Physics! Blog!
I am in the process of writing about how my classes build each model (following the Modeling Instruction (MI) philosophy). I will gather the posts here as they are written. I am listing them here in the order that we build them in my classes. I’ll also note the MI Mechanics curriculum unit number and name since I use a modified order and some modified names in my classes.
If you haven’t yet had the chance to attend a Modeling Instruction Workshop, I strongly urge you to do so.
CVPM – Building the Constant Velocity Particle Model
(MI’s Unit 2: Particle Moving with Constant Velocity)
BFPM — Building the Balanced Force Particle Model
See also… Common Types of Forces (BFPM cheat sheet)
See also… Force Vector Addition Diagrams
See also… Gravitational Force Experiment
See also… Spring Force Experiment
See also… Building Newton’s 3rd Law
(MI’s Unit 4: Free Particle Model)
CAPM — Building the Constant Acceleration Particle Model
(MI’s Unit 3: Uniformly Accelerating Particle Model)
UBFPM — Building the Unbalanced Force Particle Model
See also… Force Vector Addition Diagrams
(MI’s Unit 5: Constant Force Particle Model)
MTM — Building the Momentum Transfer Model
See also… Momentum Bar Charts (IF Charts, IFF Charts)
(MI’s Unit 9: Impulsive Force Model)
PMPM — Building the Projectile Motion Particle Model
See also… “This is a Boss Equation.”
(MI’s Unit 6: 2-D Particle Models)
ETM — Building the Energy Transfer Model
See also… Common Types of Energy (ETM cheat sheet)
See also… Energy Pie Charts
See also… Energy Bar Charts (LOL Diagrams)
(MI’s Unit 7: Energy)
OPM — Building the Oscillating Particle Model
(Part of the MI Waves materials, or the Linear Binding Force Model)
CFPM — Building the Central Force Particle Model
(MI’s Unit 8, of the same name and including Uniform Circular Motion)
Discussion
19 Responses to “Model Building”
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Ms. O’Shea-
Do you know any good books that explain the modeling process?
-Thanks
Bradley Shadrix
Physics Teacher
Athens, Georgia
Posted by Bradley Shadrix | February 25, 2012, 11:36 AMThank you for your generosity in putting these materials together. I’ve read probably near 1000 pages on Modeling theory and am 100% onboard. What has amazed me, however, is just how little there is available in the way of direct in-class application, nuts and bolts instructions and guidance on constructing my own modeling curriculum.
I’m completing my 1st full year as a high school physics teacher (after coming over from a 15 year career in engineering and construction) and have quickly grown to see the massive flaws in traditional teaching. Again, I thank you for your generosity, as I am excited to go home tonight and pour through your work. I will be working hard right to September to implement this successfully.
Posted by Dan D | May 22, 2012, 4:07 PMBradley, take a modeling workshop. It’s more expensive than a book, but incredibly worth it.
Posted by jsb16 | July 24, 2012, 10:38 PMFifty Modeling Workshops in high school physics, chemistry, physical science, and biology are offered each summer, in many states. Modeling Workshops are peer-led. Modeling Instruction is designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an Exemplary K-12 science program.
Some sites offer stipends, usually for in-state teachers. Graduate credit is available at some sites. Pre-service teachers and TYC faculty are welcome too.
For info: http://modelinginstruction.org/teachers/workshops .
Most workshops are described also at http://www.ptec.org/pd .
Posted by Jane Jackson | February 24, 2013, 4:37 PMHi Kelly,
My name is Connie Arriola and I teach at Lancaster High School in the Antelope Valley of southern California. I’ve taught chemistry for 6 years and this year will be teaching physics for the first time. I’ve been to two modeling workshops- one in 2007 and the other in 2011–and absolutely loved it, but both times I was concentrating on how I could use it in Chem. I’m excited about implementing the modeling method in its natural setting. My question for you is, do you have a description of how you go about the very beginning of the year? Do you do a Scientific Method unit? I’ve done the spaghetti lab with my chem students and since many of them will be taking physics I don’ t want to redo this.
