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: [Phys-l] teaching energy



This is very close to some of the sequences used in Modeling.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


Actually, for the past four semesters I've been teaching an energy-
centric highly nontraditional intro mechanics course from Fred
Goldberg's text "Physics for Elementary Teachers" or "PET"
<http://petproject.sdsu.edu/>
<http://www.its-about-time.com/htmls/pet/pet.html>

The curriculum starts with describing speed changes (speed-time, not
velocity-time graphs) then introduces kinetic energy as an energy of
motion: "The faster an object is moving, the more kinetic energy it
possesses" p1-23. Energy interaction diagrams are then introduced
and used throughout the course (force comes a cycle -or major
section- later than energy).

Then things get really cool. For instance the curricular route to
gravitational field energy starts with kinetic energy, then moves to
stored elastic potential energy in stretched rubber bands with carts
on tracks (concrete visible deformation), then moves to stored
magnetic field energy (carts on tracks interacting via magnets; an
invisibly stored deformation energy), then rotates through 90degrees
to become stored gravitational field energy in another invisible
field linking objects to the earth. Very nifty series of hands-on
activity based extensions indeed. Algebra and vector free fields.

A very nice algebra-free hands-on curriculum for elementary
teachers. It's interesting how the pre-service elementary teacher
college courses get some of the most sophisticated and revolutionary
rewrites.

Dan M