Physics Project: Newton’s Laws in everyday life Goal: Apply your understanding of motion and forces to anything relevant! For example, you might choose a scene from a movie or cartoon, a video game, a sport, a “myth” (think of Mythbusters), car safety devices, car racing, space travel, etc.
Your project must be school appropriate and related to our learning goals – those are the only restrictions. You must discuss your ideas with your instructor and fill out a “contract” that will outline the minimum expectations for the project. Your grade will be based on the breadth and depth of your analysis and how well you illustrate your understanding of the learning goals related to your situation.
All of you will turn in a paper that describes your project including some background information and a thorough analysis of the Force and Motion principles involved. You should also include parenthetical citations in the paper and a bibliography at the end. Some of you will have other products, depending on the project that you choose.
Some possible ideas for analysis:
The Physics of Superman, one of the X-Men, etc.
The Physics of golf, baseball, football, etc. (Many possibilities)
Movies Scenes from the more fantastic kinds of movies like Hancock, The Matrix, The Fantastic 4, Star Wars, etc., to the somewhat more realistic such as Die Hard, James Bond, Indiana Jones, etc.
Make a video that illustrates a variety of concepts related to Force and Motion.
Cartoons: Examine the “laws of physics” in a specific cartoon universe.
Taking a specific Mythbusters myth further AND doing the tests yourself or finding your own myth and trying to bust or confirm it.
What makes the “Car of Tomorrow platform” in NASCAR safer than the older car and track designs?
Video games: Are the laws of physics the same as in our universe?
Grading Rubric – Project
Exceeds Standard 9.5 or 10
Meets Standard 8.5 or 9
Developing Toward Standard 7.5 or 8
Doesn’t Meet Standard 6, 6.5 or 7
Learning Goals that apply to your project. This may include the following:
#1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
DO NOT GO THROUGH EVERY LEARNING GOAL AND ORGANIZE YOUR PAPER AROUND THAT. Good projects should dictate what learning goals should be addressed.
Explanations are thorough, show originality, and effectively express ideas.
Explanations are effectively supported by references to pictures, graphs, class activities
Uses Physics vocabulary correctly
Explanations are solid and show some originality.
Most explanations are supported and clear
Uses Physics vocabulary correctly
Explanations are basic and show little originality.
Some explanations are supported
Some Physics vocabulary used incorrectly
Poor explanations, and organization.
Explanations are not well supported
A lot of Physics vocabulary used incorrectly
Responsibility and Work Ethic (based on your individual rubric and evidence with pie charts at end)
See responsibility/work ethic rubric below
Citations & Bibliography
Does not have to be in a certain format. Does need to be clear and easy for the teacher to easily determine from where the information came. For instance, do not write this information came from “the Internet” or “Google”. You would need to give the complete website, title/author of books. Does need to have parenthetic citations in the paper.
Responsibility and Work Ethic Rubric
Exceeds Standard 9.5 or 10
Meets Standard 8.5 or 9
Developing Toward Standard 7.5 or 8
Doesn’t Meet Standard 6, 6.5 or 7
Always
Usually
Sometimes
Infrequently
With my group, I set and prioritize goals
I stay on task
I help others in my group stay on task
I meet teacher due dates such as for drafts of the paper
I do my share of the group’s work in-class
I do my share of the group’s work out of class
I am still able to work effectively on the project when a group member is absent
Contract for Project (must be approved by Mr Lazere):
Guidelines for Video Analysis with Logger Pro:
Physics Project: Newton’s Laws in everyday life
Goal: Apply your understanding of motion and forces to anything relevant! For example, you might choose a scene from a movie or cartoon, a video game, a sport, a “myth” (think of Mythbusters), car safety devices, car racing, space travel, etc.
Your project must be school appropriate and related to our learning goals – those are the only restrictions. You must discuss your ideas with your instructor and fill out a “contract” that will outline the minimum expectations for the project. Your grade will be based on the breadth and depth of your analysis and how well you illustrate your understanding of the learning goals related to your situation.
All of you will turn in a paper that describes your project including some background information and a thorough analysis of the Force and Motion principles involved. You should also include parenthetical citations in the paper and a bibliography at the end. Some of you will have other products, depending on the project that you choose.
Some possible ideas for analysis:
Grading Rubric – Project
9.5 or 10
8.5 or 9
7.5 or 8
6, 6.5 or 7
#1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
DO NOT GO THROUGH EVERY LEARNING GOAL AND ORGANIZE YOUR PAPER AROUND THAT. Good projects should dictate what learning goals should be addressed.
Responsibility and Work Ethic Rubric
9.5 or 10
8.5 or 9
7.5 or 8
6, 6.5 or 7