In Conceptual Physics even 'wild data' is OK

You know the idiom of the “light bulb” moment, that instance of sudden revelation or inspiration when learning clicks, when excitement glows. To witness the first major high-school level lab inside Dr. Ariane McKiernan’s freshman Conceptual Physics class back in September was one of those moments.
With metric rulers, balances, beakers and graduated cylinders laid out before them, students learned how to precisely measure length, mass, volume and density at four stations with different solid objects or liquids.

“This is such a real-life experience with a problem,” said Steffi Zavaleta ’20. “Homework and studying are one thing, but this is like a word problem coming to life before my eyes.”

Three months later, such measuring skills were standard practice for Mayfield’s youngest scientists. Fresh with the knowledge of Newton’s three laws of motion, students were out on the Pergola lawn one chilly December afternoon testing their skills by measuring the movement of “balloon rockets.” Back in the classroom they turned to collaborative group work.

“I am really learning that physics is everywhere in our everyday lives," said Solunna Nwankwo ‘20. “Now when I’m bouncing a ball I’m thinking about gravity and air resistance.”

Solunna’s reaction is what Head of School Kate Morin and the Science Department faculty members were hoping to achieve when they moved this year to strengthen Mayfield’s science curriculum.

All freshmen are now required to take the lab-driven Conceptual Physics class to develop a solid foundation for upper level biology, chemistry and physics courses. The class also gives students another full year of a UC-accredited laboratory science course.

Conceptual Physics focuses on teaching students the rules of nature that govern the physical world by learning their foundations, not mathematical derivations.

“One of our biggest goals is that we want students to gain confidence during their labs, to become more comfortable with collecting data, trusting it and realizing that it’s okay if their results are not perfect,” Dr. McKiernan said. “I want them to see the trends and try and make sense of it and then see what happens when we change one thing in the process.”

This introduction to the scientific process will be important to their future success in STEM-related classes. Girls typically want to get the right answer right away, Dr. McKiernan said. But she is teaching students that in scientific inquiry, answers are typically slow in coming, steps must be taken along the way, and enlightenment comes by understanding errors and wild data.

“There have certainly been a lot of ‘a-ha!’ moments in the class,” Dr. McKiernan said. “I can see that they are starting to connect the patterns and that’s where we want them to be.”

Looking back to that first experiment in September, several students chuckled at how far they have come in one semester.

“We were just learning how to measure and now we are into conversion and calculations,” said Halle Villalobos ’20.

Next up after Christmas vacation: energy, sound, electromagnetism and astronomy.
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Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.