General Resources for all Physics Teachers

Physics Classroom room-All topics/content is a typical General Physics course. The Concept Builders are expecially GREAT! Many simulations, tutorials, interactives and Teacher Toolkits. The Toolkits have suggestions for a unit with links withing PhyClass and more. Links to some Georgia Public TV segments are included here. 

The sensors that are part of almost every mobile phone provide a great opportunity to improve students’ experiences with physics. Making measurements with high-quality sensors enables them to engage in science and engineering practices as they learn core disciplinary ideas. 

Physics with Phones is a series of presentations outlining a wide range of experiments that are well-aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. These were being developed for the classroom, but many can be done by students in their own homes. Some have been successfully piloted in high school physics classes. Dr. Rakestraw from Lawrence Livermore Labs shared with us at the February 2nd meeting of the Section.

Physics Simulations for students to use online. Sign up for free and access Teacher Created Acitvities for students to use. Various software is need for each simulation. Software required is Java, Flash, HTML5. Be sure to check the requirements and if your students can all use the simulation with their hardware. 

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada has free resources for teachers. The topics are from Astrophysics to Waves and all in between. Register as a teacher and download the lessons, posters, grade levels, 

Mechanical Universe is a video series from the mid 80s from Annenberg/CPB. The college version is 52 episodes each approximately 30 minutes. The HS Adaption are 28 episodes from 8-about 20 minutes in length. For both versions use the link above and scroll down to the bottom of the page. HS is listed last. Contact eholsenbeck@gmail.com for the HS Adaptation of Teacher's notes. 

CK-12 is a free resource for teachers and students. It contains an editable, interactive text book, simulations, plix, aligned to NGSS, and more. There are recorded webinars to get a teacher started. They have similar sections for Math, other Sciences and more. 

Teacher Source (Educational Innovations) Includes a Teachers Blog where you can search by topic/content/categories. Over 80 Lesson Ideas are shared as demos, labs and more. 

Arbor Scientific has many of Paul Hewitt's "Next Time Questions" and their Cool Stuff Blog addresses hundreds of physics demos, labs, concepts, rules and much more. 

YouTube resource for concentrated physics, Minute Physics.

Simply put: cool physics and other sweet science.

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."

~Rutherford via Einstein? (wikiquote) 

Physics Girl is a YouTube channel created by Dianna Cowern that adventures into the physical sciences with experiments, demonstrations, and cool new discoveries. Physics Girl has videos for every atom and eve. 

From AAPT: The K-12 Portal has Digi-kits, e-Mentoring, New Teacher guidance, Grant opportunities and more.

Veritasium is a channel of science and engineering videos featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science. Meet Derek Muller. 

Smarter Every Day, by Alabama's own Destin Sandlin. He used Science in Motion when he was in High School. He is a Rocket Scientist investigating everything from 150 mph baseball, to torpedo tubes to snapping spaghetti. Check the YouTube Channel.

Laser Classrooms Free Light, Laser and Optics Lessons and Experiments illuminates the naturally STEM integrated topics of light, lasers and optics with step by step instructions for engaging your students.  

Applications from the New Your Times Which Help Teach Physics

This site shares science demo ideas for physics, chemistry, biology and earth science. 30 Demos in 60 Minutes originated with Dr. Courtney Willis at the University of Northern Colorado. For ~20 years Dr. Willis had his pre-service secondary teachers present demonstrations in front of seasoned teachers.

Physics Simulations This collection of physics simulations and animations were scripted by Andrew Duffy at Boston University. The simulations consists of HTML5 simulations, Physlets in the first and second semester, Pre lab assignments and EJs easy java simulations. 

The Physics Teacher published nine times per year, focuses on teaching introductory physics at all levels.  Columns feature demonstrations, apparatus, and book reviews. 

QuarkNet supports two classroom visions:• Teachers use particle physics examples when teaching subjects such as momentum and energy.• Teachers create scientific inquiry-based learning environments that provide students with opportunities for in-depth engagement in science. Teaching strategies emulate the way scientists build knowledge through inquiry.

