Difference between revisions of "CS382:Unit-fermiproblems"
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(New page: Fermiproblems - Use fermiproblems to encourage students to be comfortable making estimates and discovering ways to estimate with only limited data available. Worked examples are available ...) |
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* Learning how to show and defend the reasoning behind extrapolations | * Learning how to show and defend the reasoning behind extrapolations | ||
* Being able to make quick back of the napkin calculations | * Being able to make quick back of the napkin calculations | ||
| − | + | * Understanding of what significant figures are and how to calculate them | |
| + | * Understanding the difference between accuracy and precision | ||
== Materials needed == | == Materials needed == | ||
| Line 18: | Line 19: | ||
* Worked through examples showing a complete model and demonstrating which information is necessary for a ballpark estimation and which is not. | * Worked through examples showing a complete model and demonstrating which information is necessary for a ballpark estimation and which is not. | ||
* Problem sets for the students to work through | * Problem sets for the students to work through | ||
| + | * A quick example of scale such as [http://powersof10.com/ powers of 10] | ||
| + | == Comments == | ||
Pros | Pros | ||
| − | + | * What makes a good model vs. what makes just a model | |
Cons | Cons | ||
| Line 28: | Line 31: | ||
Comments | Comments | ||
| − | + | * Is this included in all of the other units, or also use this and then use these skills in lots of other places? | |
| − | + | ** We need to make sure that this - if it's a unit on its own - that it isn't a very boring first unit | |
| + | * Include talking about orders of magnitude, scale, significant figures, accuracy vs. precision, pattern recognition | ||
| + | |||
| + | == To Do == | ||
| + | * Sam has a high school teacher who has a list of many examples, he is going to get in contact with them. | ||
| + | * Merge this with Charlie's foundations unit. | ||
| + | * Think about and perhaps talk to Fitz/Brad about how much from Fire could be used to address this foundation unit | ||
Latest revision as of 11:20, 28 January 2009
Fermiproblems - Use fermiproblems to encourage students to be comfortable making estimates and discovering ways to estimate with only limited data available. Worked examples are available here
- A list of Problems is available here
Contents
Skill-set
- Using available sources to find information
- Quickly vetting sources
- Acquiring a feel for how to determine what factors are significant
- Learning how to make estimates where figures are not available
- Learning how to show and defend the reasoning behind extrapolations
- Being able to make quick back of the napkin calculations
- Understanding of what significant figures are and how to calculate them
- Understanding the difference between accuracy and precision
Materials needed
- Problems which are relevant to the models which the students will later be constructing in the class
- Worked through examples showing a complete model and demonstrating which information is necessary for a ballpark estimation and which is not.
- Problem sets for the students to work through
- A quick example of scale such as powers of 10
Comments
Pros
- What makes a good model vs. what makes just a model
Cons
Comments
- Is this included in all of the other units, or also use this and then use these skills in lots of other places?
- We need to make sure that this - if it's a unit on its own - that it isn't a very boring first unit
- Include talking about orders of magnitude, scale, significant figures, accuracy vs. precision, pattern recognition
To Do
- Sam has a high school teacher who has a list of many examples, he is going to get in contact with them.
- Merge this with Charlie's foundations unit.
- Think about and perhaps talk to Fitz/Brad about how much from Fire could be used to address this foundation unit
