Physics First
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Physics First is an educational program that teaches a basic physics course in the ninth grade (usually 15-year-olds), rather than the biology course which is more standard in public schools. It began as an organized movement among educators around 1990, and has been slowly catching on throughout the United States. The most prominent movement championing Physics First is Leon Lederman's ARISE (American Renaissance in Science Education).
Many proponents of Physics First argue that turning this order around lays the foundations for better understanding of chemistry, which in turn will lead to more comprehension of biology. Due to the tangible nature of most introductory physics experiments, Physics First also lends itself well to an introduction to inquiry-based science education, where students are encouraged to probe the workings of the world in which they live.
There is a large overlap between the Physics First movement, and the movement towards teaching conceptual physics - teaching physics in a way that emphasizes a strong understanding of physical principles over problem-solving ability. Many Physics First programs use the popular textbook "Conceptual Physics" by Paul G. Hewitt.
Another prominent advocate of Physics First is Robert Goodman. Goodman teaches Physics at Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro, New Jersey. His doctoral dissertation at Rutgers University was based on the success of teaching Physics First to freshman. Goodman was also named New Jersey's Teacher of the Year for 2005 for his success with teaching Physics First and is currently advising other New Jersey school districts which are considering switching to the program.
[edit] Criticism
American public schools traditionally teach biology in the second year of high school, chemistry in the third, and physics in the fourth. The belief is that this order is more accessible, largely because biology can be taught with less mathematics, and will do the most toward providing some scientific literacy for the largest number of students.
In addition, many scientists and educators argue that freshmen do not have an adequate background in mathematics to be able to fully comprehend a complete physics curriculum, and that therefore quality of a physics education is lost. While physics requires knowledge of vectors and some basic trigonometry, many students in the Physics First program take the course in conjunction with Geometry. They suggest that instead students first take biology and chemistry which are less mathematics-intensive so that by the time they are in their junior year, students will be advanced enough in mathematics with either an Algebra 2 or pre-calculus education to be able to fully grasp the concepts presented in physics. Some argue this even further, saying that at least calculus should be a prerequisite for physics.
In order to address this criticism, many schools offer an opportunity to revisit physics in the junior or senior year with a more complete, mathematically rigorous physics class.
