The department chairman visited my classroom yesterday, enquiring as to
the suitability of the current physics text (Physics, 5th edition, by
Giancoli). I inherited the text and have felt it inappropriate for the
courses in which it is used; rather than relying upon it, I have used
notes and activities which I have constructed. My aversion to this text
is nothing special--I've never met a chemistry or physics text which
I've liked, save the text (Halliday, Resnick, and Walker) I use for AP
Physics.
Obviously I suffer from outsized ego, and feel that I can offer a more
suitable and understandable treatment of essential topics than would be
delivered by any text I have seen. Still, the movement in our school
seems to be toward a textbook-driven curriculum; although I am opposed
to such a simplistic view of education, I may be powerless to influence
the decision.
Any opinions regarding the suitability of a text for my courses are
welcomed, on- or off-list. A brief synopsis of the courses follows:
· Physics: a first-year course, for students enrolled in or
having completed second-year algebra
and planning to pursue post-high-school education
(likely outside science, medicine,
or engineering). Although there is an emphasis on
algebraic problem-solving, the
"average" student in this course has a shaky grasp
of abstract reasoning and requires
a significant amount of support in this area.
Concepts are heavily emphasized (often
in tandem with quantitative results).
· Honors
Physics: a first-year course, covering the same topics as
Physics, but with much more
emphasis on algebraic problem-solving and with
higher-order conceptual thinking.
This course is geared toward students planning
further study in medicine, science, or
engineering, and particularly toward those interested in the second-year
calculus-
based AP course. As such, the class is taught as
a "pre-AP" course.