BEST HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS STUDENT RESOURCES
For best high
school physics student resources to reinforce and supplement instruction
(especially Modeling Instruction), below is a list of websites recommended by
teachers of first-year physics students, including AP and Dual Enrollment.
(Updated in October 2018; compiled by Jane Jackson)
Use them to
REINFORCE learning in the classroom, not before classroom instruction. Otherwise, students are tempted to
memorize, rather than think and reason.
Note: we do NOT
recommend the KhanAcademy, because high school physics teachers and college
physics faculty report 1) major errors in physics content, 2) ineffective
pedagogy.
See Frank
NoscheseÕs blog for evidence: http://fnoschese.wordpress.com/tag/khan-academy/
PHYSICS
INSTRUCTION:
1) THE PHYSICS CLASSROOM http://www.physicsclassroom.com
Tutorials by
Tom Henderson, a high school physics teacher at Glenbrook South High School in
Glenview, Illinois. Also interactive question/answer sets, Shockwave
simulations, tips for teachers, narrated demonstrations, lab manuals. A Physics Front "Elite Choice".
[Modeler Marc
Reif wrote in 2014, ÒThe website is, I think, a useful resource for students,
even though it does not follow the modeling units or consistently use the same
notations and structure as modeling.Ó]
2) SPIRAL
PHYSICS, by Paul D'Alessandris, Monroe Community College, is a wealth of
research-based conceptual/quantitative activities for calculus-based physics
and algebra-based physics (grades 11-12 and college). Free downloadable modules
for students. Dwain Desbien, an expert modeler at Estrella Mountain Community
College, uses Spiral Physics extensively. He wrote in May 2015: ÒI use parts of
it in all my classes. I particularly use it in University Physics 2 and 3. It
is a great resource for activities.Ó
http://www.dropbox.com/sh/oulpsaytsjxvhzh/AADt7uvQWqNgOXOz5B-YrQXba?dl=0
3) LEARN AP PHYSICS. http://www.learnapphysics.com Lessons developed for AP physics
students; site is maintained by Richard White, an AP physics teacher in
southern California. Lessons are
from three sources: the Monterrey Institute (open source: California Board of
Regents), M.I.T. (OpenCourseWare) and the Mechanical Universe & Beyond.
HOMEWORK:
http://per.physics.illinois.edu/resources/interactive-examples/
Illinois PER:
Interactive Examples
Unique collection of
interactive homework problems for algebra-based and calculus-based introductory
physics. All problems are designed in a Socratic-dialog format with immediate
feedback provided at each step. Developed by Gary Gladding. A Physics
Front "Elite Choice."
SIMULATIONS:
PhET: Physics
Education Technology
Award-winning set of 100+
interactive simulations for physics, chemistry, and biology.... Many have been
classroom-tested in grades 6-12. A Physics
Front "Elite Choice".
Frank
NoscheseÕs list of Physics Applets
& Animations, organized by concept, at
http://fnoschese.wordpress.com/physics-applets-animations/
LABORATORY
INVESTIGATIONS (virtual experiments):
http://paer.rutgers.edu/pt3 The Rutgers
Physics Teaching Technology Resource (PT3) won the AAAS Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE)
in 2010. It is popular all over the world in schools ranging from middle
schools to universities. Some institutions rely on it for all of their physics
labs. In some cases, students say the web siteÕs videos illustrate concepts in
ways that hit home like no other explanation. The web site explains how to use
the videos, describes the underlying teaching philosophy, and provides examples
of how students can work with the videos. The ~200 downloadable videos work
with any curriculum and with any textbook and are supported by questions, all
of which allow students to work independently at their own pace. Authors are Drs. Eugenia Etkina and
David Brookes.
http://www.pivotinteractives.com/direct-measurement-video
Pivot Interactives (formerly Direct
Measurement Videos). For a small fee, you can do hundreds of virtual
experiments in high school or college physics, supported by questions. 150
activities. Integrated components: videos and tools, instructions,
graphing.
REAL-WORLD
CONNECTIONS (videos for AP physics & chemistry, calculus, engineering):
http://tll.mit.edu/help/stem-concept-videos MITÕs Teaching and Learning Laboratory
(TLL) has created 47 STEM Concept Videos to help students connect the concepts
they learn in introductory STEM courses to concrete, real-world problems.
Students can watch the videos to prepare for class or review a concept for
an exam. Instructors can use them to supplement classroom instruction,
using snippets or the entire video, most of which are under 15 minutes. Throughout the videos, viewers are
prompted to pause to actively engage with the material — to predict the
result of demonstrations, engage in a discussion of concepts, or perform
activities tied to the videoÕs intended learning outcomes.
Some examples
of questions that the videos pose include:
What is the connection
between martial arts and torque?
How can the concept of
latent heat be used to design more energy-efficient buildings?
The videos
utilize animations, visualizations, demonstrations, and examples from
engineering and science disciplines.
They grab the viewerÕs attention by asking a provoking question or
describing a real-world phenomenon. They tell viewers what prerequisite knowledge
they will need to understand the topic and what they will learn by watching the
video.
NAìVE
CONCEPTIONS:
http://www.compadre.org/IVV/
Interactive Video Vignettes (IVVs) are
available for free. Each online vignette addresses a learning difficulty
identified by PER. They take about 10 minutes to complete.
IVVs are
designed for use as online assignments such as homework, pre-class tutorials,
flipped-classroom lecture segments, or Interactive Web Lectures. The
interactivity helps engage students and keep them focused.
Derek Muller,
the creator of the popular science-video website Veritasium.com, found in his
dissertation research that "explicit discussions of alternative
conceptions are more effective for learning than expository summaries."
Consequently, many vignettes show the instructor, students, or other
participants discussing all possible answers to multiple-choice questions. The
vignettes developed so far include instructor-led presentations,
"person-on-the-street" interviews, discussions between students and
instructors, and stories played out by student actors.
NINE vignettes
are available in fall 2018.
*
Projectile Motion: Independence of vertical and horizontal motion.
*
Newton's First, Second, and Third Laws (3 vignettes).
*
Bullet-Block (with Derek Muller): Conservation of momentum in an
inelastic collision.
*
Circular motion
*
Electrostatics (3 vignettes)
-------------------------------
OTHER
RESOURCES:
Many resources
are at The Physics Front, a free service of the American Assn of
Physics Teachers (AAPT) for pre-college teachers. Resources are reviewed;
priority is given to materials that promote engaged learning, visualization,
student interactivity, and multimedia experiences. http://www.compadre.org/precollege/
-----------------------------
Some
modeling-friendly resources are at http://modeling.asu.edu/modeling/weblinks.html
in the section called Òflipped classroomÓ.
If you have
favorite suggestions, please email jane.jackson@asu.edu so that she can add
them.