I’m also on a block schedule where students meet every other day for 120 minutes. I know you don’t believe in homework but I’m thinking that my students may need something to keep information and understanding from “leaking out” of their brains. I’m also interested in what you think of Phet and The Physics Classroom.
Thanks for all your help with blogs and materials. You are awesome!
Posted by Connie Arriola | July 29, 2012, 10:16 PMHi Connie,
Sorry for the delayed response!
I start the year by handing out binders, then saying something like, “Hey everyone, I want to show you something cool. Let’s go next door (to the lab).” Then we do the constant velocity experiment (motorized cart). I don’t buy the scientific method (science is about making models, not hypotheses, right?). I also don’t think they need an intro to the class. I think they can learn it by doing it. Of course, I also teach students who are mostly pretty comfortable with math concepts (graphing, etc), so I don’t need to give a lot of support there at the start of the year. If you’re teaching students who have already done Chem Modeling, I’d imagine that you wouldn’t especially need an intro unit either, right?
I haven’t used Phet or The Physics Classroom. I don’t think myelin can leak out of brains. I don’t have any problems jumping straight back in after 3 week vacations, so I don’t worry when I don’t get to see them for a few days. When they’re doing the physics, using graphical methods, and really understanding physics… they tend to know it. They need to practice, certainly, but I don’t know if I could come up with one assignment that every person in the class needed to practice (let alone coming up with such an assignment every day of the school year!). These are just my own thoughts, though, and I’m certainly in the very, very tiny minority with them. There’s also no one right way of doing things, and our students are definitely in different situations (even just boarding school vs. not).
Hope that helps some!
Kelly.
Posted by Kelly O'Shea | August 10, 2012, 2:19 PMHi Kelly,
I’ll do my best to ask a targeted question so I don’t take up to much of your time. I’ve downloaded your curriculum and was wondering if you have a model of a well-filled-out model sheet. I’m not completely clear what that will look like when complete. Thanks.
Posted by Scott Swaaley | August 15, 2012, 12:21 PMHi Scott,
I’m not sure what you mean by model sheet. What document are you looking at?
Kelly.
Posted by Kelly O'Shea | August 15, 2012, 12:38 PMPage 1 here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/59783264/HPhys-Unit-01-CVPM-Packet-2012
Is it just a vocab list, or more? I suspect it’s where the student defines the model in their own way, using vocabulary as well as diagrams, language, etc but if that’s the case – I’m not sure what the “ideal” one would look like.
Posted by Scott Swaaley | August 15, 2012, 1:27 PMAha… well, it’s sort of open for whatever anyone wants to use it to do. I never collect their packets. They belong to the students forever and ever (a thing I tell them often when they start to get antsy about what they should write and where). There’s definitely not one right way to do things, so whatever works for the kid goes there. I don’t think it’s necessarily that important of a space on the CVPM packet. Later packets have front pages with more significant spaces on them.
That might not have been that helpful, sorry. :/ But I also try to stay away from trying to define what an ideal packet looks like. I think ideal means something different for each kid, depending on what they need at the time.
The general feel for the front of the packet is that it is a place where we tend to collect useful things (that is, things that we are likely to use as a quick reference later in the year— when we just need to quickly check on what we said about how to figure out the direction of a friction force (parallel to the surface, not “opposite the motion” like we thought before checking), for example—without needing to look through the guts of the packet) as we go. The back of the packet is often a space for the model summary and concept map—where we rethinking and represent useful things and big ideas after we finish the packet.
Posted by Kelly O'Shea | August 15, 2012, 1:33 PMOk, thanks Kelly.
Posted by Scott Swaaley | August 15, 2012, 3:14 PMActually, does the same hold true for the “Model Summary” page? The last one in the packet?
Posted by Scott Swaaley | August 15, 2012, 4:17 PMModel Summary is like the Pokemon card of the model. It tells all the powers and when they’re useful. Concept map helps represent how the different models are connected. Both are totally student-generated and vary from person to person.
Posted by Kelly O'Shea | August 16, 2012, 12:17 PM