed and velocity was conducted and implications discussed for students with…

Science teaching and learning require knowledge about how learning takes place (cognition) and how learners interact with their surroundings (affective and sociocultural factors). The study reported on focussed on learning for understanding of Newton's second law of motion from a cognitive perspective that takes social factors into account. A…

Teachers strive to engage students in rich and varied experiences involving exploration. These experiences should be accessible to all types of learners (e.g., visual, kinesthetic, mathematically inclined), offering multiple pathways for engagement at different levels of sophistication and accommodating both conceptual and computational…

We develop an Easy Java Simulation (EJS) model for students to experience the physics of idealized one-dimensional collision carts. The physics model is described and simulated by both continuous dynamics and discrete transition during collision. In designing the simulations, we discuss briefly three pedagogical considerations namely (1) a…

First-year physics students often have a difficult time grasping Newton's laws of motion and recognizing the forces that these laws depend on. The "Paper Car" project is an experiential activity that is rich in application of force principles. It is also simple enough that students are able to integrate straightforward but non-trivial physics…

One of the most basic concepts related to force and motion is Newton's first law, which essentially states, "An object at rest tends to remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. An object in motion in a straight line tends to remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an unbalanced force." Judging by the time and space…

Presents activities for a springtime Space Day that can teach students about astronauts, gravity, and motion. Activities include creating a paper bag spacecraft to study liftoff and having students simulate gravity's effects by walking in various manners and recording pulse rates. A list of resources is included. (SM)

Describes an inquiry-based scooter activity in which students learn the mathematical concepts of measurement and proportionality and the science concepts of force, motion, velocity, and acceleration while using their problem solving skills. Explains strengths and weaknesses of the activity and includes suggestions for assessment. (YDS)

The 12th iteration of the International Conference on Educational Data Mining (EDM 2019) is organized under the auspices of the International Educational Data Mining Society in Montreal, Canada. The theme of this year's conference is EDM in Open-Ended Domains. As EDM has matured it has increasingly been applied to open-ended and ill-defined tasks…

Describes an extra credit science project in which students compete to see who can build the most efficient water rocket out of a two-liter pop bottle. Provides instructions on how to build a demonstration rocket and launching pad. (MDH)