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Hello, I"m going into my second year as a 9th grade physical science teacher...and I've really been trying to piece together a project using the physics concepts in Angry Birds. I was just wondering if anyone had come up with a project, or maybe we could work together to brainstorm one? Thanks, Chris

I must admit I have not played Angry Birds. If you can only change the angle at which the bird is launched, you can still use it to determine what the angle causes the birds to travel the most distance. Have your students compare what happens as the angle is increased. Have them see if any angles produce the same distance traveled. Have them hypothesis what angle allows them to hit certain targets. Do we have any other Angry Birds players out there who could also help brainstorm?

I am not familiar with Angry Birds, but it sounds a lot like the straw rocket inquiry lab that I use. My students discovered that it is not just the angle that the rockets are launched at, but other variables come into play as well - like mass, center of gravity, wing span, tail size, length of straw, amount of air pressure, etc. Each of these can impact how far the rocket can travel before it hits the ground. Assuming that the angry birds are all the same size and mass (and if everything else is the same), then I guess getting good at determining trajectory is the only variable that matters.
I just read an interesting article on projectile motion in the Sept. 2009 Science Teacher journal: Idea Bank: Wiffle Ball Physics
If one is looking for a way to make this more interactive with the whole body, the activity described might be another way to help students better understand the concept of projectile motion.

Thanks for the advice, the water balloon lab on the football field sounds pretty cool. I wonder if they would allow me to do that our 2 year old, turf field. There are different size birds. I think it would be difficult with Angry birds to determine the angle and all that stuff on a small screen like a phone, but maybe with a computer or ipad screen it would be doable.

Susan, Thanks so much for this reference and article on Angry Birds. I must admit that it is new to me and I am going to explore it. It is another option to compare games/cyberspace/ and real hands-on 'projecting' as classroom activities. We launched pumpkins several times from Trebouchet constructions, flew rockets, and launched water rockets with flexible medical tubing tied to our goalposts. We did NOT harm the new field and the kids love this activity. We also launched duck pin bowling balls out of second story windows onto a back field that we make sure is deserted. I have several sturdy planks and various widgets that the students can use to alter the trajectory. They can 'calculate the initial velocity' or determine it from the horizontal and vertical positions or from the range and time of flight. Adding impulse and momentum to this activity is phun if you aim for a large sandpit contained in an oil drum or something similar. Dampen the sand so that the kids can measure the depth of the crater and do their calculations for stopping force and energy losses due to the inelastic collision. Creating opportunities to launch projectiles in the real world really leads to great physics content and enhances students understanding, I think. ~patty ~patty

Thanks for sharing the link to the article, I think that taking snippets of video from the game you could use a video analysis program like Logger Pro to analyze the motion of each type of bird, see if the acceleration of gravity is constant between birds, see if energy is lost when a bird drops an egg or splits, or other such things. Once your students assemble a series of good clips there are lots of mechanics questions they can ask of the birds! Alison

Hi Alison, Another cool way to use LoggerPro is to encourage students who have IPhones, Pads, INano, etc. to download the Vernier Video app from the Apple store for 2 dollars. The app allows them to do video analysis on these devices. This empowers students to go out and take 'real' photos of birds or footballs, or soccerballs or high jumpers etc. etc. etc. There are so many ways to find projectile motion in real life outside the classroom that students become really excited about 'applying' their knowledge --and this is one of the themes of the new stnadards recently released. If you are able and it sounds like you know Logger Pro video analysis so if you have an opportunity try the app or let a student know about it and experiment with it a bit. Please tell us your thoughts and what happens. Thanks so much for guiding the conversation toward using a snippet of video for video analysis. Great idea, Alison. ~patty

I've never used Logger Pro before. It seems to be a pretty school friendly software...as far as site licensing goes. What kind of sensors do you have to have to use it effectively?

