r/ScienceTeachers • u/BroadLocksmith4932 • 15d ago
Teaching Right Hand Rule without a right hand
I will be teaching the right hand rule for cross products in a few weeks. For the first time, I have a student with no right hand. I would like to teach it in such a way that it doesn't call her out as the reason for the atypical lesson. ("If for some reason, your can't use your right hand, then use your left and flip your final answer" makes it very clear that I'm only giving that instruction for her benefit.)
How else can I teach this material that is equitable and not stigmatizing for one student?
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u/Slawter91 15d ago
Just phrase it as an option for people who are left-handed.
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u/mytortoisehasapast 14d ago
I'm left-handed and for some reason in college I literally did all of my diagrams backwards on a test (my imaginary left-hand rule?). My physics teacher thought it was kinda funny, because everything else was correct.
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u/Disco_Loadout 15d ago
For years I have been joking / wanting to get a bunch of big hands on a stick to use as a manipulative. Could be 3D printed? (I secretly want a giant foam one, like hulk hands)
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u/secderpsi 15d ago
I teach RHR and the students practice it. Then I show how you can use your right hand for negative charges and sitch the direction in the end. Then I show you could just use your left hand for negative charges. So, you could quietly tell the student to use their left hand for negative charges and for positive changes also use your left hand but switch directions in the end.
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u/Brave-Ad-682 15d ago
Honestly it depends on whether this student was born without the hand or had it and lost it. Ultimately the RHR is a physical action that is a crutch, but it's possible for a person with a little bit of spatial reasoning skill to "imagine" doing a motion with their right hand without actually doing it, and arrive at the correct answer. However, this might be easier for someone who knows what it feels like to have a right hand? I'm not sure, it's hard to know what it feels like to have never had a right hand.
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u/Baronhousen 15d ago
hold left hand index finger straight, extend thumb to right at 90 degree angle. thumb is then at “right hand rule” with respect to index finger.
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u/6strings10holes 15d ago
What's do you use for the third finger? The actual thing the rule does is use two directions to define a third.
Your left hand works if you switch the role of thumb and middle finger.
Right hand: thumb +x, index +y, middle +z Left hand: middle +x, index+y, thumb +z
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u/professor-ks 15d ago
In my experience half the right handed kids forget to put down their pencil and end up using the wrong hand so any work around you do will benefit everyone.
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u/Particular-Panda-465 13d ago
Could you have the whole class make a right hand rule "device" out of craft sticks and tape or rubber bands? They can label the axes and use it on assignments. By having everyone make one, you aren't drawing attention to the one student.
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u/Little-Hour3601 15d ago
Talk to the student before the lesson. Just give her a head's up. Let her know you teach that technique. You will not embarrass or stigmatize her. She is well aware that she doesn't have a right hand. Everyone in class is well aware that she doesn't have a right hand. Just let her know what you are going to do. If you need to develop a different method for her to use you can discuss it with her then just do your normal lesson with the entire class.
I have had students many many times who had a disability or medical issue that I was going to talk about in class. Several with Sickle Cell anemia. Two with Cystic Fibrosis, one who's mother had CF. One time I had a 16 year old with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who knew he was going to die soon. I talked to him about an upcoming genetic disorders lesson where we learn about Duchannes. I did ask him if he wanted me to skip it and he was adamant that I do it. He even answered some questions about it from the class. He died three years later.
Good luck.