The Mechanical Universe and Beyond the Mechanical Universe is a one-year college level physics course for national television that was developed at Caltech and supported by a $5.8 M grant from the Annenberg/CPB Project. For the past three years, the project staff which developed the undergraduate course, have been adapting the videos for use at the high school level as well as providing written materials and teacher guides. To date, 12 modules have been adapted from The Mechanical Universe. This project will select the most appropriate materials from Beyond the Mechanical Universe and adapt four modules for use at the high school level. In essence, the majority of concepts and topics treated at the secondary level will be covered. The four modules will be selected from the following programs: "The Lorentz Transformation", "Velocity and Time", "Optics", "The Atom", "Particles and Waves", "Atoms to Quarks", and "The Quantum Mechanical Universe". The final selection of topics will be done by the project staff in conjunction with the Council on Development. The Council is composed of 12 outstanding high school teachers who will work during the summer of 1988 and field test the materials in their home schools during the 1988-1989 academic year. In addition to the Council, approximately 60 other teachers across the country are participating in the field testing and evaluation of the program. This project is making a substantial contribution toward excellence in physics instruction. Each module stresses conceptual understanding of the underlying physical principles. The computer animation adds to the learning experience in way not possible in the past. The current materials have been well accepted by schools across the nation and evaluation reports underscore their effectiveness.