Hi Chris, I'm putting your post in quotes here so that I readily remember -"I've never used Logger Pro before. It seems to be a pretty school friendly software...as far as site licensing goes. What kind of sensors do you have to have to use it effectively? Firstly, thanks for your question about LoggerPro. Site License: Vernier's site licenses are very open - once the school has a copy of LoggerPro, the software may be put on all of the computers in the school and the teachers and students may put a copy on personal laptops. This makes it 'pretty school friendly software' as you said As to sensors, there are more than 80 sensors for K-16, all content areas that exist. To use a sensor, you need one of the 3 basic interfaces (Go!Link, LabQuest, or LabQuest mini) However, you do not need an interface to use LoggerPro for Video Analysis. You may upload a video from a cellphone or other device and open it and analyze it in LoggerPro. One of the cool things that I have done on Back to School night is to use the NASA video of the Falcon lander on the moon and the drop of the hammer and the feather on the moon. My students digitize and analyze this classic NASA real-time video from the moon to learn something about the gravitational force on the moon and to think about Galileo's great ideas on falling bodies. This makes for great inquiry and doing a quick demo of this for the parents is an awesome way to 'break the ice' for future conversations with parents. I find it a phun thing to do. To learn more about LoggerPro, please visit the Vernier Software & Technology site: http:// www.vernier.com If you wish to look at an examination copy of LoggerPro, you may request one. ~patty

NASA Apollo 15 Hammer and Feather Drop on the Moon If anyone is interested in the wonderful video, I've uploaded the site to my Personal Library and share it with you as an attachment to this post. FTI At the end of the last Apollo 15 moon walk, Commander David Scott performed a live demonstration for the television cameras. He held out a geologic hammer and a feather and dropped them at the same time. Because they were essentially in a vacuum, there was no air resistance and the feather fell at the same rate as the hammer, as Galileo had concluded hundreds of years before - all objects released together fall at the same rate regardless of mass. Mission Controller Joe Allen described the demonstration in the "Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report": Enjoy and let us know if you think it using video analysis and this particular NASA video as the foundation for good inquiry. Thanks a bunch for the motivation to share these ideas. ~patty

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NASA Apollo 15 Hammer and Feather Drop on the Moon (External Website)

Hi Patty, I love showing this video clip to my physics students. In addition to the clip, I also present another demonstration that is helpful. I have a cylinder that contains a feather and a small plastic ball. In the presence of air, the ball falls to the end of the tube first (because of air resistance on the feather). However, if you remove the air with a vacuum pump, it is another story. In the absence of air, both fall to the end of the tube and strike at the same time. Another demonstration that works well is crumbling up a piece of paper and dropping it and another object at the same time.

Sounds like some pretty awesome software. Digital Wish here I come! I did some stuff with hotwheels cars on race tracks last year. It would be awesome to have sensors to measure their velocity at certain points and things. But if I'm understanding correctly, students could record a video of the car going down the track, load that into logger pro and get data?? Is that right?

Chris wrote, 'But if I'm understanding correctly, students could record a video of the car going down the track, load that into logger pro and get data?? Is that right?'

Yes, Chris. You are right. My students have used Vernier Video Analysis in class. The program is very user friendly. It graphs the data that is collected from the video and then 'builds' the graph during the video playback. My students found it very helpful seeing the video while comparing it to the graph.

Thanks Chris for bringing up angry birds. I have played angry birds and do enjoy the physics aspects of the game. I have an android tablet and want to know if anyone is using apps directly in their instruction. If so, what and how? The information about loggerpro is new to me and I will check out the vernier website and see if we can't do something here at my school. I appreciate Patricia and Ruth for their experiences using the program. It seems like something that the kids could really get into. Thanks also for the link to the hammer and feather drop.

I have a promethean board at school and was wondering if anyone hooked up an iPad to it.

I have wondered how I could get away with having my students play angry birds in class...haha I don't know how well that would go over.

