Monday, December 19, 2011

Students Drop Flour From Airplane to Study Physics

I'm proud to work in a school where innovative lessons and great teaching happen everyday.  Recently, students in Shawn Cornally's Phyics class "took to the sky" to engage in learning an essential concept.  You can read more about it in Mr. Cornally's blog post.  It was also covered by the Cedar Rapids Gazette.  

Each year a local aviation group offers a scholarship to a high school student.  One of our seniors won the scholarship a few years ago and has his pilot's license.  So when the students suggested this activity, Mr. Cornally jumped on the opportunity to take learning to new heights (pun intended).



Then, over the horizon, came the plane with it's payload.  If you look closely, you can see the flour hit the ground.  



However, the calculations were off.  A quick call to the pilot and an adjustment for speed, the class eagerly awaited the last attempt.  



I commend Shawn, and all teachers, that look for innovative ways to challenge students to apply their learning.  


No comments:

Post a Comment