Skill: course-build → fix-lesson-from-question → write-mcqs (items), write-explanation (fb and why lines); video-brief (edits by id in the R100 form); review-figures (the rope drawing, self-check); write-like-james (the cards) @ 5d3c416
Olivia's notes on Topic 9 "Balanced forces" — triage (15 October 2026)
Source: reviews/olivia/G3T09_2026-10-15.md (Olivia Mullins; 14 headings, 22 distinct notes on the intro, L01, L02 and their quizzes). James's rules: text notes (articles, questions, options, feedback, drawings our code draws) are applied at once and recorded (2 Oct; 1 Oct: go with her suggestion even for a marginal improvement); only a major restructure, a change that is scientifically wrong or misleading, or a note that contradicts a ruling he gave goes to him as a card; video notes become edits by Peps id and are presented as cards — nothing is sent. Her priority marks are on every row and were weighed first. Nothing was sent, nothing was deployed, nothing was committed. A previous agent began this pass and stalled with its edits uncommitted; they were read first, kept, and are marked "(prev.)" below.
What happened, in plain words
- Her biggest point is a counting error we had planted. Four items asked a child to count the forces on a thing and keyed "two" (a rope, a crate, a vase, a mug) — but the course has just taught that Earth pulls everything down and the ground pushes up, so the honest count is never two. This is James's 14 Oct rule (a still thing is never said to have nothing pushing or pulling on it) seen from the other side. Fixed as she asked: the rope and the crate now count "pulls from children" / "pushes from children"; the vase count is removed (no honest count exists); the mug count became "what does the table do to the mug?".
- "Does nothing to it" is gone everywhere. She asked us to bypass everyday language rather than fight it ("in everyday language we would say the shelf is doing nothing to the vase"). Every option that said "It does nothing to the …" now says "It does not push on the …" / "It does not push or pull the …" (L02's attached question, L02-q1, the practice cup, PP-15, 16, 17), and the four distractors that said "nothing pushes / pulls it up" were recast (L02-q4 the coat, L02-q5 the ball, PP-42 the duck, the summary's first attached question). The two misconception stems (Lars's rock, Dax's picture) and three bank distractors that state the wrong belief are left, as the 14 Oct record decided: a claim item must state the claim.
- The three-legged boy is out. The 2 Oct cartoon for L01-q1 did draw the boy with three legs (looked at: two front legs and a third behind). It is withdrawn to
handoff/G3T09/images/generated/withdrawn/; the page shows the code-drawn figure (two children, two legs and two arms each, one rope, no arrow — looked at, passes), and the generation brief now says "Each child has exactly two legs and two arms" for the picture pass. - Friction: she is right that the word is Grade 4's, and we never use it.
FOR4.jsonhas the friction atoms (FOR4-001 "Spot friction" to FOR4-005); no FOR3 atom names friction, and FOR4-001 is written to build on Grade 3's "a push or pull can slow or stop things" (FOR3-003). Topic 9 never prints or speaks "friction" — the video and article say "the grass rubs on the wheels and drags the wagon back". Nothing to reword. Whether the drag itself should wait for Grade 4 is card c1 (recommendation: keep — taking it out removes two of the wagon's four forces and is a re-render). - Five video edits by id drafted, not sent (
handoff/G3T09/videos/FEEDBACK_2026-10-15.md, cards v1–v5): the intro's rope toy that shifts (held — her "don't change now"); L01's sidewalk that ends where the grass begins (her first option, so no narration change); L01's hair off the girl's face; L01's table moved into its own panel so it no longer looks towed behind the wagon at 1:04; L02's 0:07 line "But is anything happening to it?" → "But are any forces acting on the book?" (one audio moment). - Her "for the future" notes are cards, not changes (c2–c6, all nice-to-have / backlog): two forces before three-plus and name them; the example before the rule; L01 carries two ideas; make more of the table's push (her chair example → a short L02 follow-on article when the second pass opens); teach what a hook does to a hanging coat (L02-q4 kept and watched, at her word).