I have to admit, when I first saw this category, I kind of chuckled and wondered what would happen if I asked my middle school students about the physics of angry birds. So, I did. I brought in my ipad, put it under my document camera, enlarged the screen some and then flung a couple of birds. As anticipated, the kids went nuts. They laughed that I was such a neophyte player, little did they know I had gotten through all of the levels once, but for the sake of learning, sometimes it pays off to pretend you have no idea what you are doing. The kids offered all types of advice, but I told them I could only understand their suggestions if they were shared in terms of Science. I was amazed at how well they could use the vocabulary of physics and apply what they had learned to the “game.” I continued to act confused, and finally they took to drawing the concepts on the whiteboard. “Angles, trajectory, velocity, vectors …” all drawn with accuracy and explanations to die for. Heart be still. What was interesting to me was the kids all had different birds they professed to be their favorite. Not to let a teachable moment go by, I had them get into groups by bird types and create a “Wanted Poster” with a diagram of their bird, it’s attributes and tell why it should be the most wanted of all. I reminded them that convincing arguments could be made not only from a Science point of view, but a Mathematical one as well. I have to admit, I really don’t like the really fat bouncy red bird because I didn’t think it to be all that useful. It was amazing how convincing the kids were in terms of circumference and the amount of surface area the bird had and could “Wipe out more stuff than the other puny little ones.” Another controversial bird was the green boomerang one. They felt it was the most unpredictable, but depending on the building type “Could act like a hurricane force and do more damage than anticipated.” By far, the favorite was the black bomb bird. Actually Chris, as the discussions deepened, I did let my kids pull out their i-phones and test some of theories. We have a rule against such things, but then, I always tend to advocate for whatever advances learning. To answer Gerry’s question on using the app on an interactive whiteboard, I have tried and haven’t found a way to make the ipad and the board interact. I will continue to keep thinking it through and see if I can make it happen. If we do, I’ll be sure to shout out a big “WOOO HOOO” and post the instructions here. Wouldn’t that be a really cool interactive application! I am curious with the advent of some of the newer tablets like the Toshiba Thrive that has external hookups and flash capabilities to make the interface with the interactive boards more compatible would work. I don’t know if Angry Birds comes in app versions other than Apple. Hmmm ….

Thank you to Adah for giving the idea of using a large water balloon launcher, aka a slingshot for those of us old enough to remember such a thing. Of course I loved the idea so immediately had to have one. For those of you like minded folk, I went online to Amazon.com and did a keyword search for “water balloon launcher” and found many to choose from. As I ordered I thought to my compulsive self, “Why order just one?” I can’t wait for spring.

Sandy, you are a wonderful teacher. I can envision the excitement in your room during the angry birds presentation. Also, what a great idea to break the kids up by favorite bird. I too like the round black one. Another thing I notice when I play the game is the geometry of the constructions and of the pieces and of the interactions of the pieces as they fall. I especially am aware of the triangles. This could maybe be some kind of an addition to your lesson plan. Thanks for the ideas.

Thank you to everybody who has been posting on this topic! I'm going to incorporate this into my upcoming unit. Sandy, your description of what you did in the classroom is awesome, thank you for sharing. Question for all: How would you incorporate a lesson / lessons revolving around angry birds, if access to the internet is minimal? Our computers are often reserved for testing and I cannot guarantee that I will have the computers when I need them. Also, very few students have smart phones. Has anybody had these problems, yet had success at using interactive games? Or is their a 'paper based' lesson that we could do in the classroom to build knowledge and then leave the computer based learning for home or to a public library. Has anybody successfully done something along those lines? Thank you again for all of the wonderful ideas!

Sandy...that makes me excited...I don't get to teach this stuff until spring...so I can't wait. I'm also going to look into getting the water balloon launcher....I'm already trying to think...how could I make it split into 3 balloons??? lol. Kathryn....I think just about every kid in my class has a smart phone...so I wouldn't run into that problem...I know that the kids will be familiar with it. I'm pretty sure you could get it on your compuer through Rovio...i'm not 100% sure though.

You could make Rube Goldberg Machines.

Thank you Adah for the water balloon idea. I've been using golf balls and tennis balls, but water balloons are way more fun - the kids are gonna love it! One question - who's responsible for picking up all the balloon bits and pieces? Do you inspect the field making sure that everything is cleaned up?

