Teaching and Learning Physics
week 2 assignments

Tues 9/2: (day 3 notes)

1) Teaching Physics - Redish- preface and pp  5- 15 (you can start at p1 too). (If you don't have the Redish book, an older (draft) version is available online here. Not sure if the page numbers will match exactly)

2) McDermott, “How We Teach and How Students Learn - A mismatch?” AJP 61(4), (1993),  p295,

3) Van Heuvelen, A., “Learning to think like a physicist: A review of research-based instructional  strategies”, Am. J. Phys. 59 (1991) 891-897.

Reminder from the syllabus: Each week you are expected to write a paragraph summary of each paper/ reading, and to list out 3 questions, or points of interest that the paper/reading brought up. 

Please post your bullet points/questions onlineon the DISUCSSIONS board of CULearn - Monday 5p.
By Tues noon please respond to one other student point / quesetiuons.
The paragraph summaries should be turned in on hardcopy to me along with your 3 bullet points/ quesitons
(So that means, this week, ~3 paragraphs (one for each reading) and ~9 questions (3 for each reading)

I will lead the first week or two of readings, but it will quickly be handed over to you to lead the discussions for the class.  We will have students sign up to lead the discussion once or twice over the course of the term.  Those weeks you should be prepared to present a 5-10 min summary of the paper, and bring in some starting points of discussion for the class.

Thurs 9/4: (day 4 notes)

Introductory Physics Text (of your choosing) - Kinematics and 1-D Vectors , Knight Ch. 2 and part of 3.

Three problems of your chosing from the following CAPA assignment (if you can't access pick problems from back of the chapter)

Reminder from the syllabus:

• write a 1 paragraph / short outline of the physics content covered for the week.
• Select 3 of the homework problems from the CAPA set for phys 1110 and:
  • Solve the problem
  • Describe the solution process you used
  • Describe what physics content was needed from this section / other sections of the course.
  • Evaluate the problem: was this a good problem, mediocre problem, or a bad problem.  Why? Consider this problem both for content and pedagogical value.

Physics homework is due Thursday in class.

Please hand in a copy of your fieldnotes, once a week. From the syllabus: "These should be no shorter than a page or a page and a half (and no more than a few pages)." (See fieldnote guide for structure)