- Gates:
build_tools_check_topic.py→ 0 FAIL, 30 WARN (was 0 / 31 before this pass: S13 "the hook" gone with q4's recast; S51 "ball" now ×3 on L02-q5, a false positive — the ball is a toy; S53 ×5 are the claim stems and distractors left on purpose; the rest standing). Page rebuilt:course_preview/topic09/index.html(not deployed). Hand-over regenerated withbuild_tools_handoff.pysoscripts/G3T09_L02.mdandG3T09_SUMMARY.mdcarry the new attached questions andimages/IMAGE_BRIEFS.mdthe two-legs line (side effect: the package export re-ran, validator PASS; the summary script's stale "as L05 drew it" became "as L04 drew it" from the 5 Oct renumbering). Needs-you JSON:OLIVIA_EDITS_FOR_JAMES_G3T09_2026-10-15.json(18 applied, 11 cards).
What the previous agent had already done (uncommitted diff, read first and kept)
L01-q1 stem / fb / why ("pulls from children … at once") and the figures.py docstring; the cartoon moved to withdrawn/; L01-q2 "at once"; L01-q4 the kite in her first version; L01-q8 removed; L02's attached question and L02-q1 "does not push"; L02-q3 without the double "still"; L02-q6 recast; L02-q7 "pushes from children"; the practice cup, PP-15, PP-16, PP-17 "does not push or pull"; both check_design notes. No record, no FEEDBACK file, no brief line, no page rebuild — those are this pass, with L02-q4, L02-q5, PP-42 and the summary's first question.
Keys and options changed — cold re-read (write-mcqs rules)
No key moved except where an item was recast. Each recast item re-read cold: one defensible answer; positive stem; no reason clause on an option; one tense; options of one shape.
- L01-q1 "How many pulls from children act on the rope at once?" one / two — key two. Earth's pull on the rope is no longer counted; nothing makes "one" defensible. Holds.
- L02-q4 "What does the hook do to the coat?" — It pulls the coat down. / It pulls the coat up. / It does not pull on the coat. Three parallel "It …" sentences; key the middle; "does not pull" is her bypass of "nothing pulls it up". Holds (she still expects it to be hard — c6).
- L02-q5 "A ball rests still on the grass. Earth pulls the ball down. Which sentence is true?" — The ground pulls the ball down. / The air pushes the ball up. / The ground pushes the ball up. Parallel; key last. Holds.
- L02-q6 "What does the table do to the mug?" — It pulls the mug down. / It does not push on the mug. / It pushes the mug up. Holds. L02 three-option key string 0 1 2 2; two-option string unchanged.
- L02-q7 "How many pushes from children act on the crate?" one / two — key two. Holds.
- PP-42 "Which sentence is true?" — four parallel sentences about the duck, key position kept (the water pushes the duck up). Holds.
- Summary q1 "What pushes the book up?" — the table / the air; key unchanged. Holds.
- The "does not push or pull" option on the cup, boat, bird and box items is the only option of its kind in each set, keyed wrong. Holds.
A non-author blind read of the changed items is owed (list at the end).
