PHS 594 – Electricity for middle/secondary teachers (CASTLE)

Summer 2009 at Arizona State University

 

Prerequisites: In-service teacher of middle or high school physical science or physics, or instructor approval. PHS534 or PHY 480 (PHS 530) or equivalent, or instructor approval.

 

Course objectives:

The main objective of the mechanics modeling workshop was to acquaint teachers with all aspects of the modeling method and develop some skill in implementing it.  To that end, you were provided with a fairly complete set of written curriculum materials to support instruction organized into coherent modeling cycles (as described in Wells et. al. (1995)).  The physical materials and experiments in the curriculum are simple and quite standard, already available in any reasonably equipped physics classroom.

In this modeling workshop, teachers will use the same process but will develop skills in materials usually covered after mechanics.  You will use materials developed by modeling teachers from around the nation.  Their work has been arranged into units with a coherent story line and field tested at ASU in previous summers since 2001.

 

Preparation and plans for the summer course:

            On the first day of the workshop, we will discuss experiences of participants who have taught mechanics by the modeling method.  This "post-use analysis" has the purpose of allowing novice modeling teachers a chance to discuss any concerns that have arisen as they taught.

            We believe that to develop familiarity with materials necessary to fully implement them in your classroom, you must work through the activities, discussions and worksheets, alternating between student and teacher modes, as you did in the 1st Modeling Workshop in Mechanics.

Please review the 2nd semester materials before you start the course, so that you will be informed about the content. To do so, go to the Modeling Instruction in High School Physics page, click on the [Curriculum materials] link, then on [Participant resources]. ... Scroll down to 2nd semester materials, then [Read Me First] link to get an overview of how the materials are organized, then on any of the links to 2nd semester topics.  There you will find stuffed (Mac) or zipped (PC) archives of the materials to expedite download.  If you are unable to obtain the materials this way, please e-mail Jane.Jackson@asu.edu and give her your full mailing address so that she can mail you a CD-ROM. 

Special attention has been paid to the development of coherent teachers’ notes.  Review of these should give you the best idea of what the development team has decided was a logical development of the key features of the underlying models.

 

PHS 594 – Electricity for middle/secondary teachers

Week 1

M 06/15

Day 1

AM – Introduce leaders and participants.  Review workshop design and course expectations.  Distribute workshop materials.  Break into two groups: rookies and veterans.  Rookies compile a list of questions to ask the veterans.  Veterans consider the advice they would give to novice Modelers.  Surveys, paperwork & DIRECT pre-test. 

 

PM – Debrief as a large group.  Discuss differences between CASTLE and Microscopic E&M approach. Complete CASTLE Section 1 from the original materials.

 

HW - Readings: Hestenes, “Who Needs Physics Education Research?” (PER) and CASTLE: Introduction.

T 06/16

Day 2

AM - Discuss readings. Finish Section 1. Discuss the original CASTLE design vs. Modeling modified CASTLE. Begin Unit 1: The Closed Loop Model. Complete Activities 1, 2, 3 and Worksheet 1.

 

PM – Whiteboard Worksheet 1. Complete Activity 5 and Reading 1.  MBT

 

HW – Complete the Unit 1 Quiz from the original CASTLE Manual and read the Unit 1 Teacher Notes.

W 06/17

Day 3

AM – Check the Unit 1 Quiz. De-brief Unit 1 as a whole. Begin Unit 2: Charge Flow and Sources of Charge. Complete Activities 1 and 2.

 

PM – Begin Activity 3. Complete and Whiteboard Worksheet1. Begin Activity 4.

 

HW – Write a reflection on Unit 1.  Complete Unit 2 – Worksheet 2.

Th 06/18

Day 4

AM – Turn in Unit 1 and your Unit 1 Reflection. Prepare whiteboards on Worksheet 2. Review procedure for building Air Capacitors. Take the Unit 2 Quiz from the Original CASTLE Manual.

 

PM – Check the Unit 2 Quiz. Begin Unit 3: The Resistance Model. Complete Activities 1, 2, and 3.

 

HW – Read Unit II Teacher Notes.

F 06/19

Day 5

AM – De-brief Unit 2 as a whole. Discuss options for extra activities.

