Crossposted to PHYSHARE and PHYS-L
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Dear Colleagues,
As this is my first time teaching an AP(B) course I find myself faced with
some choices to make regarding the content of the last two weeks of class.
I blocked these weeks out on my syllabus for relativity theory and quantum
theory. The truth is that I have integrated most of the fundamental
concepts into prior units and these stand-alone units present me with more
of an opportunity than a dilemma:
I obviously can't go very deep into the mathematics of QED theory -- but
I would like to give my students some perspective and understanding of the
history and intellectual impact of this and other advanced topics.
How much time do you devote to history? With things like QED I'm always
feel like I'm cheating if I just shrug my shoulders in the midst of a busy
"AP syllabus lecture" and say, "we'll talk about it later", or worse a
weak, glossing, "it's important to understanding quantum mechanics and it
has important implications for cosmology". Blahhhh!!!!
Is there a good high-school or undergraduate level reference that could
serve as a compendium for understandable applications of advanced or
theoretical physics? In a light-hearted way let me define "advanced"
physics as that part of the subject of which most of the general public
hasn't a clue, and "theoretical" physics as that part of "advanced" physics
which puts most physicists and physics teachers in the same boat with the
general public!
Of great concern to me is that my physics class is all my students get.
Although I am fighting hard for a conceptual and an astronomy class, it may
take a few years. In addition, none -- I repeat, NONE -- of my physics
students had even taken any prior physical science at the high school level
(Alas, to my deep dismay, in our system physical science is deemed a class
for the tech-ed or non-college prep students). Because our tech-ed is
taught off campus arranging more than a few visits to reinforce mechanics or
electronics concepts is not possible.
Best Regards,
Lee
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K. Lee Lerner
lerndesk@sprynet.com