Pages that now differ from their live video
| lesson | the page says | the live video says | why |
|---|---|---|---|
| L02 (attached question) | "Which sentence about the table is true? — The table does not push on the book. / The table pushes the book up." | the question is shown after the video, not inside it | her bypass of everyday language |
| SUMMARY (first attached question) | distractor "the air" | shown after the video | no option says "nothing pushes it up" |
| L02 (beat 1) | the script never had "But is anything happening to it?" | the delivered video says it at 0:07 | edit v5 brings the video to her words; the page is untouched |
The table — every note
| note id | her words (short) | her mark | kind | our call | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTRO-script | the rope does move a bit; the toy connected to the rope doesn't move | minor, don't change now | video | VISUAL edit by id drafted, HELD at her word (v1) | card v1 |
| L01-script (1) | have the sidewalk end and the grass begin, or change the dialog to "imagine if she was pulling the wagon on grass instead" | change at some point | video | VISUAL edit by id: the sidewalk ends, the grass begins (v2); the narration option not drafted | card v2 |
| L01-script (2) | her hair is covering half her face | minor-ish | video | VISUAL edit by id (v3) | card v3 |
| L01-script (3) | at 1:04 a table is introduced but the wagon is not removed; the table looks pulled behind the wagon; "I don't know what the criteria are for launch" | should be fixed | video | VISUAL edit by id: the table in its own panel (v4); her question about launch criteria is for James to answer her | card v4 |
| L01-script (4) | they haven't learned about friction yet and now it's talking about the grass dragging on the wheels; if I'm wrong, ignore | — | video + article | "friction" is Grade 4 (FOR4-001–005); Topic 9 never says the word, only "the grass rubs on the wheels and drags the wagon back"; nothing reworded; the drag itself is card c1, recommendation keep | card c1 |
| L01-script (5) | focus longer on two forces, talk about them and name them, before 3+ forces; names for types of forces would help | for the future | structure | card c2, backlog (a restructure, not re-authored now) | card c2 |
| L01-script (6) | the example after the rule might come before the rule | for the future | structure | card c3, backlog | card c3 |
| L01-script (7) | this video introduces two ideas; start with more-than-one-force before balance | for the future | structure | card c4, backlog; L01 does not say "balanced" — the equal pair is what she saw | card c4 |
| L01-q1 | "How many pulls from children are acting on the rope at once?" — gravity also pulls the rope; both answers incorrect; the boy has three legs | high (wording); medium (legs) | quiz + drawing | applied (prev.): her stem; fb and why say "pulls from children" (e01); the three-legged cartoon withdrawn, SVG shown, brief corrected (e02) | applied |
| L01-q2 | "at once" instead of "at the same time" | minor | quiz | applied (prev.) (e03) | applied |
| L01-q4 | her kite wording; or a two-part question | — | quiz | applied (prev.): her first version, one item, each force named before the question (e04); S4 long-stem WARN accepted | applied |
| L01-q7 | addressed by the video but very briefly; not sure it was taught well enough; "I suppose they will understand" | unsure | quiz | noted; no change; folded into card c2 | noted |
| L01-q8 | technically incorrect — many forces act on the vase (air too); remove this; the video didn't teach it well enough | — | quiz | applied (prev.): item removed (e05); the teaching point joins c2 | applied |
| L02-script (1) | at 0:07 say "but are any forces acting on the book?" not "but is anything happening to it" | lower priority, fix once you can | video | AUDIO edit by id (v5) | card v5 |
| L02-script (2) | make a bigger deal of the table pushing on the book; a science push can be passive; the chair example | for the future | structure | card c5, backlog: a short L02 follow-on article with her chair example when the second pass opens | card c5 |
| L02-v1 | reword to bypass everyday language: "The table does not push on the book" or "the table pushes the book up" | medium | attached question | applied (prev.) (e06) | applied |
| L02-q1 | rephrase the wrong answer; applies to all questions where it says it does nothing: "The shelf does not apply force…" | — | quiz, and every like option | applied: L02-q1 (prev., e07); the cup, PP-15, PP-16, PP-17 (prev., e13–e16); L02-q4, L02-q5, PP-42, the summary's q1 (this pass, e09, e10, e17, e18) | applied |
| L02-q3 | "still" twice with two meanings; "True or false: There are forces acting on the book as the book sits on the desk." | high | quiz | applied (prev.) word for word (e08) | applied |
| L02-q4 | very hard; the wording seems to ask what holds the coat up; not saying take it out; watch this one; in future teach what happens when something hangs | watch | quiz | kept; option "nothing pulls it up" recast under L02-q1's "applies to all" (e09); card c6 to watch | applied + card c6 |
| L02-q6 | technically more than two forces; fix somehow | — | quiz | applied (prev.): now what the table does to the mug (e11) | applied |
| L02-q7 | wrong — the ground pushes the crate up too; "How many pushes from children act on the crate?" | — | quiz | applied (prev.) in her words (e12) | applied |
Cards for James
Each card: what it says now · Olivia's suggestion · recommendation · essential or nice-to-have · her mark. The same cards are in OLIVIA_EDITS_FOR_JAMES_G3T09_2026-10-15.json for the Needs-you page.