 

HW – Write a reflection on Unit 2.

 

Week 2

M 06/22

Day 6

AM – Turn in Unit 2 and your Unit 2 Reflection. Complete Activity 4, Reading 2 and Worksheet 1. Whiteboard Worksheet 1. Pre-Lab Activities 5 and collect data.

 

PM – Whiteboard the results of Activity 5. Complete Activity 6. Complete and whiteboard Worksheet 2. Take the Unit 3 Quiz.

 

HW – Read the Unit 3 Teacher Notes.

T 06/23

Day 7

AM – Check the Unit 3 Quiz and debrief Unit 3 as a whole. Begin Unit 4: The Compressible Fluid Model. Complete Activity 1a and Worksheet 1. Complete Activity 1b. Demonstrate Activity 3. Complete Reading 1 and Worksheet 2. Whiteboard Worksheet 2.

 

PM – Review Color Coding. Complete Worksheet 3 and 4. Debrief Worksheets 3 and 4. Complete Worksheets 5 and 6. Whiteboard Worksheets 5 and 6. Take the Unit 4 Quiz.

 

HW – Write a Reflection on Unit 3.

W 06/24

Day 8

AM – Turn in Unit 3 and your Unit 3 Reflection. Check the Unit 4 Quiz. Begin Unit 5: What determines pressure in a wire? Complete Activity 1 and Reading 1. Complete Worksheet 1

 

PM – Whiteboard Worksheet 1. Complete Activity 2 and Worksheet 2. Make Predictions and collect data for Activity 3. Whiteboard and debrief Activity 3.

 

HW – Read the Unit 4 Teacher Notes and Unit 5 - Reading 3. Make Predictions on Activity 4.

Th 06/25

Day 9

AM – Debrief Unit 4 as a whole. Review Reading 3 from Unit 5. Collect data and whiteboard results of Activity 4. Review Reading 4. Whiteboard Worksheet 3.

 

PM – Complete Activity 5. Review Reading 5 and complete Worksheet 4. Whiteboard Worksheet 4. Complete the Unit 5 Summary Exercises. Check the Unit 5 Quiz.

 

HW – Write a Reflection on Unit 4. Take the Unit 5 Quiz.

Fr 06/26

Day 10

AM – Turn in Unit 4 and your Reflection on Unit 4.discuss reading, Check the Unit 5 Quiz. Share with the E&M Group.

 

HW – Read the Unit 5 Teacher Notes.

 

Week 3

M 06/29

Day 11

AM – Debrief Unit 5 as a whole. Begin Unit 6: Measuring and Quantifying Circuit Variable. Prelab Activity 1 by color coding and arrow tailing each of the Circuits in Activity 1. Complete Activity 1 and Worksheet 1.

 

PM – Prelab Activity 2 by copying arrow tails from Activity 1 onto Activity 2. Complete Activity 2 and Worksheet 2.

 

HW – Write a Reflection on Unit 5.

T 06/30

Day12

AM – Turn in Unit 5 and your reflection on Unit 5. Complete Activity 3. Complete and Whiteboard Worksheet 4. Complete Activity 4. Begin the Energy Addendum to Unit 6. Complete Activity 6.

 

PM – Review the Unit 6 Reading. Begin Activity 7. Whiteboard results and debrief Activity 7. Graph Unit 7 results and examine the mathematical approach to defining power.

 

HW – Read the Teacher Notes on Unit 6.

W 07/1

Day 13

AM – Review Reading 2 and complete Activity 8. Complete and whiteboard Worksheet 5.

 

PM – Complete Activity 9. Take the Unit 6 Quiz. Check the Unit 6 Quiz. Debrief Unit 6.

 

HW – Write your reflection on Unit 6. Write your final Reflection: How will you Implement CASTLE?

Th 07/2

Day 14

 

Ends at 3:30pm

AM – Turn in Unit 6 and your reflection on Unit 6. Time to work on improving quizzes, homework assignments, creating practicuums or developing further activities in the Energy addendum to Unit 6. Post-tests

 

PM – Finalize revisions on additional homework, assessments and practicums.

          Turn in Final Reflections, final paper work. Clean up.