The Beauty of Aiming High and Missing

In my physics class, we have a project called "The Free Choice Project."  I started doing this in both chemistry and physics twelve years ago in order to give students who felt constrained by rubrics a way to explore what they wanted to in as much or as little depth as they want.  I give them two months to work on it, so they know I am not looking for something basic (unless it is in chemistry, and the project on the pH scale).

Students are allowed to choose as much as possible.  They can decide to work alone or in a group of four or fewer.  They can decide what topic they want as long as it can be focused on the subject we are in.  It can be a broad survey of the entire topic (food preservation methods) or a deep examination of the one small aspect of the topic (how microwaves can be focused and fired at objects using a homemade Herff gun).  The only true requirements are that the presentation is at least 15 minutes (never a problem) and they have some type of demonstration with the project. The demonstrations should be live if possible, but a video is allowable if the topic is too dangerous (e.g. rifle recoil) or inappropriate to bring to school (e.g. an elephant pooping).  I give them weekly checkpoints in which they can keep me updated on their progress.  Given that the presentations take up two weeks of my class time, I care deeply about these projects.  The kids know that and almost always step up with great things.  I learn a lot from their presentations.

Sometimes, a group gets really ambitious.  A few years ago, I had a group make thermite (after their dads agreed to supervise all experiments).  I've had students make their own ice cream using liquid nitrogen.  One of my favorites was the chemistry of art, in which students explored painting restoration and the chemistry of the color change that happens to glaze in the kiln. 

After 12 years of assigning this project, there are some topics I know I will get, like the chemistry of fireworks and the physics of sports.  Every year, however, I get at least one topic I've never had before.  This year, there were two, and they were definitely ambitious.  One young man asked to make a rail gun, and one group asked if they could build a functioning BB8.  I believe in saying yes as often as I can so that my no will actually mean something.  I mean, I told the group that wanted to do the physics of pooping that they could as long as they were studious about it and no human beings were involved in the demonstration.  I only really say no to things that cannot be made safe with reasonable precautions.  These two sound amazing, even if they were more ambitious than all the other groups. 

BB8 - The group that tried to build BB8 worked a lot.  They kept our 3D printer running for quite some time.  They researched all of the components that make it work: momentum, motors, and magnetism.  They asked advice from science teachers, IT people, and the art teacher about what materials would hold up in the rolling section.  Eventually, they decided that they just could not find the right materials, and they backed away.  Their project was still on momentum, motors, and magnetism, but they demonstrated them differently.

Rail Gun - If you don't know what a rail gun is, click here.  It's not really a gun, except it kind of is.  It uses electromagnetic energy rather than explosives to launch projectiles.  The young man who made this apparatus spent over one hundred hours in research and building, purchased hundreds of dollars worth of supplies and equipment, reached out to unwilling electrical engineering professors, found assistance from a mechanical engineering student, and spent weeks troubleshooting.  He also communicated with me at all times about issues he was having and whether or not the demonstration was going to occur.  While he ultimately could not get it to launch, he videoed his trials and presented how it should work and also why it didn't. 

Here's the beautiful part.  Because of all the difficulties, he learned more physics than anyone in my class.  Troubleshooting forces you to analyze aspects of engineering and design that would never have come up if things worked the way they were supposed to from the start.  He will remember this experience and what he learned from it far longer than someone who likes basketball and learns how Newton's laws of motion apply to shooting.  There's nothing wrong with the level of learning they had, but they don't have the depth of learning that comes from the more ambitious project, even one that ultimately "failed."

Every time a student has ever tried a project that was this ambitious, they ask if I am okay with it.  Umm, of course, I am.  The line I use with them is, "I'd much rather you aim high and miss than aim low and hit the target."  School should be the time in which we challenge ourselves and let it be okay if we don't quite get there.  Students fear that the teacher will mark them low for failing to accomplish their goal, but they don't understand that, like a figure skater or gymnast or diver in the Olympics, you are going to start from a higher base score due to your level of difficulty.  Do big things.  You'll be glad you did.