In my classroom, as part of my unit on slope, I have the students do a little something called Barbie Bungee.... Yes, they attach many rubber bands (they need to figure the number out themselves) to an action figure (No, I do NOT use Barbie Dolls with teenage boys!), and then bungee it off a pre-determined height. Their grade depends on how close they can come to the ground WITHOUT hitting it! And they get just the one chance... As the assignment is worth A LOT of points, this may sound very hard. However, before the actual jump, we spend an entire class period collecting data, developing an estimate of a linear equation, and discussing the slope of that equation, what the slope means and how to determine the correct number of rubber bands for each group to use. So, by the time of the actual jump and if the students took enough time collecting data, the end results should be spectacular!
Not bad for almost 500 cm off the ground!
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| Red zone = 'A'! |
As the action figure had to get to at least 50 cm off the ground- or the grade of 'F'
- and NOT hit the ground- or a grade of 'F'- ,
I had to be a bit merciful with some groups- meaning I gave them a second chance. Other groups trusted their preparation and their math- result? One group on their first jump got their figure to within 1 cm from the ground and an 'A'!
So why this topic in my post?
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| Buzz Lightyear made it! |
- and NOT hit the ground- or a grade of 'F'- ,
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| Poor JackJack... ouch! |
I had to be a bit merciful with some groups- meaning I gave them a second chance. Other groups trusted their preparation and their math- result? One group on their first jump got their figure to within 1 cm from the ground and an 'A'!
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| The best bungee! 1 cm |
Lately, my life feels a lot like this assignment....
Like I, a small little action figure, am standing on the brink of that 500 cm drop while trusting that the rubber bands will get me close enough to the ground without hitting to earn a good grade!
Will I make the red zone?!
I submitted my application for the new job today. Will I get the interview? Will they choose me? Do I want them to choose me, knowing it will mean leaving a school I absolutely love?!
I also made a decision with Luke this weekend... where will that lead? Either path is new and kind of scary... have I mentioned that 500 cm to a mere 8 cm tall action figure seems like a long way down?!
But I know that on both of these decisions, I have 'done the math'. I have weighed my options, kept close to the Lord and the Holy Ghost, and prayed continually.... I need to trust that 'math'- trust in my Father in Heaven- if I do, my results, like those of my students, cannot help but be spectacular!
And if I do 'hit the ground', I also know that my Heavenly Father is merciful and will provide that second chance!
And if I do 'hit the ground', I also know that my Heavenly Father is merciful and will provide that second chance!
This post makes me think of the scripture in Isaiah about "mounting up on wings as eagles." I think God is telling us something there. The way an eagle teaches its young to fly is a lot like your class experiment. They push them out of the nest and let them fall all the way down the cliff face. If the baby bird doesn't start flying, the adult swoops in at the last second and keeps it from splatting on the ground... takes it back up to the nest, and promptly pushes it out again. LOL. Over and over, until the baby bird flies. Life is SO scary, but He will always catch us... until we learn to fly. Good luck with everything!!!
ReplyDeleteGuess I am one of those baby eagles that didn't get it the first time, or the second time, or the.... or maybe I just learn a lot from being pushed out over and over again, knowing He will catch me!
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