NITARP, the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program, gets teachers involved in authentic astronomical research. We partner small groups of largely high school educators with a mentor professional astronomer for an original research project.

The educators incorporate the experience into their classrooms and share their experience with other teachers. 

Interactive Lecture Demos from David Sokoloff. He has adapted then for Home.

Welcome to the Physics Instructional Resource Association (PIRA) web site! Every possible Physics Demo is here.

StickMan Physics helps students understand the amazing world around us with animated physics lessons.  Go to a unit below and start a lesson 

    The Flipping Physics Mission:Make the world a better place through real, fun, and free physics education. YouTube Channel

Bozeman  has provided training for students, teachers, administrators, and professors around the world.  The specialties include the Next Generation Science Standards, educational technology, the flipped classroom, and effective classroom design.  

Khan Academy, is an American non-profit educational organization created in with the goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The organization produces short lessons in the form of videos. 

Great Physics Teacher, Lee Trampleasure has posted Distance learning/make-up labs for AMTA Mechanics ‘Paradigm labs.’ Check out more on his site. From AMTA. It works similar to the Four Step and White Boarding methods from ASIM/APEX.

Shared by the AAPT Committee on Physics in Two Year Colleges. This site has great links to many sites for K-12 and College/University teachers. What a concrete example of the sharing that AAPT fosters in its K-University Organization. 

Physics Central has Physics Buzz Blog, Physics in Action, Physics at Home and PhysicsQuest. A good place to start looking at a concept. 

Blog of Phyz is physics education issues as seen by some American teachers from content standards to critical thinking. Including TAKE PHYSICS flyers for you to display to aid your recruiting. 

PiA/Physics in Advent is an Advent calendar of a special kind: a physics Advent calendar. From 1st to 24th December, small physics experiments using household material are presented every day as youtube videos by Mr. Santa or Ms. Santa. Participants do the experiments and answer a question on the PiA website. On the following day, there will be a solution video and possibly a point. After 24th December, all participants receive individual certificates. Among the best participants, prizes will be raffled off in the categories individual, school class or school. „PiA - Physik im Advent" is aimed at children and pupils aged between 11 and 18 years. It is intended to awaken the joy of experimenting and offer education, entertainment, and fun at the same time. 

The Physics Show and some experiments for K-5, 8th and HS PS. 

PhysPort supports physics faculty in implementing research-based teaching practices in their classrooms, by providing expert recommendations about teaching methods, assessment, and results from physics education research (PER). Work in PER has made enormous advances in developing a variety of tools that dramatically improve student learning of physics. Our goal is to synthesize and translate the results of this research so you can use it in your classroom today. 

These Card Sort activities are based on curricular materials developed by Brian Frank at Middle Tennessee State University. During remote instruction, they use Zoom breakout rooms with a group leader sharing their screen of the cart sort. That group leader will log into the Desmos activity with the group name, which makes it easier for the instructor keep track. Other Physics Card Sorts: Other resources can be found at teachbrianteach.com, including printable card sorts and stand alone desmos simulations. You can follow Brian on twitter @brianwfrank.Physics card sorts in a new list.

Interactive Video Vignettes are designed as ungraded web-based assignments for introductory physics students. They combine the convenience of online video coupled with video analysis as well as the interactivity of an individual tutorial. Each online vignette addresses a learning difficulty identified by PER. Most of them take a student about 10 minutes or less to complete. 

Concord is a free resource for teachers and students with lessons, interactive programs for High School Physics and Earth & Space. Look at modeling snow fall influenced by Canada to hurricanes, to clean air and water + more. Physics resources include collisions, electric field intensity, electric circuits and much more. 

Physics Aviary is cross-platform, run-anywhere, programs to help physics students around the world master the big ideas in physics.  This free resource has almost every simulation you need for physics.