Physics in Play: From Tug-o-War Triumphs to the Physics of Football—Revolutionizing Learning with Activity Before Content

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From Suit and Sales to the Classroom

Let me tell you a story about a guy who traded in his suit and pharmaceutical sales pitch for a classroom and a bunch of footballs. Sounds like the setup for a sitcom, right? But this is no joke—it's my story, and it's about how I stumbled, quite literally, into the world of education.

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A Crossroads and a New Purpose

After a dozen years in the Navy and a stint as a high-flying sales guy in South Beach, I found myself at a crossroads. Money was great, but fulfillment? Not so much. I had a moment, a 'come-to-Jesus' if you will, that made me question my path. With four kids at home (seven now, but that's a tale for another day), I realized my heart was with the youth. I loved coaching, I could sell ice to Eskimos, and I could see the world through a child's eyes—not to mention my love for all things STEM.

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Jumping in With Both Feet

So, there I was, zero formal education training, save for my experience teaching high school students about nuclear physics as a Navy recruiter. Did that stop me? Not a chance. I dove headfirst into teaching 9th-grade integrated science at a large high school, inheriting a class that had been teacher-less for seven weeks. Their first teacher took a hike after 20 minutes, leaving behind a legacy of subs just trying to keep the peace.

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The First Day (and a Bag of Footballs)

Day one, I strutted in, suited and booted, shared a bit about myself, and asked them to show up in tennis shoes the next day. Day two? I brought a bag of footballs. We spent the entire class outside, throwing, catching, racing. I even got knocked down by a rogue football hidden in the glare of the sun—we all had a laugh. But here's the kicker: it wasn't just fun and games.

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Learning Through Action: Activity Before Content

Innovating the classroom approach by prioritizing "Activity Before Content" not only captivates all learners from the outset but also dismantles the traditional barriers to engagement. Consider the transformative power of commencing a unit on motion not with the usual suspects—vocabulary lists, worksheets, or passive video watching—but with an exhilarating tug-o-war contest. This contest isn't merely a game; it's a prelude to profound learning.

Imagine the lively competition in the hallway, where students experience firsthand the concepts of force, friction, and motion. Following the contest, where shoes are shed and socks are slipping, and strategies like keeping low to the ground are quietly shared, the students live through the principles they're about to study. The next day, armed with vivid memories of laughter and struggle, they're introduced to concepts like friction—why socks didn't provide enough grip on the floor—and delve into discussions on balanced and unbalanced forces, the significance of mass and force, and even Newton's Second Law of Motion.

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Turning Words into Memories: The Power of Hands-On Learning

This hands-on experience serves as a tangible reference point throughout the unit, making abstract concepts like inertia and momentum not only understandable but relatable. Suddenly, vocabulary words are no longer just words; they're memories, experiences, and the foundation for deeper understanding. Such an approach not only enriches learning but ensures that every student, regardless of their learning style, is immediately engaged and has a common experiential thread to weave through their educational journey.

Back to “Football Physics.” The next day, we talked about momentum and inertia, using our football antics as examples. It was a lightbulb moment. These kids, they got it. They understood the science because they lived it. They understood the vocabulary because they had experiences to go with the words. By the end of the term, their test scores were through the roof. Why? Because they had an experience to tie back to the material we covered.

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Toss the Playbook, Change the Game

Over 18 years of teaching across high school, elementary, and middle school, this has been my mantra: Activity Before Content. It's about making science real, tangible, something you can feel and experience. And guess what? In all my years, I've only had to write one disciplinary referral. That says something about engagement and behavior, don’t you think? 

So, here's to going against the grain, tossing out the conventional playbook, and teaching kids in a way that sticks. It turns out, sometimes the best way to learn about momentum is by chasing a football across a field, not just reading about it in a textbook. Maybe it's time we all took a page out of this playbook—because when students live the lesson, they carry it for life.

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