Physics 115: Inquiry into Physics
PHYS 115 - Section 0201
University of Maryland, College Park
Website: http://tinyurl.com/sawtelle-phys115
Class time and location: Mon, Tues, Wed, 10am - 11:50am, Physics 3316
Instructor: Vashti Sawtelle
E-mail: sawtelle@umd.edu Office: Physics 1326
Office Ph: (301) 405-6179 Office hours: Wed 2:30pm - 4pm or By appointment (as requested)
Contact information for TAs:
About this course:
This course is intended for Elementary Education and Early Childhood majors. In addition to learning some physics we want you to experience a style of science instruction that is different from, and arguably superior to, the common school science instruction that is teacher-centered and focuses primarily on accumulating correct answers. The purpose is to provide you with some experiences to consider when you begin thinking seriously about teaching science in your own classroom.
It’s a common idea to think that learning science involves taking in facts and formulas and memorizing them. But this isn’t what scientists really do! Scientists come up with ideas by developing, testing, and refining models. They do all this in an effort to understand the way the world works. My goal in this class is for us to do what scientists do – that is come up with ideas, test them, and refine them in an effort to understand phenomenon.
To download a full syllabus for this course click here: PHYS 115 Spring 13 Syllabus.pdf
Brief schedule for the class:
Introduction to the class |
01/23 |
Circuits |
01/28 - 02/20 |
Exam 1 |
02/25 |
Floating & Sinking |
02/27 - 4/3 |
Exam 2 |
4/8 |
Temperature & Heat (or Magnetism depending on class interest) |
4/10 - 5/8 |
Exam 3 |
final exam time |
Homework Assignments:
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