Wilson Hill Academy Physics First

[shburks]

I'm seriously considering WHA Physics this class for my ds for next year (rising 9th grader). He's very strong in math having already completed up through Algebra 2, and I'm rather intrigued by the physics first idea. I'd likely be looking at the Honors Physics class.

Can anyone give me some good feedback on the whole physics first experience? Someone whose dc is already in college or upper high school? I guess I'm still stuck on the whole "doing science out of order" (I know...it's my decision and no set order but it's still rocking my brain). Did this work out OK for your child?

[Jugglin'5]

My non-mathy daughter took Hon. Physics 1 with Jester as a sophomore. She loved it. I was really surprised! My son is taking the same thing this year as a freshman, concurrently with geometry. It has really worked out well for both of them. My daughter's sequence ended up being biology (Landry), physics 1, hon. chemistry, and now AP biology. She really enjoyed physics 1 and chemistry.  

[h2bh]

I hear and read lots of good reviews of the Novare textbooks so I know I am in the minority.  I haven’t seen the chemistry book but we have not loved the honors physics book. My daughter is taking honors physics at WHA and my son is taking Jetta’s physics class this year. My son has learned so much more. They are both physics first options so that isn’t the issue. My daughter works very few problems each week and spends time memorizing history of science. My son’s class is what I would expect of a physics class. And his class looks like more fun too! My daughter is a humanities kid so it doesn’t bother me that she has learned substantially less physics than her brother but I’m really glad my son gets to be more challenged. If AP science is your goal, you can get there with WHA (based on their track record) so I don’t mean to sound too negative. The teachers have great reputations for sure. I just wanted to offer my observations. 

[RootAnn]

My eldest did physics first using DO Honors physics. She went onto take Chemistry (no honors option) with Excelsior Classes, skip science her Junior year, and dual enrolled her senior (this) year first semester in a Chemistry class for science majors. No issues.

She disliked physics, but loved chemistry. She's planning on majoring in math. 

Edited January 31, 2019 by RootAnn
hit enter too quickly. Erg!

[Penelope]

The WHA honors physics class used for ninth grade uses a text which is really more of an honors physical science text (even described that way by publisher), but not what I would think of as a traditional honors high school physics class. If you look at explanations from the publisher, they believe that the majority of students cannot handle vector physics in high school, so the book with those types of problems is reserved for the advanced student, which is what WHA uses for their Honors Physics 2. I like the idea of physics first, but, for my own kids, I don’t see the point of having two courses labeled “physics” in high school if the second one is still algebra/trig based. 

Caveat that we haven’t taken the WHA class or used those particular books, just done some serious looking. I have used Novare Earth Science. It was okay. I have also used Derek Owens Physical Science for one child and will again for another, and will probably go with DO physics for my next ninth grader. For my junior who had also already had algebra, we did our version of “physics first” in grade 8. I used the Hewitt Conceptual Physics book with additional problem solving books and a big chunk of the GPB curriculum materials, which is more of an on-level “plug and chug” high school physics. I figured he would take Calc-based Physics in high school and no need to use up two high school science years for physics, so the course in eighth was meant to be a nice intro to cover however many topics we could, and ended up being very good. He has taken bio and chem at home and then AP Chem and done well. 

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by Penelope

[shburks]

5 hours ago, Penelope said:

The WHA honors physics class used for ninth grade uses a text which is really more of an honors physical science text (even described that way by publisher), but not what I would think of as a traditional honors high school physics class. If you look at explanations from the publisher, they believe that the majority of students cannot handle vector physics in high school, so the book with those types of problems is reserved for the advanced student, which is what WHA uses for their Honors Physics 2. I like the idea of physics first, but, for my own kids, I don’t see the point of having two courses labeled “physics” in high school if the second one is still algebra/trig based. 

