Adding Directions-Vectors

Book Chapter | May 2011

This chapter from, Companion Classroom Activities for Stop Faking It! Force and Motion is about adding directions and vectors. Activities include Direction Matters and Vector Application.

Idea Bank: Vector, Vector—That’s Our Cry!

Journal Article | March 2009

There are all kinds of computer-based software programs and websites available to help students understand and manipulate vector quantities. But if you have the time and want to do something different, this Idea Bank…

Idea Bank: Vectors on the Basketball Court

Journal Article | February 2010

An Idea Bank published in the April/May 2009 issue of The Science Teacher describes an experiential physics lesson on vectors and vector addition (Brown 2009). Like its football predecessor, the basketball-based…

Focus on Physics: Sailing Into the Wind: A Vector Explanation

Journal Article | June 2017

This column helps teachers build an understanding of physical principles. In this lesson, students discover surprising facts about sailing and also the intriguing usefulness of vectors.

Science of NHL hockey: vectors

Blog Post | May 2012

Vectors. The key to passing a puck, throwing a football, shooting pool, coordinating fireworks, or finding buried treasure. Knowing which way to go is one thing. Knowing how fast to move is another. Put them both…

Online Supplementary Files 2007-2020

Page | January 2020

Online Supplementary Files 2007-2020 November/December 2020The Aurora BorealisStudent WorksheetSolar wind velocity data and answer keySolar storm answer keyConnecting to the Next Generation Science StandardsThe Lives of Staph (Idea Bank)Appendix AAppendix BAppendix CAppendix DAppendix EAppendix…

Using a Game to Teach Invasive Species Spread and Management

Journal Article | January 2023

Invasive species are a major ecological and economic problem at the global scale, and education plays a major role in raising awareness and combating these species’ future spread. There are complex management and…

Physics Activities With Metersticks

Journal Article | April 2021

The Aurora Borealis

Journal Article | November 2020

Symbols in Physics

Journal Article | April 2021

Symbols are a cornerstone of the written language of physics and mathematics but inconsistencies in their use pose a challenge to students. This article reports on interviews held with first-year undergraduate physics…

Identifying Forces

Journal Article | August 2021