Kinesthetic experiences in the classroom seek to engage students by muscle movement, touch, or some form of physical activity. In this article, I describe an active learning session wherein students develop a qualitative understanding of center of mass and support forces using their sense of touch. The set of activities detailed here is based on a demonstration traditionally done by the instructor. When students conduct an in-class inquiry as opposed to watching passively, their excitement and enthusiasm can help them better understand the relationship between seemingly disconnected concepts of torque and friction.
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This step in the procedure can be supplemented with a question to the students: “
Why is it easier or harder to push on the meterstick at points closer to the edge of the meterstick?
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).© 2020 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2020
American Association of Physics Teachers
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