- c1 — Friction before Grade 4 (L01 beat 4, article). Now: the wagon's second force is "the grass rubs on the wheels and drags the wagon back"; the word "friction" is nowhere in Topic 9. Olivia: they haven't learned friction yet (if I'm wrong, ignore). Recommendation: keep. The term is Grade 4's (FOR4-001–005); the plain words are what Grade 3 has; removing the drag takes two of the four forces out of the wagon sequence and needs a re-render. Nice-to-have. Her mark: none.
- c2 — Two forces before three-plus, with names (L01). Now: one → two → four forces in 70 s. Olivia: stay longer on two forces and name them before 3+. Recommendation: backlog for the Grade 3 second pass (a restructure). Nice-to-have. Her mark: for the future.
- c3 — Example before the rule (L01 beats 9–10). Now: rule, then the still book on the rule slide. Olivia: the example might come before the rule. Recommendation: backlog with c2; if L01 is re-cut, the book goes first. Nice-to-have. For the future.
- c4 — L01 carries two ideas. Now: L01 says "the ground pushes the wagon up, just as hard" and draws the pair equal (James's 29 Sep ruling); it never says "balanced" (L03 coins it). Olivia: start with more-than-one-force before balance. Recommendation: backlog with c2; dropping "just as hard" is possible as an audio edit by id but also removes L03's set-up, so it is your call. Nice-to-have. For the future.
- c5 — Make more of the table's push (L02). Now: two beats and three article lines. Olivia: a bigger deal, "the chair is pushing on your bottom. You can feel the chair." Recommendation: backlog — a short L02 follow-on article "Can a table push?" with her chair example (text only, under 100 words), no render. Nice-to-have. For the future.
- c6 — The coat on a hook (L02-q4). Now: "What does the hook do to the coat?" (recast today); the lesson teaches the nail pulling a picture up. Olivia: watch this one; teach what happens when something hangs. Recommendation: keep and watch the data; if it fails, fold into c5. Nice-to-have. Her mark: watch.
- v1–v5 — the five video edits by id (drafted in
handoff/G3T09/videos/FEEDBACK_2026-10-15.md, not sent): v1 intro rope toy still (HELD, her "don't change now"); v2 L01 sidewalk ends and grass begins; v3 L01 hair off the face; v4 L01 table in its own panel (essential — her "should be fixed"); v5 L02 "But are any forces acting on the book?" (audio). She also asks what the criteria for launch are — a one-line answer to her would help her mark priorities.
For the blind reader
Changed items, every one to be read cold by someone who did not write them: L01-q1 (stem, fb, why, figure), L01-q2, L01-q4, L02 attached question (video_question), L02-q1, L02-q3, L02-q4, L02-q5, L02-q6, L02-q7, PRACTICE: the cup on a shelf (item 6 in G3T09.py PRACTICE), PP-15, PP-16, PP-17, PP-42 (the rubber duck), SUMMARY attached question 1. Removed: the old L01-q8 (the vase count). Figures: q_rope_two_kids (code-drawn SVG now shown on the page; the brief corrected for the picture pass).
Blind read result (15 Oct 2026, non-author, keys stripped; /tmp/blind_G3T09_answers.json)
18 of 18 agree with the keys (17 sure; the canoe-at-steady-speed practice item "likely"). Flags: L01-q1, L01-q4, L02-q7 answer from the stem — that is Olivia's own rewording, a counting/recognition item by design, kept; PP-15's key was the only option naming the river's push — distractor 2 now reads "It pushes the boat along with the river's push." so the key no longer stands alone; PP-42 (floating duck, water pushes up) is a transfer item, kept. The practice cup item (PRACTICE item 2, not 6 as the list said) was read separately; result below.
Cup item: reader 0 'It pushes the cup up.', sure, no flags — agrees with the key.