Re: AP Calc/AP Phys question

[David Simmons <dsimmon@UOFT02.UTOLEDO.EDU>]

Fran Poodry wrote:
> ... anyone teaching a combination AP Calculus and AP
> Physics course in a high school?  ... textbook suggestions, syllabi,

Fran,

I've been teaching a "Physics/Analysis" course for about 15 years. It's
honors physics and pre-calculus for HS juniors. They go on to AP Calc
the next year. Not exactly your situation. We teach some calculus and
brush up on all the math they should have had but maybe haven't mastered
(last quarter of the math book stuff).

We have a double-blocked class. We have no rigid syllabus. We plan some
but change a lot each year. Last year and this we've both (math teacher
and I) used the CBL/CBR to great advantage. Of course in physics with
1-d kinematics it is great to be able to produce and look at a dozen
different d-t, v-t, and a-t graphs in just a few minutes. In math, she
can use such graphs to talk about slopes, rates of change, the
derivative, etc. A CBR can also produce nice sinusoids by looking an a
pendulm or mass-spring system. Although we essentially are teaching two
separate classes for two separate grades, there is much overlap between
what we do and sometimes the kids don't know if they are receiving a
physics or math lesson. That is when it is really good!

Text?...really matters little if both teachers are paying attention.

Advice?...go for it. It will either become your favorite class or will
quickly die. For me it has been the former.

Dave

--
David A. Simmons
St. John's Jesuit High School
Toledo OH
<dsimmon@uoft02.utoledo.edu>