Re: [Phys-l] Any teaching tips

[Ken Fox <physicsfox23@gmail.com>]

I just had the chance to introduce a graphical approach to some "honors
freshmen" as I was subbing for their absent teacher. I came away thinking
that these same kids who did the equations quite well in the class before,
were not so ready to embrace the graphs. I am wondering whether the
graphical approach is too far up the abstraction ladder.

Ken Fox

On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Paul Lulai <plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us>wrote:

> "an equation should be acceptable if the student can derive it."
>
> High school freshman are not very good at deriving.  The rearranging of a
> single equation with 3 variables is a challenge for 1/2 of them (seemingly
> insurmountable for 1/10 of them).
> I plan to try the graphical analysis approach and find the relationships in
> that manner this semester (don't often teach freshman).  I suppose this
> would count as deriving.  I don't know how much success (or time would be
> required) to derive a relationship from multiple other relationships.
>
>
> Paul Lulai
> Physics Teacher
> St Anthony Village S.H.
> 3303 33rd Ave NE
> St Anthony Village, MN 55418
>
> 612-706-1146
> plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us
> http://www.stanthony.k12.mn.us/hsscience/
>
>
>
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