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Re: cathode rays - historical question



I agree with G. Hemminger.
This is a point of method. If you want to teach each one of the
concepts of physics from a historical point of view you need to
review several mistakes, wasting time. But if you want to forget
history in all your teaching, then you are in a big mistake.

Arnulfo Castellanos-Moreno


----- Original Message -----
From: "GARY HEMMINGER" <Hemmig@D-E.ORG>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2003 12:47 PM
Subject: Re: cathode rays - historical question


Au contraire, this is precisely why historical content is so
important since it give the student entre into thinking, not just
memorizing. It gives students permission to take risks, to see that
ideas do not just spring fully developed out of some text book, but
are the result of the effort or real human being.

Very well put. See Arnold Aron's article (some time ago) in the
Physics Teacher on inquiry, (also his long out of print introductory
text which gave historical contexts) -- especially his point that the
material of a discipline such as Physics is so easily turned into
"inert ideas" (from Whitehead). How can we appreciate an
achievement such as Einstein's theory of the photoelectric effect if
we don't know anything of the historical context?

*****************************************
Gary Hemminger
Dwight-Engelwood School
315 E. Palisade Ave.
Englewood, New Jersey
07631
e-mail: hemmig@d-e.org
*******************************************