Log of SimRocket video Tape A

        abbreviations:

T = teacher

Ss = students

Gp1 = group of students at computer on left

Gp2 = group of students at computer on right

J = Jamie (student on left)

C = Chuck

S = Steven

K = Kelly

B = Brent

Tape A

0:00:00

T introduces project as new; students self-introduce.  T protests that they went too fast, so Ss re-introduce themselves, this time to camera.  T self-introduces, Ss prompt him to introduce self to camera, he does so.  Then T proposes to get started with some questions.

0:01:00

T proposes to start instead with reading from the screen, Ss agree.  T invites someone to read, C volunteers, reads characteristics of rocket #1, then T interposes framing of activity.  C reads characteristics of rocket #2.  T asks for comparison of rockets 1 & 3.

S answers "engine".

0:02:00

C continues reading rocket characteristics.  T asks for volunteers to read rest of intro.  K reads.

0:03:00

K reads, stops, glances at T, who encourages him to continue reading.

0:04:00

K finishes reading,  T says "OK" and starts questioning: what is force, different kinds of force.  Ss answer "wind, weather"

0:05:00

T asks their expectations of the rocket in simulation, then expectations of real rockets in their own project, lists forces.

0:06:00

T continues to list forces, asks "what is a rocket?"  C responds, then J?.  T asks if those things are true of their rocket, prompts for characteristics of their own rocket.

0:07:00

T asks for comparison of their rocket with real rockets, then with baseball.

0:08:00

T asks Ss to compare sources of power, proposes new characteristic of rocket (fly under its own power).  T asks if they care how high it goes up, Ss reply that length of time rocket is in the air is important to them.  T asks what forces they will have to contend with.

0:09:00

Ss identify forces.  T prompts, they identify no more forces.  T prompts Ss to describe how the bottle will be a rocket, S describes verbally and gesturally.

0:10:00

T notes the interesting shape of the bottle's nosecone.  Ss explain how they will make nosecone.  T asks for their opinion of the best shape for a nosecone -- "aerodynamic".  T asks about the relationship between aerodynamic shape and forces.   S replies, T expands on reply.

0:11:00

T continues expansion on friction and gravity, B nods, J plays with bottle.  T asks a "suppose" question.

0:12:00

J responds, T expands on scenario while J traces trajectory with bottle.  T asks about the effect of bottle shape on its trajectory, B explains.  T asks about texture, pointing at bottle, asks about the possibilities for rocket finishes.

0:13:00

C explains problem with the weight if bottle is painted.  T then asks about engine effects.  The problem is too big, no response from Ss.

0:14:00

T asks "which rocket goes higher"  S answers, but wrongly.  T answers own question.  Ss volunteer.

0:15:00

Ss speculate on which will go farther and why.   T sums up: "You can't tell …

0:16:00

"…unless you have a good simulation".  Discussion of variation across launches.

0:17:00

discussion continues.  Shift into question of fins.  T asks whether we could use SimRocket (SR) to figure it out, S answers, proposes to use rockets #4 & #5

0:18:00

Ss don't agree.  K notes different engines, so proposes to use rockets #3 and #4.  S gives his first pass at how to use SR.  T raises the problem of variation -- "one that usually goes up higher."

0:19:00

T suggests taking a bunch of different heights.  S proposes averaging.  T turns attention to rocket #8: "Can you predict how high it will go?"  S proposes…

0:20:00

T: "This is one thing you can do with a simulation."  T asks someone to read instructions, B reads.

0:21:00

B reads instructions.  T lays out procedure to today and future: "We'll see if we can predict rocket #8."  Ss: "OK!"

0:22:00

T points out printed forms, C & J get up to get forms, gp 2 shuffles.  T points out that SR is on internet: "You can go there whenever you want."

0:23:00

T points out instructions for increasing resolution of monitor: "Your teacher knows how."

First launch: "Whoa-hoa!"

0:24:00

K comments: "That's way more than 5 seconds!"  Ss cheer on their rockets!  T: "You have to click on the pencil."

0:25:00

T to gp 1: "Don't reset, click your cursor on the ground."   Problem with gp 2 releasing too many rockets at once, K apologizes, T reassures.

0:26:00

launching rockets

0:27:00

J loudly tracks rocket's progress; Ss make launching noises, reading aloud distances.  C points to gp 2's screen, asks: "what's that" -- "lightning". 

0:28:00

gp 1 discovers "#1 went better.  T suggests more trials.  Whistling noise.  K counts his rockets ("There's four!") as they fall.  T: "click on 2".  T prompts to "just click once".

0:29:00

Ss crosstalk: "we got…"  K: "Is this really lightning?"  T guesses it is because of firing too many rockets.

0:30:00

All watch gp 2's screen.  K comments that the rocket being launched doesn't have a very big engine.  T asks for clarification: "doesn't have a big engine or doesn't fire for a long time?"  C points to other group's screen, asks: "What are those little things on the screen?"  T responds: "people."  Ss:  "They're people?!"  "Watch out"  "Get out of the way!"

