Self-taught, long-ball hitter Bubba Watson gets a greater payoff from the collision between the driver and the ball than most anyone on tour. Find out what happens during those 500 microseconds in Science of Golf: Energy in Collisions and Compressions developed by the partnership of NBC Learn, Chevron, and the United States Golf Association (USGA). It’s one of twenty that bring you the science, technology, engineering, and math behind the sport.
Download the companion NSTA-developed lesson plans—jam-packed with ideas—that use the videos as a springboard. You might be a bit overwhelmed when you first open up the 20-or-so-page document, but there is a method to the madness!

• First, the page numbers on the table of contents are hotlinked to that section. Jump right to the end to see standards connections.
• The BACKGROUND AND PLANNING section gives a verbal description of the video and a timeline for “at a glance” evaluation.
• Want more STEM ideas? Each discipline in the PROMOTE STEM section has TAKE ACTION tips for engaging students.
• The FACILITATE ENGINEERING DESIGN INQUIRY supports you in guiding inquiry experiences where students make choices, but within an umbrella context.
• INCORPORATE VIDEO INTO YOUR LESSON PLAN helps you do just that with a bellringer, slots for 5E, and interdisciplinary and writing connections.
• The COPY MASTERS include photocopy-ready outlines for students and an example rubric.

Take a look for yourself! The Science of Golf video series is available cost-free on www.NBCLearn.com. Download the lesson plan at the link below for Word doc you can modify at will.
BTW, the USGA says that during impact the clubhead exerts an average force in excess of 2,000 pounds on the ball, compressing it about one-fourth of its diameter. That’s smashing it!
Video
SOG:  Energy in Collisions and Compressions highlights what happens during the 500 microseconds that the driver is in contact with the ball.
STEM Lesson Plan—Adaptable for Grades 7–12
SOG: Energy in Collisions and Compressions guides students in exploring the coefficient of restitution through an engineering design process. It also provides ideas for STEM exploration plus strategies to support students in their own quest for answers.
Image of Bubba Watson courtesy of jpellgen.
You can use the following form to e-mail us edited versions of the lesson plans: [contact-form 2 “ChemNow]