readings needed: grad courses for physics teachers

[Art Hobson <ahobson@COMP.UARK.EDU>]

Jane Jackson writes (on 16 Jan):

> I need your advice: your suggested readings for graduate courses for
> physics teachers.

The courses described in the body of Jane's message have a strong
societal/environmental element.  I heartily approve of this emphasis!  In
answer to Jane's question, here are some suggestions.

In general, keep it conceptual.  High school students should be studying
physics and other sciences in a mostly-conceptual mode, NOT a calculational
or technical mode.  The standard algebra-based HS physics texts are
entirely inappropriate, unless they are meant for a SECOND one-year physics
course for HS students, following a more general purely conceptual one-year
course that includes plenty of modern physics (i.e. the physics of the
preceding century!) and societal topics.

Books on energy and environment:
1,  The Worldwatch publications, primarily the annual "State of the World,"
and the bi-monthly "Worldwatch" magazine.
2,  Lester Brown, Beyond Malthus (W.W. Norton, 1999).
3.  Michael Brower, Cool Energy (MIT Press, 1992, with Union of Concerned
Scientists).
4.  Richard Leakey, The Sixth Extinction (1995, Doubleday).  Everybody
needs to read this!
5.  Union of Concerned Scientists, Consumers guide to effective
environmental choices (Three Rivers Press, New York, 1999), GW is a major
consideration.

Recent articles on global warming, from my files:
6.  Physics Today 1.00, 19-20. B Levi, The decreasing Arctic ice cover,
quotes 3 rsch articles, shows the data.
7.  Science 10.12.99 (10 Dec 1999), 2141. 1997-98 El Nino was one of the
strongest ever observed.
8.  Sci 3.12.99, 1813, 1828, 1934, 1937. The Arctic ice cap is melting
entirely away.
9.  Consequences V5 #1 (1999), 2-15. Trenberth, the extreme weather events
of 97 & 98, ENSO & GW (global warming).
10. Conseq V5 #1 (1999), 16-28. Beyond Kyoto: a tech GW strategy; effect of
Kyoto; scenarios; effect of technology.
11. American Scientist, Nov 99, 534-41. How will climate change affect
human health?  Air quality, diseases (details), etc.
12. Sci 5.11.99, 1049, 1061-2, 1032-. Broecker, deep-ocean circulation may
have slowed, related to previous slowings.
13. Sci 29.10.99, 869, 930-. Isotopes in ice show abrupt end of ice age (15
ky ago) due to N Atlantic trigger.
14. Sci 29.10.99, 869, 934-. Abrupt temp vars during ice age; 16 deg C, big
jump 70 ky ago in less than 100 y.

If you would like recent references on ozone depletion, fossil, nuclear,
renewable, energy efficiency, species preservation, overpopulation, or
transportation, just let me know.  I keep a file on new journal articles
and books in these areas.

Also, I hope you will see my textbook, Physics: Concepts and Connections
(more info on my web site, listed below with my signature).  It combines
environmental and social issues with physics.  It should be useable at the
high school level, for scientists and nonscientists alike (it's
conceptual).  Perhaps excerpts could be used (but there would be copyright
questions), or perhaps the whole thing could be used as a course text.
There are large sections on ozone depletion, global warming, nuclear
weapons, technological risk, transportation, fossil and nuclear and
renewable electricity, energy efficiency, solar energy, exponential growth,
biological effects of radiation.  Be sure to look at the Instructor's
Manual (IM), where you'll find lots of additional, annotated, references,
e.g. 19 specific references on global warming in connection with Section
9.7 (the global warming section).  The IM also has teaching suggestions for
all these topics.  Even if you don't use it directly, the textbook and IM
could be a helpful resources for teachers.

- Art Hobson

Art Hobson, Physics, U Arkansas, ahobson@comp.uark.edu
http://www.uark.edu/depts/physics/about/hobson.html