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On 02/21/2014 11:12 AM, Larry Smith wrote:
P.S. Isn't it interesting that we still call stuff that is over 100 years old "modern"?
Yeah, that's weird. On the other hand, art from the same
period is still called "modern art". Maybe we are moving
toward a post-modern definition of "modern".
=====================
That started me thinking of various ways of improving the
terminology, which was a colossal waste of time, until I
remembered the rule that should have been the starting point:
IMHO the rule should be: ideas first, terminology later.
Claudia,
About 25 years ago I, too, became frustrated with the emphasis on 'ancient' physics in today's world, so I spent the first quarter of the year teaching modern physics. Of course I had to introduce ideas from classical physics as needed, but I built right from the start on the chemistry all my students had. We used the lycopodium powder /oleic acid experiment to approximate Avogadro's Number and electroplated copper and hydrolyzed water to determine the charge on an electron. The Sargent-Welch e/m tube was used to find the mass of an electron (since we knew the charge). Then we moved on to optics to demonstrate the wave properties of light and used some data from the Davisson Germer experiment to show the wave properties of electrons. Radioactivity, the Compton Effect, cosmic rays - oh, we had a ball.
It was so cool, after the modern topics were presented, to hear students say when analyzing classical elastic collisions, "This is just like the Compton Effect."
IB has the drawback that it is a total package, if the students are thinking of getting an IB diploma, and it is, indeed, rigorous [and expensive - you can't teach IB unless you are IB certified.]
In comparison, AP Physics has always been a problem for me. Physics B is hard to get through all the content, and then, it is non-calculus, so the better students have to take physics in college. Physics C Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism do not really require that much calculus and are much easier to teach than B, but a lot of neat stuff gets left out. State standards? I taught Regents Physics in New York State and went so far beyond the minimums that there was never a problem with my "pass rate".
I think you need to consider what content will be the most meaningful to your students in the long run. What will they take in college? Are they all going to college? What do you want them to remember in 5 years or 10 years after taking your class?
Brad Huff, retired
Fresno, CA