Teaching Tips

Drawing Force Diagrams – Example 2

Force diagrams are a basic part of analyzing the forces acting on an object. But the process can seem confusing, since there is often “a lot of stuff happening.” This is the second example from the Exploring Physics app takes you through the steps of drawing force diagrams.  This movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, […]
By : admin | Apr 25, 2019

Drawing Force Diagrams – Example 1

Force diagrams are a basic part of analyzing the forces acting on an object. But the process can seem confusing, since there is often “a lot of stuff happening.” This example from the Exploring Physics app  takes you through the steps of drawing force diagrams.  This movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is […]
By : admin | Mar 10, 2019

Drawing and Analyzing Forces

Before students learn to draw force diagrams, it is useful to go through the process of analyzing the forces acting on an object and drawing them. Once students master this process, drawing force diagrams becomes easier. This example from the Exploring Physics app  takes you through the steps of analyzing the forces that act on […]
By : admin | Feb 20, 2019

Helping students ask questions

“Its hard to figure out what to ask!” Do your students feel frustrated about how to ask questions during a class discussion? Or do you sometimes need a helping hand to craft questions for your class?  Here is a movie with a summary on Socratic Questioning with a helpful poster that you can download, print […]
By : admin | Feb 6, 2019

No more treasure hunts

Ever feel like you’re on a treasure hunt when you are checking students’ solutions to word problems? Try the GUPPiES3 mnemonic* to help students develop a clean and adaptable problem-solving strategy. The movie of the GUPPiES3 method is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is one of a large number of tutorial movies included in the […]
By : admin | Jan 25, 2019

Many ways to get it wrong

What could possibly go wrong in calculating the slope of a graph? Check out how four students calculated slopes, and figure out whether they were right or wrong. The movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is one of a large number of tutorial movies included in the Exploring Physics Curriculum app. […]
By : admin | Jan 21, 2019

Calculating the slope when you have linear data

Many experiments include the phrase “calculate the slope.” What could possibly go wrong between drawing a graph and calculating the requisite slope? This movie describes a simple method for calculating slope, and discusses where students might make mistakes. The movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is one of a large number of tutorial movies […]
By : admin | Jan 20, 2019

Experimental Design

Do your students struggle with the process of Experimental Design? Do they interchange IVs and DVs, or are unsure of how to set up a data table? Here is a tutorial movie that explains the steps necessary to design and conduct an experiment. The movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is one of a […]
By : admin | Jan 20, 2019

Best Fit Curves

Do your students think that a straight line should fit all graphs? Ever seen a straight line drawn through position vs. time graphs for accelerating objects? Here is a tutorial movie that helps students decide whether  a line or a curve fits the graph, and provides rules of thumb for drawing that best-fit curve. The movie is posted […]
By : admin | Jan 20, 2019

Drawing Line Graphs and Best-Fit Lines

Ever shake your head at line graphs drawn by students? Or best-fit lines that don’t really fit? Here is a tutorial movie that explains how to plot data for a line graph, and draw a pretty good best-fit line using a ruler. The movie is posted on the Exploring Physics YouTube channel, and is one of a large number […]
By : admin | Jan 19, 2019
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