The American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society will develop an innovative, year-long physics course suitable for students in grades 9 through 12. The course will consist of six thematic units - recreation, transportation, communications and information, health and medicine, industry, and home - that will revisit a few important fundamental physics concepts in a spiral approach applying them to new, real-world contexts. The course will be consistent with AAAS 2061 themes, particularly materials and energy, and can be taught in one year or spread through four years. The mathematical level of students will be enhanced in accordance with the NCTM Standards. A constructivist approach and the use of cooperative grouping strategies will be incorporated in the curriculum design. Students will be able to recognize and begin to understand broad unifying concepts of physics and technology, to gain an appreciation of science as a process to apply the concepts to realistic problem-solving and decision making activities, and to identify and evaluate personal and societal impacts of technology. The materials will be developed by teams of scientists and high school teachers with support from cognitive scientists, curriculum experts, and technology educators. Teachers will be provided with knowledge, skills and support to make effective use of the materials.