0:31:00

watching launches.  T prompts: "Did you see how high this went?"  J responds.  Then S explains, B gets notebook.  Gp 2 all talk about their launches: "Ours …"

0:32:00

S launches this time.  Both gps watch launches.  C: "This is going 247 miles an hour!"

C turns to camera, gives "thumbs up", says: "This is cool!"

0:33:00

Both gps watching screens, making records (and comments).  Camera zooms in on gp 2.  K asks: "Which one are you guys on?"

0:34:00

Crosstalk: "What's the highest you got on #3?" "That is the same with us."  Camera zooms in on screen of gp 2.  More crosstalk: "#4?  That's the same as us."

0:35:00

K &S grin to camera.  Gp 2 reorganizes.  Camera zooms in on gp 1 doing "number 5": "368?  That was pretty good."  C proposes to launch a different way (?), T dubiously agrees, J forbids.

0:36:00

J?: "They'll just pass each other."  "T: How do you know?"  C: "Ho, dude!"  T explains how rockets could miss one another.  "What number are you guys doing?"  "You guys!"

0:37:00

Gp 1 excitedly reports on their variation (two rockets seem to come from one) to other gp.  Spontaneous comparing of notes between gps.

0:38:00

C discovers something.  J suggests clicking somewhere else: "it might make a difference how high they go."  Gp 2 switches seats; S glances at camera.

0:39:00

Gp 1 doesn't switch seats, J reaches in front of C to operate mouse, leaves hand there.  T asks: "How many times should you launch the rockets?"

0:40:00

Ss guess 6 times because of number of columns on record sheet.  T suggests multiple launches of single rocket.  Ss study record sheets.  T reveals real meaning of chart; Ss: "Oh!"  Ss in gp 2 stretch.

0:41:00

launching.  J cheers.  "Have we done #8?" "We're not supposed to."  Silence.  C: "Will we do #8 today or not?"  T: "No."

0:42:00

K points at screen.  Both gps engrossed in watching screen and noting results.  Gp 2 spontaneously discusses nosecone.  Crosstalk.

0:43:00

S questions C (crosstalk).  Gp 2 has confusion over which rocket they are doing.  C asks T how to get this back out, T requests clarification, C reframes: "How do you make it bigger?" 

0:44:00

T responds: "You can't."  Silence.  "It only comes in one size."  J points to screen.  T asks gp 1 if they're ("This group- you") trying the same rocket lots of times.  C & J discuss calculation procedures.

0:45:00

Gp 1 in active discussion; gp 2 in quieter discussion.

0:46:00

S summarizes findings on nosecone and fins.  K asks whether we already have rounded nosecone.  J crosstalks.

0:47:00

K addresses gp 1.  C: "We accidentally clicked twice."  C reports to T "718!"; T notes that that is for two rockets together.  Gp 1 reports to gp 2 what had happened.  J: "click, click, click, click."

0:48.00

C to J: "400, 500, 600, 700."  C gazes at gp 2, nods.  S: "#1's like really consistent."

0:49:00

C to T: "What this little thing at the bottom, says like slow."  T: "Something to slow simulation."  S glances at camera.  K asks if we're sure…, B reassures.  C reports to T that "slow" doesn't really work.

0:50:00

Both gps discuss processes.  C gets up, J scoots in his chair over into C's place.

0:51:00

K checks on trial result.  C returns, repeatedly demands that J scoot over; J complies.  Silence in gp 1.

0:52:00

S? confirms trial results, K leaves.  S and B in gp 2 switch again, in K's absence, so S is in control of the mouse.

0:53:00

K returns, T leaves.  J swings in his chair, studying his paper.  C calculates with a calculator.  J & C look at each other's written calculations.

0:54:00

C reports between gps.  Gp 2: K calculates averages, other two are still launching: "Trial 5."

0:55:00

B notes finishing #2, asks K if he got everything down.

0:56:00

B: "Now we need to do #6."  K reports averages, gets little observable response from mates.  C looks at (for?) camera.  Crosstalk about synchronizing efforts.

0:57:00

Crosstalk.  J rolls chair over to S.  Gp 2 finds something strange on screen.  K asks: "Did we launch two up?"  Gp 1: J reads out averages.

0:58:00

J stands to look, sits, writes.  Gp 2: K consults with T, reports to gp.  C & J bickering over procedure.

0:59:00

C thrusts head at J, then turns to camera.  C: "You're gonna die… I'm dying."

1:00:00

T wheels chair across room.  J: "We're racing each other.  We're playing leapfrog."  C turns to camera, then S does.

1:01:00

T proposes to stop, K asks for permission to do one more launch, S supports him.  T asks gp 1; C reports being done and finished with averages.  Gp 2 does launch.  C to J: "You're gonna die.  The first half is dead, the other half is dead, you no longer exist."

1:02:00

J touches C on shoulder, says: "Bam, bam."  K asks about rocket speed going up and coming down.  T asks his opinion; K responds based on his experience of bottles, not simulation, to which T draws his attention.  C suggests to T an improvement that would speed up the rocket at the apex of its trajectory, then let it fall.  T responds: "It's not up to me."  C in high-pitched voice asks: "Didn't you make this?!"  T: "Yeah."