Caveat that we haven’t taken the WHA class or used those particular books, just done some serious looking. I have used Novare Earth Science. It was okay. I have also used Derek Owens Physical Science for one child and will again for another, and will probably go with DO physics for my next ninth grader. For my junior who had also already had algebra, we did our version of “physics first” in grade 8. I used the Hewitt Conceptual Physics book with additional problem solving books and a big chunk of the GPB curriculum materials, which is more of an on-level “plug and chug” high school physics. I figured he would take Calc-based Physics in high school and no need to use up two high school science years for physics, so the course in eighth was meant to be a nice intro to cover however many topics we could, and ended up being very good. He has taken bio and chem at home and then AP Chem and done well. 

 

 

Thank you for this. We used Novare Earth Science as well, but I actually really liked it. He's already done Physical Science (honors) through The Potters' School. We use Derek Owens for math but he really prefers live classes for science.

6 hours ago, RootAnn said:

My eldest did physics first using DO Honors physics. She went onto take Chemistry (no honors option) with Excelsior Classes, skip science her Junior year, and dual enrolled her senior (this) year first semester in a Chemistry class for science majors. No issues.

She disliked physics, but loved chemistry. She's planning on majoring in math. 

Good info! We need a live class for science although we use DO for math! It sounds like she did just fine with her science pathway though!

 

7 hours ago, Jugglin'5 said:

My non-mathy daughter took Hon. Physics 1 with Jester as a sophomore. She loved it. I was really surprised! My son is taking the same thing this year as a freshman, concurrently with geometry. It has really worked out well for both of them. My daughter's sequence ended up being biology (Landry), physics 1, hon. chemistry, and now AP biology. She really enjoyed physics 1 and chemistry.  

Thank you! The teacher for Honors PHysics 1 isn't assigned yet. Looks like Jester is leaving or undecided?

 

6 hours ago, h2bh said:

I hear and read lots of good reviews of the Novare textbooks so I know I am in the minority.  I haven’t seen the chemistry book but we have not loved the honors physics book. My daughter is taking honors physics at WHA and my son is taking Jetta’s physics class this year. My son has learned so much more. They are both physics first options so that isn’t the issue. My daughter works very few problems each week and spends time memorizing history of science. My son’s class is what I would expect of a physics class. And his class looks like more fun too! My daughter is a humanities kid so it doesn’t bother me that she has learned substantially less physics than her brother but I’m really glad my son gets to be more challenged. If AP science is your goal, you can get there with WHA (based on their track record) so I don’t mean to sound too negative. The teachers have great reputations for sure. I just wanted to offer my observations. 

Honestly, I love the look of Jetta's class and we'd probably do it, but we're in Hawaii and so we're limited to the live class times we can do. Oh...I do see she has a noon class though and in central time so that might actually work. I really appreciate your comparison of the two courses! I'm going to take a second look at Jetta's!  EDIT: Her website does say This physics course is ideal for both the STEM-minded student who will take more physics (i.e AP Physics or dual enrollment) later in high school or for the more humanities-minded student who desires a basic physics credit.  Does that mean that your son will plan to take an an additional physics course later?

 

Edited January 31, 2019 by shburks

[h2bh]

I’ve heard that Mrs. Jester from WHA is going to be teaching at a brick and mortar school next year. As for Jetta’s class, the live meetings are optional but I do understand having a kid who likes live classes. My son is in 8th grade and plans to do AP Chem, AP Bio and AP Physics in high school. 

[lbell]

My daughter has done all her science classes at WHA.  She started in 9th grade with Physics 1. In 10th grade she did Honors Chemistry.  This year she is doing AP Biology. The thing I like about doing Physics 1 in 9th grade is the algebra-based math.  9th grade is usually the year of geometry for math, so it helps keep algebra skills sharp.  I also like that that Novarre science is mastery based.  My daughter still remembers the formulas from Physics 1 and enjoyed it so much that she is choosing to do Physics 2 next year as a senior.

