Yes there were people who did it at the last minute and people who never figured it out. One student's impassioned plea: "But I did everything you said" -- sorry this is "think for yourself time." And here's how I defend that. There are lots of parts of physics where you can write down the notes and hand me back a version of them on the test for credit. But those aren't the interesting bits. If many students are never going to use physics in their post-high school life, then the only justification for it is that it stretches their brains in ways they've never been stretched before. Most students know next to nothing about mechanics. So when they have top actually make something work, they have to think -- sometimes for the first time about wheels, axles, levers, and friction. If they can successfully enter a new area and produce maybe they can do this with other topics. Now I, personally, think there's merit in learning about how engines convert one type of motion to another -- but I'm biased. What may, ultimately, be more important is the challenge to
one's brain. The more you find out that you can enter a new field and meet it on its own terms, the more you will be able to encounter new areas. Too many kids aren't challenged by high school. There are classes, even in my school where you can show up, take notes, turn in crap homework, and get anywhere from a 'D' to a 'B' With 'A's being reserved for a marginal extra effort (bake a cake in the shape of the periodic table and get extra credit). I hear from students all the time about easy extra credit: 1 point for bringing a water bottle to health class, another few points for dressing up for spirit week, extra-credit projects and papers. Its this weird continuum where teachers give back points that students blew-off. I say screw you. You didn't hand in the homework, you take your lumps. At any point you can start turning in assignments and your grade will start to improve.
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