The Force of Friction: What Moves Objects & People?

In humanities students researched undocumented minors and the reasons they immigrate to the United States. After examining multiple perspectives through texts, documentaries, guest speakers, and border field trips, students wrote an original, bilingual, one act play, based on the life of an unaccompanied minor, and then decided which plays would be produced and performed at the all school exhibition. During each play performance, at the moment of climax, the audience had an opportunity to determine the protagonist’s course of action, and the play was acted out accordingly. Our hope was to enlighten the public and inspire civil discourse. In physics and math, students studied forces, energy, motion and geometric transformations. Students applied their understanding of these transformations to illustrate the migration of an unaccompanied minor through a unique kinetic art (moving art) piece.

Teacher Reflection:

Students developed their problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills to design and engineer unique designs with an emotive story behind them. We were impressed by the critical thinking, courageous conversations, and creativity the students exhibited throughout this project.

Student Reflection:

The Force of Friction immigration project made me more aware of the social and economic factors affecting immigration in the United States and taught me a very important aspect of critical thinking; know the facts before forming an opinion. In Maths/Physics I utilized my understanding of mechanics and my creativity to apply our lessons on transformations into kinetic art pieces.

—Rachel To learn more visit: https://thedifferencemakercoachclark.weebly.com/the-force-of-friction.html or https://catechallen.weebly.com