Physics by Inquiry (Physics by Inquiry)

Rating:
Summary: Science Education as it Should Be
Review: I love this set of books. These books require students to learn not by lecture, but by doing labs and explaining their results.

These books certainly are not appropriate for high school students (the age level I teach), but they are the perfect resource for their teacher. A high school student needs very clear instructions and needs reassurance that he is on the right track. These books are not clear enough for these students.

However, as a teacher, I can adapt the material, write my own labs, and give the students something that is on their level.

I've done the electricity unit, as a student, and realized that there was quite a lot about circuitry that I don't know. I was a Physics major, but I never truly understood the material, I only thought I did. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other units and finding out what else I don't understand!

The other useful feature of these books is the cost. The labs use only very inexpensive equipment. For someone like me in a small, rural school, this is a godsend! In a few years, I hope to develop my program to the point that my students will get a good, high-level education, and low cost labs help make this possible sooner.

Rating:
Summary: Science Education as it Should Be
Review: I love this set of books. These books require students to learn not by lecture, but by doing labs and explaining their results.

These books certainly are not appropriate for high school students (the age level I teach), but they are the perfect resource for their teacher. A high school student needs very clear instructions and needs reassurance that he is on the right track. These books are not clear enough for these students.

However, as a teacher, I can adapt the material, write my own labs, and give the students something that is on their level.

I've done the electricity unit, as a student, and realized that there was quite a lot about circuitry that I don't know. I was a Physics major, but I never truly understood the material, I only thought I did. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other units and finding out what else I don't understand!

The other useful feature of these books is the cost. The labs use only very inexpensive equipment. For someone like me in a small, rural school, this is a godsend! In a few years, I hope to develop my program to the point that my students will get a good, high-level education, and low cost labs help make this possible sooner.