MINDS ON PHYSICS: CONSERVATION LAWS AND CONCEPT-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING, ACTIVITIES & READER

Not a traditional textbook - the Minds On Physics Student Activities Book is comprised of two parts: Activities and the Reader. The Activities form an integrated set of thoughtful engagements for students, and the Reader organizes and summarizes the ideas of the physics content and is meant to be read after students have engaged in associated activities.

Activities

The MOP activities all have the same basic structure:

Purpose and Expected OutcomeIn this section, we tell students the specific concepts, principles, and other ideas that will be raised and addressed during the activity. This section also tells students what they are expected to learn.

Prior Experience / Knowledge Needed
We first list for students the concepts and principles they should know or be familiar with before attempting the activity. Then, if necessary, we provide any additional background needed to do the activity.

Main Activity
This section contains the specific questions and problems that probe students' understanding and prepare them to make sense out of the ideas.

Reflection
After finishing the Main Activity, students re-examine their answers to look for patterns. They are also asked to generalize, abstract, and relate concepts to the situations they have studied.