in Physics Chris Meyer York Mills C.I.

The Problem with Learning Many students do not believe science is real! Students don’t relate their ideas to their everyday life. Nonsense answers Nonsense answers Science requires specialty equipment Science requires specialty equipment

CLASS Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey Real World Connections Category: The subject of physics has little relation to what I experience in the real world. The subject of physics has little relation to what I experience in the real world. Learning physics changes my ideas about how the world works. Learning physics changes my ideas about how the world works. 76% → 53%

Kinematics Frame a lesson

Kinematics Frame the lesson Develop the concepts and equations Predict a result Verify

Momentum Problem Design an experiment Take data Analyze Draw conclusions

Momentum Problem

Circular Motion Develop ideas A capstone question: What happens to the force of tension when the pendulum is swinging?

The Rollercoaster Challenge one metal bar

The Rollercoaster Challenge

one metal bar

Force Concept Inventory (FCI) Starting 1 st year physics at U of T= 57% Starting 1 st year physics at Harvard = 70% Finishing Gr. 12 physics at York Mills = 82.8% 82.8% YorkMills 57% 1 st Year Physics U of T 70 % 1 st Year Physics Harvard

Problem-Based Learning Uses: Motivation to develop ideas Motivation to develop ideas Confirm new ideas Confirm new ideas Apply ideas Apply ideas

Problem-Based Learning Results: must be immediately testable or verifiable must be immediately testable or verifiable must be verified by students not by authority figure must be verified by students not by authority figure can be found by direct experiments, comparisons to videos or simulations can be found by direct experiments, comparisons to videos or simulations

PhET Simulations