Nick Watkins

We have advisory periods and some teachers will put tests in my box for students to take, I always forget to get those tests back to those teachers 🫠

Day 36 Physical Sci - This project definitely dragged on too long. Had students write their conclusions and submit them today so now we can turn the page and start our next unit on forces & momentum next week #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 36 Physics - Good learning moment today, some data didn’t match the eye test so had students go out and remeasure reference distances and film new clips at the proper angle. When wanting to enact change we can’t cut corners. Made an excel sheet to consolidate our data #iteachphysics #teach180

25 cubes of equal volume but different densities and materials

So deflating when a joke lands great with one period then crickets the next 😂

Day 35 Physics - More data analysis today, up to 55 data points roughly showing equal number of cars speeding vs going speed limit so far. Had to have some students go out and redo their filming as the angle caused too much distortion #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 35 Physical Sci - all groups tested today and it felt like a great win. Could see the moment it clicked for students matching up math models with predicting real life motion. Students who missed badly went back and had context for why their calculations were off #iteachphysics #teach180

Makes sense, I was leaning electricity first especially since with leaning into teaching thermo through an HVAC lens it gets into circuitry as well so double points in that sense

Love this! They shall yet live!

I’m lucky to teach physics to seniors as a Trade focused elective so I have a lot of flexibility. My 1st two units are motion then forces. After that I’m doing some order of fluids (plumbing), Thermo (HVAC), and electricity. Any suggestions for ordering those for conceptual flow? #iteachphysics

Day 34 Physics - Students began analyzing car film data using vernier video analysis #iteachphysics #teach180

Yep that’s what we do too! Still a matter of timing it cause some students still release too late or too early

Day 34 Physical Sci - tested some groups for Catch the Marble. Seeing issues with students who rounded too much or whose car data doesn’t match the eye test. Generally biggest challenge is timing the release of marble. #iteachphysics #teach180

That’s a great tip! I hope I didn’t already kill them then 😮‍💨

Day 32&33 Physical Sci - Monday worked with individual groups on getting caught up to the end of page 3 and making their predictions. Big math variance yet lots of practice with multi step equations. On sick day had them do a sub packet on newtons laws. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 32&33 Physics - week started rough at home with sick kids, then ran into tech issues with uploading film on Monday. Figured it out by end of class. Sick day today so had students do the ruler drop reaction time lab and discuss how their findings apply to safe driving #iteachphysics #teach180

Currently battling against fruit flies, wife found Venus fly traps at Trader Joe’s. Curious to see if they work, but just cool to see them in person for the first time!

Day 31 Physics - Filming day, set up at 3 different sites to film cars going by our school. Spent time collecting quantitative data like driving behaviors (erratic, texting and driving), measurements, and pictures of the surrounding area #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 31 Physical Sci - had students use their marble and car math models to predict how far away their constant velocity car should be from the ramp. Gave each group a different starting distance for their marble. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 30 - half day so didn’t see my physics or physical Sci kids. Used my planning to read through a physics activities book I got from @halfpricebooks.bsky.social which has been really helpful brainstorming ideas #iteachphysics #teach180

Unit 1 Challenge - Catching the Marble Your Name: __________________________ Group Member Names: _______________________________ Unit 1 Challenge - Catching the Marble Constant Velocity Buggy Model Observations When the Constant Velocity B...

Day 29 Physical Sci - Wrapping up our unit 1 Patterns and Motion unit with the Catch the Marble Challenge. Multi-Day assessment. Today had students recollect and derive velocity and acceleration of car and marble (pg 1&2). #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 29 Physics - walked out to the main road to set up our filming procedure and take some measurements. Also some qualitative data like how many people are getting cutoff and near misses #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 28 - actually didn’t see any of my physics or physical science kids today due to conference schedules. We do 2 late nights til 7:30pm but get to go home at lunch Thursday Friday so not a bad payoff, but a bummer to not be home with my own kids.

Professional development day before conferences. Really struggling with one-size-fits-all PD especially when there is no acknowledgment of real issues (huge class sizes, no funding, etc). Don’t have capacity this year but hope to join a physics PLC in the future ow.ly/QsL950X51AC #iteachphysics

I definitely use textbooks! Mostly to prop up ramp.

In all seriousness I have a text for college level that is mostly for reference and practice Qs, but we never got one for on level or physical sci. Developed my own set of materials and adapted others that align with NGSS and inquiry approaches

Velocity & Acceleration Quiz - Version A ______________’s Favorite childhood cartoon is _________________ Date: ____________ Velocity & Acceleration Quiz - Version A Complete the missing parts of each pattern in the table below: Question 1 ...

Day 27 Physical Sci - Quiz day! Added in acceleration. Good opportunity for students to reassess their velocity and motion graph skills. Included a simple post-quiz #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Day 27 Physics - worked more on our road safety project. Had students try calling county offices but lots of going straight to voicemail unfortunately. #iteachphysics #teach180

Last year we had no phone policy, this year a super strict phone policy (if it’s out it goes straight to office for the day, no warning) and it’s been a night and day difference in just basic critical thinking and less helplessness and blank stares. Definitely more fidgety though!

Day 26 Physics - Each student is taking on a section of the project to own and contribute to. Students chose what they wanted to work on and contribute to the whole. Background research and scope of issue to start then data collection next week. #iteachphysics #teach180

Day 26 Physical Sci - finished our review and used @wayground.bsky.social for the first time for quiz practice. They were Quizziz before but doesn’t seem like much else changed. Like that students can work at their own pace and has some gamified features. Quiz tomorrow! #iteachphysics #teach180