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Re: Am I teaching what I should in HS physics?



Try using Chapter I of my calculus text
(http://www.hep.anl.gov/jlu/index.html) to for a gentle introduction to
graphing some simple time-distance problems. If you do, pls let me know
the results.
Regards,
Jack


On Mon, 1 Jul 2002, Tina Fanetti wrote:

My students don't tend to know that the scale is supposed to be even =
on a graph. Heck, in my algebra class, they don't know the differenc=
e between the x and y axis.

The other problem is that they use a scale of 1 block per 1 unit for =
large numbers getting huge graphs.

Tina



There is a distinct tendency for some students to put the
points at grid intersections and then distort the scale so all graphs=
come
out as straight lines. This is probably a failure that has 2 roots,
laziness or hastiness, and a lack of understanding of proportional
reasoning. <<<

Tina Fanetti
Physics Instructor
Western Iowa Technical Community College
4647 Stone Ave
Sioux City IA 51102
712-274-8733 ext 1429


--
"But as much as I love and respect you, I will beat you and I will kill
you, because that is what I must do. Tonight it is only you and me, fish.
It is your strength against my intelligence. It is a veritable potpourri
of metaphor, every nuance of which is fraught with meaning."
Greg Nagan from "The Old Man and the Sea" in
<The 5-MINUTE ILIAD and Other Classics>