zaichiki Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I have the Algebra curriculum all set. Ds wants to study physics in the fall. What curricula choices do I have? He'll be doing Algebra 1 concurrently. I've heard of Conceptual Physics. What else would you recommend? This would be for a 7-9th grader who is very strong in the sciences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 He needs to be very strong in math. Are you willing/able to teach him math concepts when they come up in the physics book? Because it will. Conceptual Physics uses unit conversions right from the beginning. If he's strong in math, you can teach him to do those even if he hasn't gotten to them in algebra yet. It also uses simple equation (F=Ma, etc) It is not entirely "conceptual." There are also many questions which, while not requiring a numerical answer, are much easier to understand if you understand the equation that would be used to solve it numerically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 He needs to be very strong in math. Are you willing/able to teach him math concepts when they come up in the physics book? Because it will. I don't know if he's very strong in math. (I don't feel like I have a good idea of what that means.) He has no trouble with Singapore's Primary Math series. We have NEM 1 and VideoText Algebra in the works. Conceptual Physics uses unit conversions right from the beginning. If he's strong in math, you can teach him to do those even if he hasn't gotten to them in algebra yet. It also uses simple equation (F=Ma, etc) It is not entirely "conceptual." There are also many questions which, while not requiring a numerical answer, are much easier to understand if you understand the equation that would be used to solve it numerically. Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to know. Is the math that is used in the book explained at all? Is it assumed that the student already knows what and how? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 http://www.kolbe.org/documents/eighth/Science8PHPhysicalDaily08Sample.pdf I'm wondering if Prentice Hall's Intro to Physics and Chemistry would be enough... Kolbe's description suggests a concurrent enrollment in Algebra I. Thing is -- ds is only average-ish in math, but extremely interested in the sciences, with plans for a future profession in the sciences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 http://www.kolbe.org/documents/eighth/Science8PHPhysicalDaily08Sample.pdf I'm wondering if Prentice Hall's Intro to Physics and Chemistry would be enough... Kolbe's description suggests a concurrent enrollment in Algebra I. Thing is -- ds is only average-ish in math, but extremely interested in the sciences, with plans for a future profession in the sciences. Physics is the most math involved of the sciences at this stage. I am not familiar with CP, but I would suspect that at basic conversion skills, etc would be necessary. The PH course you are describing sounds like a physical science course. It would provide intro to those topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Yeah... I think we want something more devoted to Physics... but I'm not sure. Physical Science wouldn't be a *bad* choice, though. Still trying to wrap my mind around this... Thank goodness I have plenty of time until fall. (Ds is still working on biology, including online dissection, which he enjoys.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 He oculd probably handle a basic physical science program - but actual, full on physics? I would wait until he's gotten through algebra 1 at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 He oculd probably handle a basic physical science program - but actual, full on physics? I would wait until he's gotten through algebra 1 at least. I know... but he really wants to study physics. I thought a "watered down" less-math-intensive curriculum might fit the bill. Like Hewitt's Conceptual Physics? I've heard that one is lighter on math. (But I've never seen it so I don't know.) Ds will certainly hit physics again as he gets older. It falls along a line of passion for him. But if he wants to study it now I want to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. What do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 CP is lighter on math in that it only uses algebra 1 as opposed to algebra 2/trig. If he wants to do physics that badly, is he possibly willing to work ahead in alg 1 in order to get to the physics? Maybe start physics a few months into the year after working ahead in alg 1? Otherwise I really would do something like physical science or possibly geology or astronomy and do physics next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 If he wants to do physics that badly, is he possibly willing to work ahead in alg 1 in order to get to the physics? Maybe start physics a few months into the year after working ahead in alg 1? That's a good idea... if I can hold him off somehow. He's currently doing PLATO Life Science with additional independent study/emphasis on Paleontology and Genetics and using Froguts online dissection. Maybe I can stretch the genetics/Froguts a bit more... Otherwise I really would do something like physical science or possibly geology or astronomy and do physics next year. These are all topics that are good to cover. I know he'll be doing a super-serious year od Aerospace and related sciences in there somewhere. Just haven't thought out the details yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Another option you might want to consider are Teaching Company's astronomy and physics lectures. My ds is passionate about both topics and owns all fo the astronomy lectures (many purchased with his own $$.....that is the ultimate endorsement for me!) and has now switched to the physics ones. The physics lectures are oriented toward the non-physicist, so the content is focused on theory and not the math. