What it is: Today I learned about this impressive resource from @ccscoachadams on Twitter. The Physics Classroom is a really great place where you can access physics tutorials, Mind on Physics Internet Modules (more than 1300 questions designed to improve understanding of common physics topics), problem sets for practice, multimedia (illustrated physics concepts), animations and activity sheets, curriculum corner (pdf downloads to complement the website), laboratories, photos, and more. The site is like a better version of the text books that I had when I was in physics. What I like about The Physics Classroom is the variety of resources that teachers can use to help their students discover and explore physics concepts. The student extras that take you to Flickr collections of “physics” photos is fantastic!
How to integrate The Physics Classroom into your curriculum: I’m not sure I would have my students spend a lot of time on this site on their own (it is very text heavy and they may feel overwhelmed at the scope). I would send my students to very specific places on The Physics Classroom to help them dig deeper into their learning and make connections. As I said above, the Flickr sets are fabulous. These are worth some time exploring!
The animations and information can be used to help students understand specific concepts that they are struggling to grasp. These could be shared on an interactive whiteboard or projector-connected computer.
The Physics Classroom could be used to help students extend their learning and understanding outside of the classroom. Students can use the site as a study aid or to dig deeper for additional understandings.
At the end of the day, this site is a treasure trove of resources for physics classrooms.
Tips: Spend some time exploring this site before recommending it to students so that you can help them navigate it. It is SO information heavy that it could be a turn-off for students who are just dropping in looking for something specific.
Please leave a comment and share how you are using The Physics Classroom in your classroom!
I have used The Physics Classroom for several years. The best parts are in the teacher resources and the interactive labs in the shockwave studio. I use the tutorial parts as reference or review, but we use several of the other sections as in-class activities. My students find it very engaging and helpful.