🚀 go-pugleaf

> Hi Folks,
>
> I would appreciate any information or advice you might be willing to share
> concerning current curricula for a high school physics course.  We currently
> use the very outdated edition 4 PSSC as a basic text with Barron's "Physics
> Made Easy" as a supplementary problem solving book.  The course is targeted at
> our college bound population and about 20% of the senior class takes the
> course.  We do not offer AP physics and we feel the Conceptual Physics
> materials are inadequate.

Bob,  As a start, I highly recommend Fundamentals of Physics:  A Senior
Course written by three Canadian teachers and published by D.C. Heath.
Be sure to specify that you want the senior text, not Fundamentals of
Physics:  An Introductory Course.

I use Serway for my Honors Physics course.  I may return to Halliday and
Resnick this next year.  I can get back to you with more information.
Cramped for time this evening.

Lowell

>
> Important outcomes for the students include the ability to use technology in
> science and in communications, the ability to work together with other
 students
> in structured groups, and the ability to successfully understand some basic
> concepts in physics and engineering and apply those concepts to solving
> problems.  The content areas include the usual: kinematics, dynamics, waves
> (light and sound), electricity and circuits, simple E&M, and an introduction
 to
> "modern" physics.  It is important that the curricula incorporate technology
> (data acquisition, word processing, Internet, CD-ROM & laser disk) in as many
> ways as possible.
>
> I have examined two curricula:
>   Prentice-Hall: PHYSICS, ITS METHODS AND MEANINGS by Taffel
>   Merrill: PHYSICS PRINCIPLES AND PROBLEMS by Zitzewitz & Neff
> I like the Merrill but not the Prentice-Hall and my students agree thus far.
>
> I need to make a final decision by February 11 or so.  Thanks for the help!
> The local county office of education no longer stocks high school curricular
> materials so help from this list will be quite valuable to me.
>
> Please send me email and I will post a summary to the list.
>
> -Bob Shayler-
>  bshayle@ctp.org
>