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquinas Academy Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 The physics lectures are oriented toward the non-physicist, so the content is focused on theory and not the math. :iagree:I have Physics in Your Life and have enjoyed watching it with DD14 (and sometimes the younger kids as well). I am most definitely not a physicist, but have found these lectures to be easy to understand and very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted June 30, 2011 Author Share Posted June 30, 2011 Another option you might want to consider are Teaching Company's astronomy and physics lectures. My ds is passionate about both topics and owns all fo the astronomy lectures (many purchased with his own $$.....that is the ultimate endorsement for me!) and has now switched to the physics ones. The physics lectures are oriented toward the non-physicist, so the content is focused on theory and not the math. Yes! Someone had suggested these recently and I went looking on their website. If I can swing the $$ I'll try to get Physics in Your Life, Physics in History, and Impossible: Physics Beyond the Edge. Maybe we can do the Prentice Hall Physical Science and add in these Physics videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 My son started his Algebra right before vacation and so when school starts (and thus our next science) he will starting chapter 6 of AOPS Intro ALgebra. He's also at the Journeyman level of Trig in Khan Academy so he knows sin/cos/tan, etc. In fact, Trig is his favorite math subject. He's the type of kid Do you think he has enough math for Kinetic Conceptual Physics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 My son started his Algebra right before vacation and so when school starts (and thus our next science) he will starting chapter 6 of AOPS Intro ALgebra. He's also at the Journeyman level of Trig in Khan Academy so he knows sin/cos/tan, etc. In fact, Trig is his favorite math subject. He's the type of kid Do you think he has enough math for Kinetic Conceptual Physics? I asked my ds what he thought, and in looking through the AoPs book, he thinks (he can't remember exactly) that chpts 10, 13, and 14 would be necessary and perhaps 16 (more important than 19) and 19 b/c there are a lot of quadratics. In order to judge for yourself, here is an equation from chpt 2: vf = vi + at Δy = vit + ½ at^2 vf^2 = vi^2 + 2aΔy Δy = ½ (vi + vf)t a = −9.80 m/s2 Δy = vertical displacement vi = initial velocity vf = final velocity t = elapsed time Here is a problem from chpt 10: A refrigerator operates much like a heat pump, but the desired goal of a refrigerator is to transfer heat from the cold reservoir as efficiently as possible. For this reason, the coefficient of performance of a refrigerator is measured as Qc/W. A typical commercial refrigerator has a coefficient of performance of about 5.5. Assume such a refrigerator is used by a market to make ice cubes from 2.3 kg of liquid water, starting at 0°C. (a) How much work is done on the refrigerator to freeze this water into ice? (The latent heat of fusion for the water is 3.34×105 J/kg.) (b) Suppose water costs 0.56 cents per kg, and energy costs 10 cents per kWh. If the market charges 99 cents for 2.3 kg of ice, what is its maximum profit on the ice? Express your answer to the nearest cent. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Thanks that helps a lot!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Another idea is to do more "fun" physics :) For example, the KNEX roller coaster has a unit study available... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 We're planning on using CPO's Physics: A First Course concurrent with Alg1 next year. It's meant for 8-10th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaichiki Posted July 2, 2011 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 We're planning on using CPO's Physics: A First Course concurrent with Alg1 next year. It's meant for 8-10th grade. What's CPO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 What's CPO? Cambridge Physics Outlet - they put out a few different high-school level physics curricula and also a middle school trio (earth/life/physical science). They started with physics - hence the name. From their FAQ, here are the recommended grade levels for their high school books: Physics A First Course: Grades 8-10 Foundations of Physical Science: Grades 8-10 Foundations of Physical Science with Earth and Space Science: Grades 8-10 Foundations of Physics: Grades 10-12 and non-physics-major college students Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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