II. The Course
Picture yourself watching the dawn launch of a NASA space shuttle. The air is cool, damp, and still; your breath forms a visible cloud as you stare toward the east at a sky whose stars are gradually traded first for a deep blue, then purples and reds and oranges as your spot on Earth makes its way toward the sun. A magnificent blaze overwhelms your view, and seconds later the thunder of the shuttle engines drowns out even your thoughts.
No thoughts are necessary to enjoy such an experience, but the event you came to watch represents the culmination of thousands of years of insatiable human curiosity. Think about the everyday events in that scene. Why is the still air just before dawn replaced by a morning breeze? Why the foggy breath? Why does the sun come up? And what is the source of the glorious colors of the sunrise? The lure of these everyday puzzles and their eventual solutions led steadily to the next question and the next, till today we consider it our destiny to make sense of everything.
Physicists today continue this quest for an understanding of our universe, from the quarks within the atomic nucleus to the clusters of galaxies that fill the heavens. But the first step to that knowledge is still the study of the everyday events around us; that is, the study of physics. And since the laws that govern the flight of a baseball also guide electrons, planets, and galaxies, learning a little physics goes a long way.
II. The Course
KET Star Channels Physics is a one-year high school course with the goal of providing the student with an appreciation and understanding of the physical world. An equally important goal is to prepare students for college courses and careers that require an understanding of physics. These include the sciences, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, education, agriculture, transportation, meteorology, and many other fields.
One essential tool in developing an understanding of physical principles is mathematics. Mathematical descriptions of motion, force, energy, electricity, magnetism, and light allow us to describe what we observe and predict what we have yet to observe in the most efficient manner possible. So in physics we use mathematics as a tool to summarize and extend our observations.
So is physics just another mathematics course? No, physics is about concepts and real events around us. Mathematics is just a very useful part of the language of physics. We ultimately want to know why the sky is blue and what gives a saxophone its brash sound. Math just helps us describe what we see. The preparation needed is two successful years of algebra. Also a good dose of curiosity and good study habits wouldn't hurt.
We will use a number of types of activities to help students learn physics. Students will watch lecture/demonstration sessions on tape, work through labs and activities on the Physics Companion CD-ROM, participate in live lab activities, and take frequent short tests. The sequence of activities is outlined in the agenda provided on the Physics Web Site. Students are encouraged to talk frequently with each other, their facilitator and the teacher. Discussion is very important in learning concepts.
Primarily due to issues of cost and difficulty in setting up sensitive equipment, most activities done during the first half of the course are done using the CD-ROM, rather than with "live" equipment. There is some disadvantage in this due to the non "live" nature of these activities. However, this method does have many advantages. We can do many more activities because of gains in speed and efficiency. Many of the activities are more sophisticated than those done in most physics classrooms. We can also do more sophisticated analysis of our data using the tools that come with the CD-ROM.
II. The Course
During this course, you will:
II. The Course
Note: Not all the topics listed below and in the course objectives will be covered in detail.
A limited amount of time will be spent exploring the 20th century's contribution to our understanding of the atom.
II. The Course
Education:
M.S. (nuclear engineering), University of Kentucky; B.S. (physics), Morehead State University; Christa MacAuliffe Fellowship, U.S. Dept. of Education/National Education Association
Work Experience:
SERC/KET satellite physics teacher 1989-present; physics teacher, Fayette County Public Schools (Lexington), 1976-1989; special physics courses for pre-meds, Kaplan Educational Centers, 1992-present, and the Health Careers Opportunity Program, 1985-present; physics instructor, University of Kentucky, 1973-present, and Transylvania University, occasional summers; nuclear waste analysis, Institute for Mining & Minerals Research, 1974-1975, and the Environmental Protection Agency, 1974; physics lab instructor, Morehead State University, 1972-73; Boy Scouts of America and other camping organizations, 1966-1973
In addition to his regular satellite Physics course, Chuck has produced many hours of televised professional development seminars for high school and middle school teachers. As a part-time instructor at the University of Kentucky, he works with pre-service elementary and middle school teachers to prepare them for the physics component of their future teaching careers. In 1994 and '95 he served as the classroom presenter in NASA video conferences.
Memberships:
Kentucky Science Teachers Association, Kentucky Association of Physics Teachers, American Association of Physics Teachers, Kentucky Academy of Science, National Audubon Society.
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