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From Rubber Bullets to Rubrics of the Atom: Using Models in Teaching Physics
By PR Guruprasad
Sometimes physics teachers encounter situations in which it becomes difficult to explain abstract concepts in the absence of visual aids. Although a large majority of K-12 schools in the world today do not even have proper chalkboards and classrooms let alone computers, teachers can do some justice to their profession by using models, like I used to, when teaching Physics in the Horn of Africa nearly 30 years back.
It was in March 1982. I and another fellow Indian were placed in Shire Secondary School, a Grade 9-12 School, in a remote village known as Endaselassie, to teach physics and chemistry respectively. The village was in a region called Tigrai, in Northern Ethiopia. The country was under military rule. As there was no civilian transport from Makelle, capital town of Tigrai to Endasellassie, due to separatist activities, Sebastian (Sebastian Perumcheril John) and I were taken to the village in an Ethiopian Air Force plane.
Our first few days were very frightening as we were not used to hearing frequent gun shots throughout the day. In fact gunshots sounded louder than the school bell. Although the village lacked basic amenities such as clean drinking water, food and sanitation facilities, people were very friendly and hospitable. The school catered to children from Endasellassie and neighboring villages. Teachers came from different parts of the country. As suitable accommodation was very difficult to be found, we stayed in a hotel opposite to the school, and could meet every evening and discuss even academic issues. Ato Assafa, the school director too stayed in the same hotel and it was easy for us to communicate about any thing concerning our professional requirements in the hotel than in the school itself.
Lack of teaching resources in the school came as a blessing in disguise to teachers like me, as the situation gave chance to innovate our own curriculum and methods of teaching. Thanks to Physical Science Study Committee, I had taken my own PSSC Physics textbook from India as I expected resource shortage in the country before leaving India. (I had always carried the Beatles Songbook and PSSC Physics Textbook to whichever country I went to work in).
I could use wonderful models recommended in the book so that my Grade 11 and 12 students understood the concepts clearly. This article explains as to how I made use of a simple model consisting of hey, stones and rubber bullets to explain the structure of the atom.
As suggested in the textbook, I filled a gunny bag with hey, taking care that there was a stone in the middle. I got the bag stitched in such a way that my students would not be able to see what was inside the bag. I carried my bag, a toy gun and a few rubber bullets to the class next morning. After a few minutes of academic warm up activity to my students, I explained the objective of what we were going to do that period. Then I asked them to take turns and shoot at different points of the bag. The path of each bullet as it came out from the bag was drawn on the chalkboard. The resulting pattern served as a very effective springboard to discuss the interior of the atom.
There are numerous situations in which models can be used make connections between students’ experiences and lesson concepts, however abstract the latter may be.
About PSSC: In 1956, in the United States, physicists from the MIT and high school physics teachers teamed in to develop Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) Physics Curriculum, one of the best curriculums ever developed in the history of physics education, for use at the Grades 9-12 level. The first PSSC PHYSICS Textbook came out in 1960 followed by several editions including those published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training in New Delhi. Films, teachers’ guides and paperback support materials accompanied the textbook. In the ‘60s, science teachers in our government schools in India were also trained to use the PSSC Curriculum in Summer Science Workshops.
I had the pleasure of using PSSC Physics Textbook as a reference material during my student days and teaching it later, in different countries. This was one of the best textbooks to have used very simple and cost effective laboratory equipment (which could be designed by teachers themselves) to teach concepts such as refraction of light.
The lesson concepts in the textbook gave due consideration to students’ day-to-day experiences. Our textbooks should be written in such a manner that will help children integrate lesson concepts, wherever applicable, in their day-to-day experiences.
Reference:
http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/exhibits/pssc/
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Panamalai R Guruprasad is a freelance K-12 education writer based in Chennai, India. He has worked as teacher, principal and education officer in K-12 school systems in South Asia, East Africa and Southern Africa. He has also worked in textbook publishing, educational digital media development and creative writing for children. In 2008-09, he served as Technical Advisor to the Inspectorate of Education at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, Government of Cambodia, on a one-year placement. His published works include 54 articles in Teacher Journals (in India and the US) and a 1.8MB ebook “Creative Classrooms and Child Friendly Schools. He writes on issues related to K-12 Education. He can be reached at his email address panamalairguruprasad@gmail.com or his blog
http://www.educationwriter.blogspot.com
