Kingsport, Tennessee * -- Robinson Middle School science teacher Hope Hall plans to use fingerboards to help teach physics to eighth graders.

"It can help students understand the basic components of force in motion," she said. "They are going to work in cooperative groups, building three-dimensional models of a skateboard park."

Two years ago, Hall found a student with a Tech Deck * finger-sized skateboard in class, which as a toy, is currently a no-no in that class. In defense, he said, "But Ms. Hall, it's not a toy, it's science!"

Which gave Hall the idea for a physics lesson. She then found curriculum that had already been developed to teach Newton's three laws of motion.

Thinking critically about skateboard motion can clearly illustrate three of Newton's laws of physics: that objects at rest tend to stay at rest and those in motion stay in motion; that motion results in the loss of energy; and that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The experiments planned include taping marbles to the micro-decks and rolling them through equally Lilliputian pipes, chutes, turns, spines and ramps. Says Hall: "You think that won't wake up the bad boys?"

While Hall admits that the skateboard-inspired lesson plan may be most interesting to the young male skateboarding crowd, she believes it will interest all the students. The class is not scheduled to start until March, but apparently students are already asking when they can start the skateboard science projects.

Through the experiments, students working in groups will lead the virtual skaters -- represented by marbles -- in demonstrating Newton's first law of motion and the concepts of acceleration and mass, among other things. After keeping a log of the experiments, each group of students then presents a report about the physics concepts.

Hall feels it's good for kids to be "actually doing things rather than just listening to lecture," she said.

To cover the costs of the classroom project, which included the toy skateboards as well as the poster board, hot glue gun, masking tape, and stopwatches, Hall received a a $500 science grant from Eastman Chemical Co.

Hall hopes to continue to teach the skateboard science class every year. "I hope to continue and expand on it", she said.

This article was based on information in the article "Teacher uses skateboard science to explain Newton's laws of motion" by Clifford Jeffrey, found at http://www.timesnews.net/ communityArticle.dna ?_StoryID=3587823

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