In Mr. Andrew Jackson’s A day 3rd and 4th block, a different kind of testing is going on.  The Physics honors classes are in their Projectile Motion unit, and instead of the usual pen and paper solo work test, Jackson decided to put a new spin on things.

This test requires the students to have a concept of not only the math work that goes into projectile motion problems, but also to be able to grasp the reality of such problems.  The students are put into groups of 2, 3, or 4, chosen by Jackson, and then are asked to put their teachings into action.  The students are given a spring loaded launcher attached to the top of a table, that releases a small ball into the air that lands somewhere down the “firing” lane.  The launcher is placed at a 0 degree angle, and the group of students must find the ball’s horizontal velocity using a series of mathematical equations.  Mr. Jackson then presents the group with a new random angle the launcher is set at, and the group uses the horizontal velocity to find the distance away a target should be put so that ball will hit the bull’s eye.

“I test this way because it changes the pace of things.  It’s a different way of testing, and much more authentic.  If you’re understanding the concepts and the math of projectile motion, then you can do it,” Jackson said.

The target is a good size (a regular piece of white printer paper), but don’t let it fool you.  When it comes to your calculations, the more precise the better.  You might think you’ve been fairly exact, but you really want to be down to a couple decimal places so that there’s no question that your ball will hit in that circle.

When it comes to the grading scale, Mr. Jackson is fairly generous.  If you get a direct bull’s eye in the smallest circle, you get a bonus (60 points out of 50), and the bonuses decrease as you move to the outer circle.  If you don’t make it to the circle, you get 2 points off for every 5 centimeters away you are from the target.  This can make a stressful, and pressure filled environment for certain students, but the group work is a small relief.  Junior Madeline Culbreth likes this style of testing because “it’s a more hands on experience.”  And no one can argue that it’s a good way to prove you know your material.
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