Sandy, thanks for sharing your experience! I'm sure it must have been thrilling to hear your students problem solving and using physics terms as they played angry birds! :) Kathryn, while the angry birds idea is exciting and innovative, I empathize with your concerns about not being able to access a computer (or potentially not having students with smart phones). I think the key here is finding something to connect science with your students. The angry birds idea is great because the kids love it and they are familiar with it, but there are other areas that you can capitalize on to link student interest and content. For instance, if you have kids who love to skateboard, you can help them determine the velocity they must be traveling to make a difficult jump. If you have kids who play football, you can use the idea of an offensive lineman lining up against a much larger defensive lineman to teach conservation of momentum. Using technology in our classrooms can be a great way to connect and engage with our students, but if technology in unavailable there are many different ways to engage our students. What are some other innovative ways that teachers connect students to science?

Vince, thank you for the suggestion to use the geometry of the construction of the pieces, I hadn’t thought of that. I wonder if the game has accounted for how the shapes would act in real life. You have given me a new reason to play the game over again. I keep hearing that Angry Birds is available for PC now for both Windows XP and Windows 7, but I haven’t had much luck finding a downloadable resource. I am curious if anyone has found one that works.

Sandy, I think you might be hooked on the game and are just looking for any reason to continue playing. The one bird that is a little different is the yellow one that you can increase the velocity. There must be some geometry or physics lesson in there somewhere. Also interesting is the blue one that splits into 3. On the topic of the water balloon launcher, that seems like a lot of fun. If the students don't remember anything else from the class, they will remember that. I have heard of teachers using pumpkins as well. That could be memorable and instructive and messy. Do you use targets that the students try to hit with the balloons? A misbehaving student perhaps? Thanks for the input.

For those whose tech availability is limited, I think straw rockets are a good "substitute" to teach the applications of projectile motion. An earlier post in this discussion thread spoke of straw rockets, and I just wanted to share how I use them in my Physical Science class. Each student is provided with the materials to build his/her own straw rocket. I give them a specific set of constraints that they all must adhere to -- no longer than 10 cm, no shorter than 4 cm; each rocket must have at least 3 fins, etc. I have a target (a large "X") set up in the corner or the back of the room, and the rule is that the student must hit the X twice consecutively in order to win a prize. That way, they realize the need to pay attention to the angle at which they launch the rocket, as well as the force used to propel it. If they can replicate the conditions exactly, they should be able to hit the target repeatedly with no problem. There is always a line of students waiting their turn to test out their own rockets, though, so it becomes a little bit more difficult for someone to set up the exact same conditions after others have "messed" with the position of the launcher and stuff. (I mark the location of the launcher, but it still ends up shifting position a bit everytime.) This discussion has been so interesting :). I wish I taught Physics so I could go more in-depth into projectile motion and such. I know my students would definitely love to play Angry Birds in class!

I love Angry Birds, but I never thought of it as an educational tool. I wonder what my wife will say when I try to explain that to her.

Hi Terry,
At the New Orleans conference a workshop was presented by Rhett Allain. The title of the workshop was: AAPT Session: Physics from the Internet
He has uploaded two resources at the New Orleans conference website that you can download. One of them, Physics_Doesnt_Have_to_Be_Boring_(slides).pdf, illustrates some of the physics of angry birds. You can get to it by going to the NSTA Area Conference, New Orleans, LA, scrolling down to the bottom and typing in under Search Events, the key words AAPT Session.
Carolyn

I got interested with the topic, because recently my kids have been talking about it, so I watched one time, and found it really good application of physics concepts such as trajectory, vertical and horizontal velocities, initial and final velocity, angle of projection and height of the trajectory. My goodness! There seems to be more physics in what I thought was just foolish games of birds getting revengeful of pigs. lol.

Hi Chris! Actually I've never thought about it...but now that you've brought up a SUPER topic to use in all types of science classes (viscosity of substances used in ballons and the affect it has on distance, inquiry in life science-just the trial/error portion, physics, etc..), I'm thinking I want to do something on this too!! Thank you! I'm thinking of doing something like that mentioned in regards to water ballons and launch. That was the first thing that I could think of as well. Angle of the launch as well as the size of the balloon used would be a great connection and correlation to the all time favorite "Angry Birds". Thank you for the idea! You've given me insight as to how I can use physics in my life science class (for our inquiry unit - i.e. Science Fair)

I didnt check through all of the posts, so this might be a repeat. The bird that splits into 3 is a good example of the conservation if momentum. The three birds have a combined momentum that is equal to the initial bird

Another great app, actually, it's a software program is "World of Goo." It's great way to play with elastic forces of tension, elastic forces of compression, friction, etc.

