Nick Watkins
AP Physics 1, Physical Science, Bio teacher in Tacoma, WA. Interested in sharing resources and collaborating! #iteachphysics #EDUsky #ModPhys #NBCT #VernierTrendsetter
- This week I was digging through our science storage and dusted off a ripple tank. Got excited to use it for our waves unit. Man, it was so janky. Leaky, power supply was inconsistent. Rubber bands holding bar with motor so not a consistent frequency. Ended up just using a pipette 😅 #iteachphysics
- Catching up on Physical Science, been working on our Waves & Astro unit with the phenomenon how do I see from 1 m away, 1 km, 1 AU, 1 LY #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 100! Physics - Circuit and Ohm’s Law quiz. #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 99 Physics - ohms law and power practice prepping for quiz #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- My three boys got hit hard with various illnesses plus the heaviness of the longest January ever put me off tracking with posting my reflections/teachings. Going to try to thread a quick update here to get back on track. #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 93 Physical Sci - began waves and astronomy unit built around how we see/hear from 1m, 1km, 1AU, 1LY away. Focused on sound today and introducing waves with station demos #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 93 Physics - one wire, bulb and battery. Always a great warmup for circuits. Messed around with wires and had students try to light two bulbs at once. Those who created a parallel circuit were successful so discussed parallel vs series #iteachphysics #teach180
- With all the awful things going on in the world/Minnesota we can’t forget how impacted our schools (particularly low income) by loss of federal $. If our district doesn’t pass its levy in Feb we lose 200 staff (in a small district). 35-40 kids in our Sci classrooms for sem 2 #edusky #iteachphysics
- Day 90-92 Physics & Physical Sci: finals for all my periods broken up over three days. For physics had 2 parts - traditional electrostatics and basic overview of semester 1 topics, and part 3 was to create an electrostatic demo exhibit with instructions and materials. #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 89 Physics & Physical Sci - worked on study guides for the last day. Our school does not have a uniform policy when it comes to finals, whether they negatively impact grades, if you even need to assign them, etc. what do your schools do? Are finals still relevant? #iteachphysics #teach180
- Reposted by Nick Watkins[Not loaded yet]
- Day 88 Physics & Physical Sci - worked on study guides for finals. A lot of my energy went towards facilitating our county’s forensic science office coming in to talk to our forensics students. Really cool applications of physics in ballistics, and of course chem & bio to help solve crimes #teach180
- Day 87 Physical Sci - began with a quick circuits quiz then handed out our semester final study guide which IS cumulative docs.google.com/document/d/1... #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 87 Physics - gave students a study guide for our end of semester summative. We have a lot of latitude on what a “final” is, whether is cumulative or not. For this class it will just focus on electrostatics with some q’s involving dynamics. #iteachphysics #teach180
- Reposted by Nick Watkins[Not loaded yet]
- Day 86 Physical Sci - discusses energy sources today, what fuel types are growing and efficiency. Lots of real world data analysis and working on climate impacts. Will revisit this semester 2 with our climate and human impacts unit #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 86 Physics - Talked about electric fields and how interact with them all the time. Grabbed a #vernier magnetic field sensor and had students guess where we would detect them (phones, router, outlet). Then did a @phetsims.bsky.social phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/ch... lab #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 85 Physical Sci - focused on building parallel circuits today using holiday card templates. Great opportunity for students to problem solve and then explain why we can get multiple bulbs to light up with one 3 volt battery, but only one if we put it in series. #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 85 Physics - Reviews Coulomb’s law and whiteboarded some practice problems. Then had students model the relationship b/w charge and distance using magnets #iteachphysics #teach180 youtu.be/kpSg3q-7O7E?...
- Day 83 & 84 - took 2 sub days to fly up to Canada for my grandpas funeral. Before I left them with review work I shared that my grandpa immigrated from HK to study engineering at U of Toronto and became the head civil engineer for the dept of transpo. Inspired me to #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 82 Physical Sci - Circuit notes and then building circuit cards inspired by @cossettej.bsky.social passionatelycurioussci.weebly.com/blog/electro... I like using conductive tape as it’s more organized than having a mess of wires and easier to manage materials #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 82 Physics - broke out the Van De Graaf generator and my rando bucket of electrostatic materials. Students had to develop 3 different lab questions and predict, observe, record, and explain. Students whiteboard models explaining what was going on #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 81 Physical Sci - had students do a reading on Ohms Law using a river analogy from a site by Evan Toh that I love followed by modeling solving ohms laws then letting them work on the problems independently www.sgphysicstuition.com/post/basic-c... #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 81 Physics - went through many static electricity demos using balloons, styrofoam, electroscopes. Had Ss predict, conduct, observe, explain. Lots of fun and great conversations! @phetsims.bsky.social help visualize what they can’t see phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/ba... #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 80 Physical Sci - Notes on Ohms Law, voltage, current, resistance, and power. Practice problems on whiteboards #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 80 Physics - Began with a @phetsims.bsky.social sim phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/bu... to review the parts of an atom. Did a card sort on the parts of an atom and their charge getting students to recognize that electrons are weakly held. Led to electrostatic notes #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 79 Physical Sci - started a short electricity unit before we get to finals. Started with a sticky interaction inquiry lab using just tape, balloons, and paper bits #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 79 Physics - had students present their concrete their concrete bridge projects and then did a couple quick inquiry activities to intro our electricity unit #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 78 - Physics finished project & Physical Sci did energy Quiz. Had our winter assembly & I’m annoyed at the lack of respect so many Ss have for their peers who put it on. School spirit really hasn’t been a thing, bummer way to go into break #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 77 Physical Sci - Used students rollercoaster designs to measure heights at 8 diff points then calc PE, Total Energy, KE Velocity, etc. would’ve liked more time but need to assess before the break so hope they paid enough attention! #iteachphysics #teach180 drive.google.com/file/d/17OIo...
- Day 77 Physics - Bridge Test Day! Used a vernier force plate to apply compressional force and pause to view cracking then continue until failure. #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 76 Physics - letting concrete beams cure for one more day, Ss began creating a multimedia presentation to show their results. Some Ss weren’t in class today due to historic flooding our region is experiencing so Ss collaborated over email #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 76 Physical Sci - Set up a “rollercoaster” and put a photogate at the end. Ss calculated velocity at the end then tested predictions. Obvi some error due to friction but # gets close enough to get the idea for cons of energy. Designed their own coasters on graph paper #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 75 Physics - pouring concrete day. Students worked through lunch to finish #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 75 Physical Sci - talked energy transfers in the context of food (chemical potential) to kinetic energy and analyzed some nutrition labels. Connected to energy transfers in roller coasters #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 74 Physics - last day for students to work on their bridge molds. Students started to figure out how to place their rebar and make use of other supplies. Will mix and pour concrete next day. Vid from a previous year #iteachphysics #teach180
- Day 74 Physical Sci - in WA state about 3/4 of our ⚡️is powered by dams, did a data dive then did @phetsims.bsky.social Energy transfer lab to see how energy forms transform #iteachphysics #teach180 docs.google.com/document/d/1...
- Day 73 Physical Sci - definitely a punt day, short class, lots of students missing. Put on a PBS show about energy and had them do a color by number for KE and PE #iteachphysics #teach180
