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Pedagogy
The pedagogy of Active Physics adheres strictly to the key recommendations of the National Science Education Standards, from Scenario Driven to challenging Learning Extensions. This approach addresses the following science curriculum recommendations:
Scenario Driven
In six of the thematic units there are three chapters, each requiring approximately three to four weeks of class time. The seventh thematic unit, Light Up My Life, has one chapter, with nine activities. Each chapter begins with an engaging Scenario or project assignment that challenges the students and sets the stage for the learning activities and chapter assessments to follow. Chapter contents and activities are selectively aimed at providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to address the introductory challenge, thus providing a natural content filter in the "less is more" curriculum.
Flexibly Formatted
Units are designed to stand alone, so teachers have the flexibility of changing the sequence of presentation of the units, omitting the entire unit, or not finishing all of the chapters within a unit. Although intended to serve as a full-year course, the units of Active Physics could be adapted to spread across a four-year period in an integrated high school curriculum.
Multiple Exposure Curriculum
The thematic nature of the course requires students to continually revisit fundamental physics principles throughout the year, extending and deepening their understandings of these principles as they apply them in new contexts. This repeated exposure fosters the retention and transferability of learning, and promotes the development of critical thinking skills.
Constructivist Approach
Students are continually asked to explore how they think about certain situations. As they investigate new situations, they are challenged to either explain observed phenomena using an existing paradigm or to develop a more consistent one. This approach can be helpful in including situations to abandon previously held notions in favor of the more powerful ideas and explanations offered by scientists.
Authentic Assessment
For the culmination of each chapter, students are required to demonstrate the usefulness of their newly acquired knowledge by adequately meeting the challenge posed in the chapter introduction. Students are then evaluated on the degree to which they accomplish this performance task. The curriculum also includes other methods and instruments for authentic assessments as well as non-traditional procedures for evaluating skills gained.
Cooperative Grouping Strategies
Use of cooperative groups is integral to the course as students work together in small groups to acquire the knowledge and information needed to address the series of challenges presented through the chapter Scenarios. Ample teacher guidance is provided to assure that effective strategies are used in group formation, function and evaluation.
Math Skills Development/Graphing Calculators and Computing Spreadsheets
The presentation and use of math in Active Physics varies from traditional high school physics courses. Math, primarily algebraic expressions, equations, and graphs is approached as a way of representing ideas symbolically. Students begin to recognize the usefulness of math as an aid in understanding the world around them. For students with minimal math backgrounds, the course engages and provides instruction for the use of graphing calculators and computer spreadsheets to provide math assistance.
Minimal Reading Required / Use of Educational Technologies
Because the course is activity-driven, reading is minimal and written at the eighth grade level. Videos which capture students' attention explore a variety of the Active Physics topics. Opportunities are also provided for students to produce their own videos in order to record and analyze events. Computer software programs make use of various interfacing devices.
Problem Solving
To be both meaningful and relevant to the students, the problem solving is related to technological applications and related issues as an essential component of the course. Problem solving ranges from simple numerical solutions to more involved decision-making situations.
Challenging Learning Extensions
Throughout the text, a variety of Stretching Exercises are provided for more motivated students. These extensions range from more challenging design tasks to intriguing and unusual problems. Many of the extensions take advantage of the frequent opportunities the curriculum provides for oral and written expression of student ideas.
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