Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: physics first?



PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu writes:
Our high school
is considering the shift to "physics first." This means

trying to present a meaningful physics course to freshman students who

have some exposure to algebra, but generally not geometry, and

certainly not trig.

If you have any experience with this approach and have an opinion, or a
reference to research, please let me know.

-Sheri Donovan


Here at Lincoln School (independent, preK-12, all girls, graduating class
of 25-30), we are in the third year of the new science curriculum, in
which sciences are taught "in the right order" and Physics (and
Chemistry)are taught both in the freshman and the junior year.

All 9-graders start with one semester of physics (we call it Physics A),
and one semester of Chemistry (Chem A). In 10 grade they all take two
semesters of Biology, and in 11 grade complete sciences with second
semesters of Physics (Phys B), and Chem B.
In Physics A/B we use Hewitt (college version), but heavily supplemented
with math.
The material covered in 9-th grade is mechanics, solids, fluids, some
thermo. The study of motion is limited to the rectlinear motion only, so
algebra is sufficient for the first semester (Phys A).
Physics B has a math prerequisite to it - trig- which all the girls
satisfy by their junior year, Physics B deals with two-dimensional motion,
and waves - mechanical, optics, E&M.

The grade in the course is heavily weighted by the effort that the
students put into the course by encouraging students to redo their
homework assignments and lab reports. (70% of the improvement is then
added to the original assignment grade). This means a lot of time spent
re-grading, but with the small classes here it is not impossible, and it
teaches students to work on problems until they get it right. Labs and
homework assignments also contribute the most to the final grade in the
course, with the tests counting for less than 30%.

The goal of the program is to teach sciences in the right order (Phys,
Chem,Bio), but without limiting Physics course to the conceptual treatment
only. We are in the transitional period - this year Physics B is being
offered for the first time, so it is too early for evaluation of the new
curriculum, and of its effect on the AP Physics (currently we offer AP
Phys B as a first year course). One very positive effect is that ALL our
students have to take one year of each science in order to graduate. We
already noticed changing attitudes toward Physics - the course is
considered difficult, requiring hard work, but doable - after all,
everybody has to take it.

Hanna


***********************************************
Hanna Rudnicki Voice: (401) 331-9696 X3150
Lincoln School Fax: (401) 751-6670
301 Butler Ave e-mail: hrudnicki@lincolnschool.org
Providence, RI 02906