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Re: Physics First Content



First I would recommend

http://www.aps.org/units/fed/spring2001/pdf/lederman1.pdf

as a quick read as to what the 'Physics First' movement is all about.

In this article it is clearly identified that 9th grade physics is
CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS.

The program sees the 12th grade as the time when students can opt to take an
advanced science course. Those 'needing' an advanced HS physics course or
those who have the curiosity (and the math skills) can then take course
which would probably be equivalent to (or the same as) many of the current
11th/12th grade courses.

So, I think the basic answer is that the goal is to provide a conceptual
physics course to _all_ HS students (instead of 20-25%), and then still
provide a second, advanced course to about the same number (maybe a little
higher) that currently take such a course.

Rick

*********************************************************
Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, Indiana
rtarara@saintmarys.edu
********************************************************
Free Physics Educational Software (Win & Mac)
www.saintmarys.edu/~rtarara/software.html
NEW: Mac versions of Lab Simulations
********************************************************



----- Original Message -----
From: "Edmiston, Mike" <edmiston@BLUFFTON.EDU>


I need one more piece of data before I can even begin to respond to Ken
Fox. Is Physics First the only physics, or do we also have a
traditional (or even better than traditional) physics course last?


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