There's a thread on Angry Birds, Space that seems to be of interest in learning about the effects of gravity, orbits, and slinging things through space. A great video of an astronaut, Don Pettit, flinging a red bird in the space station. check it out if you wish

The thread is entitled Gaming and Space Angry Birds... that thread in this Physical Science forum would love to hear your voices, too.

If you ever wanted to extend your students understanding after using Angry Birds check this out: http://www.nasa.gov/microgravity/ NASA worked with the Angry Birds developers to create a game that simulates gravity in space!

I would say that finding ways to implement today's technology in the classroom can have great benefits for students! I was searching the AMLE website (for middle school teachers) and came across many interesting articles on the subject. One I would recommend would have to be the idea of cell phone use in schools. I realize it still might be a ways away, but I just found this article interesting (I will also attach three other interesting articles that I read about).

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AMLE_four_articles.docx (0.03 Mb)

I don’t know if anyone else has had the opportunity to play Angry Birds in Space yet, but talk about a challenge. By adding the various gravitational fields and celestial bodies, this takes the game to whole different level. My middle school students were all abuzz when it first came out and ran into my room to tell me all about the Science of the new version. It was interesting to hear them talk about velocity, trajectory, “slinging the orbit” – whatever that means, and how to “kill the pigs when there is no gravity to help you.” Some of my quietest students have come alive and are “wondering if …” While I am not exactly sure the Science is applied correctly, the bonding and team building that is coming out of this game is phenomenal. Oh, and yes Vincent, I have found yet another reason to play the game.

Hi Sandy, I love all your ideas about using angry birds to engage students. I will definitely try and modify your ideas for first graders. Do you have any suggestions? Right now, I'm having a hard time trying to implement very basic ideas about physics to them according to our standards. Alicia

Hi Sandy, I love all your ideas about using angry birds to engage students. I will definitely try and modify your ideas for first graders. Do you have any suggestions? Right now, I'm having a hard time trying to implement very basic ideas about physics to them according to our standards. Alicia

This is a fabulous idea. Without even trying it I know it would be a hit with the students because it's something they already know and love. They won't realize how much they are learning and the effort they are putting into it because of the fun they will be having. My toughts are to to use life size materials - empty cardboard boxes of different stackable sizes and styrofoam balls varying in sizes. It might be a good idea to ask the students to bring in items as well as long as the properties of those items are calculated into the formulas used. Keep us updated on how this goes.

I really like this idea...I can see this taking off like a lesson that uses "creating" a facebook page for an element or the like. I would think that also taking into consideration of the density of matter is important. The glass is much different than the wood or stone...and the design of specific birds is an important decision to consider.

I just received a Kindle Fire and downloaded Angry Birds. I find myself talking about the angle, velocity, etc. when playing this game. I find it very educational and challenging to see if I can adjust properly and how quickly I can 'learn' what works. I believe this is a game that students will enjoy and I will use it this term as we are doing Force and Motion!

Here is a game and how to install it http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/10/physics-of-angry-birds/ also look at http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/is-the-launch-speed-in-angry-birds-constant/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/angry-birds-and-the-valentines-pendulum/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/10/does-the-angry-blue-bird-multiply-its-mass/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/04/how-does-the-green-angry-bird-work/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/fruit-ninja-how-big-is-that-fruit/

Sandy...have you had a chance to try the new "Pig Dipper" level on Angry Birds space yet? It is RIDICULOUS!! Now the planets are made of water or maybe they are "gas giants??" When you shoot the bird into the water, it pushes the bird toward the surface...so now you have to plan on that affect, plus the affect of gravity once the bird exits the "planet." It is hard...lol

This is quite an extensive thread. Very exciting to see that everyone has such innovative ideas. I too have wanted to implement Angry Birds into my curriculum and I think this thread will help tremendously. I already use trebutchets in my curriculum but have yet to show Pumpkin Chunkin in my physics presentations. Eventually I want to implement a more Hawaiian Curriculum like using Holua sleds in regards to simple machines. Great discussions!

