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Re: Why Physics First?



One size fits all?
If not properly, and cautiously, implemented physics first might
be even more effective at turning people away from physics/math than
physics third.
The last time I talked to Lederman, several years ago, he was
ignorant of the state of math teaching in the elementary/secondary
schools. Without math comfort, IMHO, physics first is a road to disaster.
Regards,
Jack

On Wed, 9 Oct 2002, Richard Hake wrote:

Please excuse this cross-posting to discussion lists with archives at:

Phys-L <http://lists.nau.edu/archives/phys-l.html>,
PhysLrnR <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/physlrnr.html>,
Physhare <http://lists.psu.edu/archives/physhare.html>,
AP-Physics <http://lyris.ets.org/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=ap-physics>.

The recent AAPT (2002) statement in support of "Physics First" has
stimulated a flood of impassioned pro and con Physics-First posts
<http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S2=physhare&q=&s=physics+first&f=&a=October+2002&b=>
on Physhare.

IMHO most of these miss the major reason for vigorously supporting
Lederman's Physics First program (Hake 2002a,b).

That reason is contained in the abstract to Hake (2002b):

"It is argued that Lederman's 'Physics First' regime, while not an
ideal ramp to science/math literacy for all students, SHOULD
NEVERTHELESS BE VIGOROUSLY SUPPORTED AS AN IMPORTANT OPENING BATTLE
IN THE FULL SCALE WAR ON SCIENCE/MATH ILLITERACY AS ENVISAGED BY THE
AAAS 'PROJECT 2061' . . . . <http://www.project2061.org/> . . . This
is because a widespread first physics course for ALL ninth graders
might:

(a) help to overcome some systemic roadblocks to science/math
literacy of the general population - MOST IMPORTANTLY THE SEVERE
DEARTH OF EFFECTIVE PRE-COLLEGE SCIENCE/MATH TEACHERS,

(b) enhance the numbers of physics major and graduate students,
through programs designed to provide a large corps of teachers
capable of EFFECTIVELY teaching physics to vast numbers of students
in the Physics-First schools: ninth-graders plus those taking
high-school honors and AP-physics courses."


Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>


REFERENCES
AAPT 2002. "AAPT Statement on Physics First," AAPT Announcer 32(3):11.

Hake, R.R. 2002a. "Physics First: Precursor to Science/Math Literacy
for All?" Summer 2002 issue of the American Physical Society's "Forum
on Education Newsletter" <http://www.aps.org/units/fed/index.html> /
"Forum Newsletters" where "/" means "click on."; also online as ref.
19 at <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/>.

Hake, R.R. 2002b. "Physics First: Opening Battle in the War on
Science/Math Illiteracy?" Submitted to the American Journal of
Physics on 27 June 2002; online as ref. 20 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/>.

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.


--
"What did Barrow's lectures contain? Bourbaki writes with some
scorn that in his book in a hundred pages of the text there are about 180
drawings. (Concerning Bourbaki's books it can be said that in a thousand
pages there is not one drawing, and it is not at all clear which is
worse.)"
V. I. Arnol'd in
Huygens & Barrow, Newton & Hooke

This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.