Task 2

Materials and tools for a working group:

ping-pong ball (or plasticine ball, file clip), worksheet

The teacher starts discussing whether all objects are falling to the ground. The intention is to identify the research question whether it is possible to slow down the fall of projections and, if so, in what way. However, at the beginning of the discussion, it is good to divide what is associated with the introductory question. For example, it is possible to discuss which objects are flying and what keeps them in the air. Sufficiently discussed ideas can then lead to interesting solutions to the research question itself, to which the discussion is going.

When the discussion is over (the pupils do not contribute new ideas and factual remarks), the teacher takes one particular object, such as a plasticine ball, a paperclip or a ping-pong ball, and asks whether this object will fall if we let it go. To emphasize the fall of the object perpendicularly downwards, it is interesting to lead the pupils to try to draw the mark on the ground where they think the object will turn out if the teacher releases it.

Subsequently, the teacher will ask the pupils to try to propose a procedure to slow down the fall of the object (clip, plasticine or ping-pong ball). It is advisable for pupils to work on suggestions in groups. The aim is to suggest at least one procedure in the group. The teacher guides the pupils to draw the draft and describe it appropriately. They should also prepare a rationale for why they think that this is how it might work (justifying their own past experience with similar situations or using the ideas they have). Pupil Teacher Encourages Reasons for Questions: How do you think it will work like this? Have you seen anything like that? If so, where? What do you think causes your object to be slower in your proposed process? Etc.

After making the proposals, the pupils present them. As in the previous task, it is also the task of the other groups to discuss a proposal that is presented to challenge its functionality, i. find mistakes and improve it. At the same time, in this discussion, pupils have to use prepared arguments – why do they think that this might work. After discussing the suggestions, they prepare lists of devices and bring them to the next hour to try their procedures. Due to the educational potential of the whole activity, the actual implementation of the proposals is of less importance compared to the design and justification itself. This means that pupils can also try procedures at home and get the results of the research. They record the result of the examination in the form of a conclusion, assessing in their own words whether their design worked or not and try to justify why they thought it was working or not, or what modifications they would propose.

Finally, pupils discuss with the teacher what procedures have worked and evaluate how these procedures are related, with the falling object still being subjected to a gravitational force, which in principle needs to be overcome, for example by acting on the object in the opposite direction and the like. However, it is not possible in any case to cause the object to stop gravity.