Describes an experiment where elementary students determine the optimum angle of inclination for the greatest amount of distance a marble will roll when accelerated down an inclined plane. (PR)

Explains reasons why students have misconceptions concerning pendulum swings. Presents a series of 10 pendulum task cards to provide middle-school students with a solid mental scaffolding upon which to build their knowledge of kinetic energy and pendulums. (PR)

Uses a moderately priced digital multimeter that has output and software compatible with personal computers to make a portable, computer-based data-acquisition system. The system can measure voltage, current, frequency, capacitance, transistor hFE, and temperature. Describes field measures of velocity, acceleration, and temperature as function of…

Deterministic chaos which involves orderly motion is discussed. Presented is the history of chaos and two tests for chaos. Practical applications and predictions of the long-term significance of chaos research are discussed. (KR)

Presents a motion problem that students in a college physics class are asked to solve and later asked to continue to analyze until they have stopped learning from the problem or the problem itself is finished. (MDH)

Discusses the principles of magnetic levitation presented in the physics classroom and applied to transportation systems. Topics discussed include three classroom demonstrations to illustrate magnetic levitation, the concept of eddy currents, lift and drag forces on a moving magnet, magnetic levitation vehicles, levitation with permanent magnets…

Discusses a classroom presentation using a Tonka toy truck's forward and backward motion that (1) develops a graphical representation of the truck's one-dimensional motion; (2) creates graphs representing constant velocity; (3) leads students to a definition of average velocity; and (4) introduces the concept of instantaneous velocity. (MDH)

Reviews research on student learning about collisions in physics instruction. Focus is placed on the main differences between the spontaneous perspective in describing/interpreting collisions and the disciplinary perspective based upon the energy and linear momentum conservation laws. (PR)

Presents a 12th-grade class project on measuring velocity-dependent forces encountered in two common forms of locomotion--rollerblading and cycling. (WRM)

Describes a modification to an inexpensive pinewood derby car that can be used to demonstrate the summation of the force vectors important in sailing. (WRM)

Reviews a range of material written about the use of the Alexander Technique in educating children to acquire better kinesthetic awareness of balance and body movement, and introduces briefly the theoretical principles underpinning Alexander's teaching. Presents curriculum issues for young children and the teacher awareness required to educate…

Discusses the development and use of Personal Assistants for Learning (PALs) computer tutorials for teaching applications of Newton's Laws. Finds that the tutorials were nearly as effective as individual tutoring by expert teachers and considerably more effective than the instruction provided in a well-taught physics class. (Contains over 30…

Four articles address music and movement in early childhood education: (1) "For the Love of Music--and Children"(Cindy Smith); (2) "Music: The Great Connector" (Thomas Moore); (3) "Learning through Music: The Support of Brain Research" (Elizabeth B. Carlton); and (4) "Music and Movement Bring Together Children of…

Discusses various methods for music teachers to adjust and prepare themselves for teaching prekindergarten students. Provides the two-track approach for teaching these younger students where the students work in large-group circle time experiences and also have opportunities to explore music on their own; singing, listening, moving, and playing…

Eighty blindfolded healthy female subjects participated in an active and a passive straight-ahead pointing task to study the estimation of the subjective sagittal middle in the presence or absence of an active haptic exploration. Subjects were to point straight-ahead with their left or right index finger starting from different right- or…