1:03:00

T: "It was made to be like a real rocket."  C argues that a real rocket doesn't go down boom, boom, boom, marking with his hand the non-smooth trajectory of the rocket in simulation.  T: "It's as good as I could do it."  J: "Yeah."  Silence.  J asks K what the averages show about #4.  T suggests comparing.  K reports not being done with #4 yet.

While gp 2 gets last launch result, C asks T to continue today, T demurs.  Discussion about who's ready.

1:04:00

T: "OK", suggests combining launch results.  T prompts gp 2, who read heights and check which rocket's results are being read.  T prompts gp 1.

1:05:00

Gp 1 reports, while gp 2 starts spontaneous discussion, apparently about the relative merits of the rockets.  T asks C: "How do you know if it's feet or meters?"  C avoids question, T asks again, C avoids again, smiling sideways into the camera.  J opens discussion of desirable features of rockets.  T moves on to rocket #2.

1:06:00

J asks K for bottle; K tosses it to J.  T checks that everyone is writing down all the numbers.  Student outcries of "Oh!".  T: "So do that."  Shuffling.  C gets notebook.  T prompts starting with #1 again.  S reads, T clarifies, S continues reading trial results.

1:07:00

S comments on the consistency of the performance of rocket #1.  J reads trial results for rocket #1, K queries.  S initiates report on rocket #2, B reports results.

1:08:00

B continues.  J reports his group's trial results for rocket #2, C gives the average.

1:09:00

T prompts the results for rocket #3.  S reports, then J, for their groups.

1:10:00

T prompts the results for rocket #4.  S starts his report, is asked to go slower, S continues.  Then J reports.

1:11:00

J continues.  S asks if T wants them to report for rockets #5, 6 and 7, T affirms.  S reports only two trials for rocket #5, then J also reports two trials.  S reports the results for rocket #6.  J exclaims: "No way!  Same thing!"  T: "Oh really?"

1:12:00

S reports results for rocket #7, then J gives 3 figures for rocket #7.  S? comments on one high figure: "That's weird."  Silence.  T asks how many trials [again], to which two (at least) Ss respond: "All six."  T asks whether you need more trials; S replies: "I don't think so, we have a good pattern going."

1:13:00

T prompts Ss to tell about this pattern.  J reads a list of numbers to illustrate consistency.

Discussion on consistency.  T asks if they know how to graph, suggests that they do that to see how it looks.  S: "That's a good idea."

1:14:00

T: "So I'll be back in a week."  C reports to colleagues that you can put one more column on the record sheet.  T asks what they plan to do on the project the rest of the week.  C proposes doing the rest of the missing data, averaging, finding out what they want on their own rocket.  T confirms.  S asks if they can do it at home.

1:15:00

T arises and points out internet address on the screen.

1:16:00

T shows internet address, then proposes graphing and finishing off the data.  T prompts discussion of how they would decide their own rocket design.

1:17:00

C proposes comparing rockets: "See what you guys here did to it" (referring to simulation) and choosing.  T draws their attention to the issue of the nosecone.  S proposes looking at averages.  T: "But maybe it's the engine that is crucial."  S: "Rounded is better."  T: "How do you know that?"

1:18:00

S explains, points out: "We have to eliminate the engine."  T asks: "How?"  K(?) responds: "With the pressure?"  T: "I mean in comparing them."  J proposes comparing all with rounded and all with pointed nosecones. 

1:19:00

C proposes adding and eliminating features.  J proposes aggregating all round and all pointed.  T points out the difficulty of comparing rockets with different engines if that is the crucial feature.  Ss study screens.  S: "We really don't know."  T asks how you would find out.

1:20:00

C suggests "experiment."  T asks: "What kind?"  C reiterates his idea of using bottles, T steers back to simulation.  C identifies first a problematic and then a good set of rockets for comparison and justifies his choice.

1:21:00

C suggests that "you guys" give options like in HyperStudio, continues arguing for moving features around on screen.

1:22:00

T points him back to the simulation.  Boys discuss choices of rockets to compare according to C's proposal.  C: "I see, I see, I see."  J: "If it's rockets 2 and 1, the rounded one is better."  C is confused about how to put together gp 2's efforts with gp 1's.  T points out that they already have plenty of data.

1:23:00

T: "Have we proved anything else yet?"  S makes argument, then B, then S concludes that we don't know yet about fins.

1:24:00

T: "So how would you find that out?"  C proposes moving features around (as before):

"Click on it and drag it."  S makes argument.

1:25:00

S continues his argument.  T prompts: "What do we know?"

1:26:00

S argues that rockets 5 and 6 show the difference between sanded and painted rocket bodies, identifies one as better.  T objects that the data is so close, we probably don't really know yet.  Discussion on evidence.

1:27:00

T summarizes conclusions.  B summarizes what we need to find out, but "we can't use an engine."  T prompts: "But how would we predict rocket #8?"  S proposes.  T asks if they can work on it during the week; all-around affirmation.

1:28:00

T notices that the place is deserted, demonstrates how to close down and shows sites on the web about rockets and even rockets made from bottles.  Thanks all around.

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This page last modified on August 01, 2003