Question
Making Edison proud
Emily Hogan teaches eighth grade at Westlake Middle School in Broomfield, Colo. She literally puts this practice in motion in her physical science classes. And she does so in ways that would have made Edison proud.
One sunny day last year, her students were busy demonstrating Newton’s three laws of motion. Hogan had given each student the same tool kit. It consisted of a plastic foam dinner plate, a balloon, a small plastic stirrer straw, a sharp pencil and masking tape. The students used their kits to make “rocket-powered” racing cars.
Sergio Montoya finished his beta version and sprang to the front of the classroom, where his fellow students were already testing how far across the floor their cars would race. Sergio blew up his balloon and released his racer. It zoomed forward 1 meter or so, crashed into several other racers and then wobbled to a stop.
The boy picked it up and, like a doctor examining a patient’s broken leg, diagnosed its weakness. “Mine had too much tape on the front, so it would lean to one side,” he said. The balloon also had a leak, Sergio discovered.
Despite these problems, the experiment yielded some real results.
Along the way, Sergio also proudly reeled off, in his own words, what he had learned of Newton’s first law of motion through his direct experience: “When an object stays in motion, unless another force acts upon it, it’ll stay the course,” Sergio said. And a classmate standing behind him was echoing those words.
The next day, Sergio’s newly tweaked car won the class’ race. This was a Yahoo! — not wahoo — moment. And his gleaming grin said it all.
How was the rocket-powered race car activity an example of discovery-based learning?
Students were able to identify problems with their cars and made necessary adjustments.
Students were engaged in the activity because it allowed them to use their hands.
Students were provided a positive social experience as they worked together.
Students were not given prior information about Newton's laws before conducting the activity.
Emily Hogan teaches eighth grade at Westlake Middle School in Broomfield, Colo. She literally puts this practice in motion in her physical science classes. And she does so in ways that would have made Edison proud.
One sunny day last year, her students were busy demonstrating Newton’s three laws of motion. Hogan had given each student the same tool kit. It consisted of a plastic foam dinner plate, a balloon, a small plastic stirrer straw, a sharp pencil and masking tape. The students used their kits to make “rocket-powered” racing cars.
Sergio Montoya finished his beta version and sprang to the front of the classroom, where his fellow students were already testing how far across the floor their cars would race. Sergio blew up his balloon and released his racer. It zoomed forward 1 meter or so, crashed into several other racers and then wobbled to a stop.
The boy picked it up and, like a doctor examining a patient’s broken leg, diagnosed its weakness. “Mine had too much tape on the front, so it would lean to one side,” he said. The balloon also had a leak, Sergio discovered.
Despite these problems, the experiment yielded some real results.
Along the way, Sergio also proudly reeled off, in his own words, what he had learned of Newton’s first law of motion through his direct experience: “When an object stays in motion, unless another force acts upon it, it’ll stay the course,” Sergio said. And a classmate standing behind him was echoing those words.
The next day, Sergio’s newly tweaked car won the class’ race. This was a Yahoo! — not wahoo — moment. And his gleaming grin said it all.
How was the rocket-powered race car activity an example of discovery-based learning?
Students were able to identify problems with their cars and made necessary adjustments.
Students were engaged in the activity because it allowed them to use their hands.
Students were provided a positive social experience as they worked together.
Students were not given prior information about Newton's laws before conducting the activity.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The rocket-powered race car activity is an example of discovery-based learning primarily because **students were able to identify problems with their cars and made necessary adjustments**.
In discovery-based learning, students learn through exploration and hands-on experiences, allowing them to figure out concepts on their own. In this activity, students built their own racing cars, identified flaws in their designs, and adjusted their creations based on observation and experimentation. Sergio's process of diagnosing issues with his car and making modifications underscores the essence of discovery-based learning, where learners engage in inquiry and problem-solving to enhance their understanding of scientific principles, in this case, Newton's laws of motion.
While the other options highlight aspects of the learning experience, such as hands-on engagement and social interaction, the key feature of discovery-based learning is the active process of identifying and solving problems, which Sergio exemplified in his project.
In discovery-based learning, students learn through exploration and hands-on experiences, allowing them to figure out concepts on their own. In this activity, students built their own racing cars, identified flaws in their designs, and adjusted their creations based on observation and experimentation. Sergio's process of diagnosing issues with his car and making modifications underscores the essence of discovery-based learning, where learners engage in inquiry and problem-solving to enhance their understanding of scientific principles, in this case, Newton's laws of motion.
While the other options highlight aspects of the learning experience, such as hands-on engagement and social interaction, the key feature of discovery-based learning is the active process of identifying and solving problems, which Sergio exemplified in his project.