Lesson 4: Picture-Taking and Drawing

Ethical Consideration

Students having their picture taken is a process which must be authorised ahead by their parents, or legal guardian. Students not participating in the picture taking activity can draw themselves as they wish. Later, picture of their drawing can be taken.

Particular Attention Paid to Special Needs Students

If there are students with a physical or cognitive impairment that limits their full participation in any of the activities, they can be provided with a drawing task to engage them with the concepts through their preferred format (small chalkboard, paper, or their chrome book).

Lesson 4
Purpose
Learning Outcomes
Procedure

Time: 90 minutes

Material: chrome book, cell phone, printer

Space: classroom or outside

Focus: Self appropriation and application of concept of physics to the human body through drawing and embodiment.

Theme: Line of gravity, base of support and center of gravity, Free body diagram

In this activity, students are asked to achieve a task similar to the one encountered in the chalk activity, but this time with a different support. Visual methodologies such as auto photography is highly effective in engaging the participants, especially in relation to the difficulties of understanding physics and abstract concepts about the human body. This activity meets their interest as taking a selfie is trendy these days. It is hoped that learners will find this activity engaging and interesting. The combination of photography with the drawings gives students the opportunity to create more layers to their learning. This activity allows the students to capture the self-appropriateness of the instructed concepts.

One important skill to stimulate in students within this workshop is spatial ability. It is a fundamental skill to develop to explore phenomena in our surroundings, which could be further understood as a physics lens. Visualising space cognitively is a fascinating imaginative journey to explore the marvels of the universe.

Definitions

The line of gravity, its direction is always toward the centre of the earth, and it is a constant.

The free body diagram

Step 1

Picture-Taking

Ask students to pair up. Using cell phones or chrome books, students will take one picture of each other in the position of their choice. Remind them that there is no obligation to participate in this activity.

Step 2

Drawings on Pictures

This additional activity implies a previous understanding of the concept of the gravity line, the base of support, and the centre of gravity.

After printing their picture, depending on their level of understanding.

Ask the students to draw: a circle for the base of support, the gravity line with an arrow, and the centre of gravity with a cross on their printed picture.

Have them paste their picture on their booklet.

Step 3

Presentation of Free Body Diagram

Depending on their level of understanding, watch a video on Free body diagram.

Step 4

Representation of Forces

Ask students to pair up.

Have them discuss and draw on their booklet, what they understood from the video what is a free-body diagram.

Show the students various representations of forces, when pulling an object.

Make them draw and reconstruct some intuitive models to understand free-body diagram.

Various Representations

Fig. 1. Scenario to represent: box pulled by a hand by means of a horizontal string.

Step 5

Analogy and Drawing Tips

Start with a discussion about the analogy of the box-table from the previous activity and the body sitting on the chair.

Have them draw a human body in different positions with some lines and circles to represent forces applied. Students can use pencils, paint brushes, Chrome book, etc to draw their figures in their booklets.

Some example stick figures, like illustration A, B, C and D, can be given to the students to assist them with their personal drawings.

Illustrations