Hands On Physics: learning by doing
by John L. Roeder
Do your students like to learn by messing around? Do they like to build projects? Do they raise a lot of "What if . . . ?" questions?
If they do, they'd probably enjoy Hands On Physics (HOP), which describes itself as "a novel approach to learning science and technology that responds to the new standards by providing a rich, inquiry-based . . . sequence of hands-on investigations that involve building sophisticated experiments out of inexpensive apparatus."
Sixteen other physics and technology teachers and I got our hands on Hands On Physics at a 1-3 July 1997 workshop at Rockefeller University in New York City as part of the New York State Systemic Initiative. Under the direction of Bruce Seiger and Peg Collins, we "messed around" by soldering and exploring simple circuits in the Introductory Electronics units; experimenting with the motion of a hackeysack and the ability of the compressed spring in a homemade "thruster" to shoot a quarter across a table in the Introductory Mechanics unit, and investigating the behavior of light, both directly and electronically, in the Light unit.
We followed up our "messing around," which introduces each unit, by doing the core project for each of the three units we worked with. For the Introductory Electronics unit this meant building a low voltage power supply to be used in a security system to protect Bill Gates' estate. For the Introductory Mechanics unit this meant building from corrugated paper an air cart, powered by a propeller on a small battery-operated motor. And for the Light unit it meant measuring haze levels in the atmosphere. We also discussed extensions of the core project, some of which are suggested in the unit, others of which arise from questions students bring up.
The three units we worked on were chosen from among ten units that have reached various stages of development since the Hands On Physics project began in January 1995, though, with each unit lasting up to six weeks, ten units are far more than can be covered in a school year. The other seven units are Instrumentation (in which a weather data acquisition system is built), Heat & Temperature (focused on the building of an incubator), Advanced Mechanics (which electronically models or monitors the escape from a burning building by a bungee jump), Introduction to Waves (centered on the construction of a tone generator), Magnetic Induction (in which a generator is built), Electromagnetic Waves (in which students create a microwave generator and detector), and Nuclear Physics (which includes building a Geiger counter). One of the Geiger counters was also on display for us to observe.
Hands On Physics is one of several new innovative science curricula developed by The Concord Consortium, whose president, Bob Tinker, is well-known for the pioneering work he did in electronically-based science curricula at TERC (see page 6, Spring 1994 issue). Co-principal investigators with Tinker on the NSF grant which funds Hands On Physics are John King (see page 3, Spring 1997 issue), Seiger, and Hilton Abbott. Their "immediate goal is to develop and disseminate physics material for technical programs at the high school and college level that is adapted to the needs of students preparing for advanced technical careers."
The Hands On Physics program's philosophy of building equipment from electronics components not only implements a philosophy of learning by doing but also saves the cost of using preassembled instruments. The kits of components for the Hands On Physics units will be made available by Kelvin Electronics (and possibly by Radio Shack as well). The printed Hands On Physics units can be accessed directly from the Concord Consortium's web site http://www.concord.org. Information about other programs developed by The Concord Consortium is also available, which can be obtained by contacting The Concord Consortium Educational Technology Lab, 37 Thoreau Street, Concord, MA 01742, (508)-369-4367, FAX: (508)-371-0696.
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