Two students were initially stumped at the challenge, but they correctly figured out how to make the ball roll off the table for the required distance (0.200 meters) on the very first try.
Westerville Central High School physics teachers Craig Bulger and Danny Hunt designed an inquiry style lab that challenged their students to roll a steel ball bearing off a table and land it inside a cup on the floor, which was a known distance away. Doesn’t sound that hard until one considers that the pupils were not allowed to conduct any pre-trial testing. They had to do everything with the math skills they learned from the lesson, trusting that their equations regarding horizontal projectile motion would actually work. “The inquiry was basically backwards from the traditional one, but the kids didn’t realize it until the end,” explained Bulger. “They had to take the known distance and use several calculations to experimentally determine the speed the ball needs. And they had to figure it out on their own, with no directions or help from me.”
A number of students successfully completed the performance based challenge. “It was a fun day for my kids and I was very proud to be their teacher, especially on that day,” Bulger concluded.