Hi James, Welcome to the forums- your posts are most welcome. I'm curious and I do not know about 'Holua sleds.' Could you please tell me more about them. Thanks for sharing, ~patty

When I create curriculum I try to connect it with my culture as much as possible but because I am a new teacher I have had some difficulty in implementing this lessons. Anyway, ancient Hawaiians were the original inventors of extreme sports they not only invented surfing but they invented a sport... actually I can't remember the name of it but the sleds they used were called Holua. They built ramps made of stone and slid down (face first) these massive ramps with sleds that were only about 4 to 5 inches wide but 4 to 6 ft long. There are legends we grew up hearing about how the sleds were used to escape the volcano goddess. Long story short I would use this lesson to introduce incline planes/simple machines.

This is great, James. The sleds almost sound like small surfboards. Perhaps they are the precursor to snow boarding and skate boards. It is terrific that you connect science concepts to the real world of your students. There are so many rich cultural traditions of Hawaii to tap into. Thanks for describing the sleds for me. What other cultural connections do you strive to make? ~patty

There are a lot of great ideas on Projectile projects in this thread. I definitely would love to fly water balloons down a football field and I will start talking to the coaches to allow me too! To make it more fun, maybe I'll stand down field and have students aim at me.... One idea for a projectile lab that I got from a fellow physics teacher is using a NERF gun to hit army men ON THE FIRST TRY after calculations. I played angry birds a little and I think that the game actually uses real physics equations to allows the projectiles (birds) to respond differently to force applied and angle. I think to elicit/engage students into the idea of projectiles I'll let them play some angry birds in class and start a discussion about how the different birds fly and what effects that motion. Thanks for the great ideas in this thread!

There are wonderful ways to shoot tennis balls, water balloons etc down the field by using the goal posts and using a strong elastic cord as the projectile launcher. Given the concern with guns etc., I would reconsider taking any type of water gun or missal shooting gun to school to use in a lab. I strongly believe it behooves us to be sensitive to the rules of our schools and in the East, that means no guns, toy or otherwise. I am aware that laws are differing in some states but what I do in the classroom in the name of science must mirror the culture of my school. Since I live within several miles of the White House, I even notify various folks outside of the school when my students are setting off rockets, especially those with second or third stages. There are many vetted instructional strategies open to creative teachers:} Please do not take my words in any but a brainstorming way. Thanks ~patty

Chris, First of all I want to applaud you for wanting to integrate Angry Birds into your lesson. It is a very popular game amongst young individuals. I think no matter how you use it: as an attention getter for figuring out the different angles and travel distance, or creating your own Angry Bird Game. Last year in one of my classes I had a child with disabilities who was obsessed with Angry Birds. The child's parent and I came up with the idea to use Angry Birds to teach him about gravity. The parent made different weight birds (they actually looked like those out of the game), and we made an set up, and had the child play the game out. I am not sure what purposes you want to use that game for but I think you can almost make anything into an Angry Bird. Also, I liked the article that Susan provided. The picture shown in the article gave me an idea. Once you figured out what distance each different bird travels under what angle, you can take screenshots of the game, and project them on the screen, and the kids could come up with the angle that was used, the distance traveled, etc... Thank you for sparking and supporting a creative approach to teaching. Natalie

One of things I did was have the students build a catapult using popsicle sticks and rubber bands. I used the Jenga blocks to build the structures and the little green toy soldiers as the pigs in the Angry birds game.

Natalie, I applaud the way you used Angry Birds with special needs students. How clever to extend the electronic game into hands-on situations for your students. You shared a great strategy. Thanks ~patty

Hey Chris! you can use newton's laws!!!! And have your student do a group project.

Hi Maria, Could you expand your ideas for us a bit, please. They are enticing. ~patty