[lbell]

On 1/31/2019 at 11:04 AM, h2bh said:

I hear and read lots of good reviews of the Novare textbooks so I know I am in the minority.  I haven’t seen the chemistry book but we have not loved the honors physics book. My daughter is taking honors physics at WHA and my son is taking Jetta’s physics class this year. My son has learned so much more. They are both physics first options so that isn’t the issue. My daughter works very few problems each week and spends time memorizing history of science. My son’s class is what I would expect of a physics class. And his class looks like more fun too! My daughter is a humanities kid so it doesn’t bother me that she has learned substantially less physics than her brother but I’m really glad my son gets to be more challenged. If AP science is your goal, you can get there with WHA (based on their track record) so I don’t mean to sound too negative. The teachers have great reputations for sure. I just wanted to offer my observations. 

1

This was not our experience at WHA, but my daughter's teacher is no longer teacher there.  Mrs. Paul was her teacher for Physics 1 at WHA, and they did an enormous amount of math.  She also learned to write amazing lab reports.

[h2bh]

On 1/31/2019 at 11:19 AM, Penelope said:

The WHA honors physics class used for ninth grade uses a text which is really more of an honors physical science text (even described that way by publisher), but not what I would think of as a traditional honors high school physics class. If you look at explanations from the publisher, they believe that the majority of students cannot handle vector physics in high school, so the book with those types of problems is reserved for the advanced student, which is what WHA uses for their Honors Physics 2. I like the idea of physics first, but, for my own kids, I don’t see the point of having two courses labeled “physics” in high school if the second one is still algebra/trig based. 

Caveat that we haven’t taken the WHA class or used those particular books, just done some serious looking. I have used Novare Earth Science. It was okay. I have also used Derek Owens Physical Science for one child and will again for another, and will probably go with DO physics for my next ninth grader. For my junior who had also already had algebra, we did our version of “physics first” in grade 8. I used the Hewitt Conceptual Physics book with additional problem solving books and a big chunk of the GPB curriculum materials, which is more of an on-level “plug and chug” high school physics. I figured he would take Calc-based Physics in high school and no need to use up two high school science years for physics, so the course in eighth was meant to be a nice intro to cover however many topics we could, and ended up being very good. He has taken bio and chem at home and then AP Chem and done well. 

 

The absence of vector based physics is where my dh’s frustration with Novare comes in.  I agree with Ibell that lab reports are a major strength of WHA’s science. 

[Rosepetal]

On 1/31/2019 at 5:46 PM, shburks said:

 

Thank you for this. We used Novare Earth Science as well, but I actually really liked it. He's already done Physical Science (honors) through The Potters' School. We use Derek Owens for math but he really prefers live classes for science.

Good info! We need a live class for science although we use DO for math! It sounds like she did just fine with her science pathway though!

 

Thank you! The teacher for Honors PHysics 1 isn't assigned yet. Looks like Jester is leaving or undecided?

 

Honestly, I love the look of Jetta's class and we'd probably do it, but we're in Hawaii and so we're limited to the live class times we can do. Oh...I do see she has a noon class though and in central time so that might actually work. I really appreciate your comparison of the two courses! I'm going to take a second look at Jetta's!  EDIT: Her website does say This physics course is ideal for both the STEM-minded student who will take more physics (i.e AP Physics or dual enrollment) later in high school or for the more humanities-minded student who desires a basic physics credit.  Does that mean that your son will plan to take an an additional physics course later?

 

 

Would you mind telling more about Physical Science (honors) through The Potters' School? 

How many are the experiments,test/exams, lab reports and quizzes through out the course? 

How many hours of homework's given each week including reading content? 

Do kids have to do experiments during the class or at home as a homework? Any pros/cons? 

 

Thanks!

[8filltheheart]

No knowledge of any outsourced physics classes at all, but my ds who is a grad student majoring in physics took physics first. He too physics in 8th grade, chemistry and astronomy in 9th, AP chemistry and astronomy in 10th, astronomy and DE cal physics in11th, biology and DE physics courses.

If they have the math for an algebra-based physics course, I think physics first is good option.