Newton's Laws
How do we teach them? How do they relate to Common Core?
What are they?
Isaac Newton developed the three laws of motion. The three laws are as follows;
1. The Law of Inertia
- Every object stays in it's state of motion unless an outside force is applied
- the mass and acceleration of an object equal the applied force.
- Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
- Science falls under the essential standards of the Common Core.
- The laws of motion is classified under Physics.
- So What are the Standards?
- Phy.1.2.3:Explain forces using Newton’s laws of motion as well as the universal law of gravitation.
Building Bridges
So how do we take complex concepts and make them understandable? I have included below a list of resources to help teach Newton's laws!
Picture Books
PICTURE BOOKS ARE NOT JUST ELEMENTARY!
The Magna Guide to Physics:
- A book written in comics (cool?!?) that explains the ideas of physics through a girl who is struggling with the concepts and pairs up with a student who teaches her the ideas through everyday concepts.
- The picture book will increase interest in the content. It also relates to the students in the fact that they are not alone struggling with these ideas and it teaches them the concepts through everyday examples like tennis.
Informational Text
NOT ANOTHER TEXTBOOK.
- Informational text can be current events, articles, and other things that are not checked out of the library!
- They can be used as a quick tool
- I have provided a link to an article that discuses how a baseball player used Newton's laws to improve his baseball game.
- Don't use informational texts just to bog down your students with more information.
- Make them meaningful. Make them give the content purpose.. NEWTONS LAWS DO APPLY TO EVERYDAY LIFE!!!
- Mike Marshall Article
Web-Based Resource
GET INTERACTIVE!
- Show them information in a variety of ways!
- Show them information that will stick.
- Make it meaningful.. do not add things just to add them
- Video Summary of Newton's Laws
Visual Resources
MAKE IT VISIBLE!
- Multiple Means of Representation
- Show them what you are talking about and give them their own copy!
- This could be a poster, graphic organizer, comic or any other visual resource.
- Here is a poster that incorporates all of the other resources used and ties Newtons laws other together!
Conclusion!
If you combine all these resources, and allow your students to recieve the information in a variety of forms you will improve your students ability to understand and retain the information! I have attached a more detailed description of the resources and why they are effective in a word document! Good luck and happy teaching!!