Whitneyz Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 And if a student is weak in math and won't be in a science related field is skipping Physics ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 I would still do a conceptual physics course because my personal opinion is that it's important:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 What is conceptual Physics? Is it a basic course in Physics? What do you recommend for someone not going into science/math? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 According to my husband, a marine chemist, all science uses math as its basic language of uncovering, predicting, and describing order/structure in the physical world. There are levels of physics, some more math-intensive than others. My eighth-grader just finished Paul Hewitt's Conceptual Physics, which is not very demanding in mathematical terms -- the formulas it works with are pretty basic algebraic ones. Even if you have a non-science-oriented child, I think some acquaintance with basic physics can be really fun and exciting if you pursue lots of hands-on activities coupled with reading not only from a textbook but from magazines and other mainstream books. More importantly, though, it is also necessary for a lot of the decisions your child will have to make as a voter and citizen. Uninformed people cannot make the kinds of decisions on things like nuclear policy, space exploration, alternative forms of power, or MANY other issues that need to be made thoughtfully and wisely in the world that will be theirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cheryl in SoCal Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 What is conceptual Physics? Is it a basic course in Physics? What do you recommend for someone not going into science/math? I haven't used the course so I'm not an expert on it and don't recall the publisher. I've seen it mentioned here several times and logged it into my memory banks (kind of:lol:) in case I have a child who is weak in math. Do a search on here for "conceptual" and I'm sure it will lead you to a post that is much more helpful than I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Thank you Chery. And KarenAnne thanks for the convincing info that Physics is necessary. I will check out that source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 According to my husband, a marine chemist, all science uses math as its basic language of uncovering, predicting, and describing order/structure in the physical world. There are levels of physics, some more math-intensive than others. My eighth-grader just finished Paul Hewitt's Conceptual Physics, which is not very demanding in mathematical terms -- the formulas it works with are pretty basic algebraic ones. Even if you have a non-science-oriented child, I think some acquaintance with basic physics can be really fun and exciting if you pursue lots of hands-on activities coupled with reading not only from a textbook but from magazines and other mainstream books. More importantly, though, it is also necessary for a lot of the decisions your child will have to make as a voter and citizen. Uninformed people cannot make the kinds of decisions on things like nuclear policy, space exploration, alternative forms of power, or MANY other issues that need to be made thoughtfully and wisely in the world that will be theirs. :iagree: Your students will be thrilled to discover the *why* of something they have experienced. I think Hewitt's Conceptual Physics course would be a fun way to introduce physics without burdening your student in a deeper, math based text. I think all students should know the "basic" science - physics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 There is also a Teaching Company that is Physics in Your Life which would also help explain physics to a non-science minded teen. Bill Nye the Science Guy told me at a book signing once that physics is the only true science -- everything else is just description! (My dad was a physicist -- I was immersed from birth!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Thanks Jenn. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitneyz Posted July 14, 2010 Author Share Posted July 14, 2010 Unfortunately that DVD set is $375. I'll check my library for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Unfortunately that DVD set is $375. I'll check my library for it. If you can't get it at the library, check back at the Teaching Company site frequently or subscribe to their emails for sale announcements. It goes on sale for much less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SusanAR Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 If you can't get it at the library, check back at the Teaching Company site frequently or subscribe to their emails for sale announcements. It goes on sale for much less. Yes, I purchased it for $49 a few months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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