You Want Me To Teach What? Sure-Fire Methods for Teaching Physical Science and Math

Contents:

Preface: Why This Book and Why Should You Listen ?
About the Author
Chapter 1: Inside the Teenage Noggin • The Research Findings • What About the Effect on Learning?
Chapter 2: Conquering Culture and Psychology? I Remember My Physics or Precalculus Course in High School or College ... Shudder! • Did the Problem Originate With the Material? The Teaching Methods? The Teachers? • Dr. LaFave, How Will This Ever Be Relevant to My Life? • Actively Observing Students Is Essential • Remembering That the Material Is Challenging • The Problem of Insufficient Prerequisite Knowledge • Building Habits • The Importance of Safety Nets • Remembering That the Subject Is Not Important to All Students • Caring for Your Students: Building Trust and Confidence • Students Come to Class With Their Own Experiences.
Chapter 3: Yes, Virginia, Study Habits and Learning Techniques Are Key! • The Importance of Lower-Order Thinking Skills: Memorization • Why Taking Notes Is Important • Studying for Tests • Maps on Paper = Maps in the Head • Less Homework, More Class Work! • Don?t Throw Away Anything! • Safety in Numbers: Group Work • The Digital Child • All Hail the 5E Learning Cycle! • The Joy of Modeling Instruction • Wow, There Is a Reason They Taught Me Algebra! • Students Can Build Calculation and Analytical Skills (Despite Themselves).
Chapter 4: From Concepts to Principles to Processes to Equations? The Wagon Wasn?t Invented Before the Wheel: Learning in the Correct Order • Principles From Concepts • Processes Before Equations • Understanding Equations the Correct Way • Multistage Assessment
Chapter 5: Doing Calculations the Right Way? Did You Ever Watch a Student Solve a Word Problem? • Every Problem Is Treated Like It Is Unique • Getting Students to See the Big Picture • How to Calculate: The Method • The Steps of The Method • OK, So You Have Taught The Method ... • Examples of The Method in Action • Subprocesses for Specific Problem Types
Chapter 6: How to Analyze: Building the Perfect Laboratory Rat? Laboratory Mythology • Scientific Method: Yeah, So What? • So Why Are You Doing This Lab? • The Processes of Being a Good Rat • Three Parts of Every Number • Two Measurements Are Better Than One. Three Is Even Better. Four? Even Better! • The Processes of Data Presentation and Analysis • Conclusions From the Data • The Laboratory Report • Rat Engineering: The Importance of Projects
Chapter 7: OK, Now All My Students Will Love Science and Math, Right? • Keep It as Relevant as Possible • Demonstrations: Make Some Magic! • The Joy of Projects • Dealing With GT Students
Chapter 8: But I Still Don?t Feel Comfortable Teaching This? The Importance of a Lesson Plan • Get Ahead and Stay Ahead • Take a Class • Join Organizations • Make Friends • Expand Your Tool Set
Chapter 9: You Are Important!
Appendix A: Naive Conceptions in Physics
Appendix B: Interactive Notebook Rubric
Appendix C: Equation Map Rubric
Appendix D: Key Terms and Key Problems for Physics Principles
Appendix E: Key Terms in Mathematics and Their Meanings
Appendix F: Problem-Solving Rubric
Appendix G: Laboratory Report Rubric
Appendix H: Project Rubric
Index

 

About the Author:

Norman LaFave has spent the last 30 years as a scientist, engineer, educator, and now author. He has done science and engineering work for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, NASA, etc. In addition he founded an engineering consultancy company, Dynamic Research. A doctorate in mathematical physics, LaFave has been awarded an Air Force Weapons Laboratory Fellowship, the FAA Award for Outstanding Project Management and the NASA Award for Engineering Excellence. He is the author of more than 20 professional publications in physics and aerospace engineering.