Knowledge of Rotational Kinetic Energy (RKE) is always difficult for students to understand using traditional teaching methods. In this study, we designed an inquiry-based activity in which students can explore influence factors of RKE with a car built by LEGO, according to the scaffolds provided on the activity sheet. Then an experiment of the activity was carried out in a high school in Beijing. Through qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data, we concluded that the inquiry-based activity with LEGO can: 1) help students gain a deeper understanding of RKE; 2) significantly increase students' learning interest towards physics according to sign test results; 3) be considered as effective tool for students in the physics classroom.
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