"What is the best way to present the idea of learning physics, and
all it entails, to a ninth grader?"
Michelle has raised an excellent question, but since I've not been
near a precollege class in 90 years, I can't answer it. However, in
my opinion:
1. "Physics" should not start abruptly in the ninth grade. Instead it
and its way of thinking should be an integral part of P-8 education
(P = preschool).
2. Michelle's question might be better directed to more appropriate
discussion lists such as e.g.:
Some references relevant to Michelle's question are listed below.
Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
REFERENCES
Epstein, J. 1997/98. "Cognitive Development in an Integrated
Mathematics and Science Program," J. of College Science Teaching,
12/97 & 1/98, pp. 194 - 201.
Ford, K. W. 1989. "Guest Comment: Is physics difficult?" Am J. Phys.
57(10), 871-872. For an excerpt see Hake (2000a, page 15).
Hake, R.R. 2000a. "Is it Finally Time to Implement Curriculum S?"
AAPT Announcer 30(4), 103 (2000); on the web as ref. 13 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake> [CurriculumS.pdf., 3/15/01,
1200K] (400 references & footnotes, 390 hot-linked URL's). This
paper concerns improving the education of undergraduate physics
majors by instituting a "Curriculum S" for "Synthesis." But because
that's a small part of a much larger educational problem in the U.S.
there's a lot of material on the reform of P-16 education generally
(P = preschool).