Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning

Abstract

This curriculum is a series of projects making up a project based learning physics curriculum. Each project will consist of a scenario or experience the students have or could encounter at some point in their life. These scenarios and experiences will shape the flow of the curriculum as well as form the essential question to be answered at the end of each project. This curriculum will cover the same standards required of a traditional high school physics, just in a different way. Similar to curriculum created by Martinás and Tremmel, the students will learn concepts that apply to each of the scenarios (2014). Concepts can reoccur thus allowing for more connections to be made to the concepts. It is important when creating the different projects, that over the span of the curriculum, each standard is addressed at least once in the projects. The structure of a problem is crucial to student understanding. When a problem is well-structured students have strategies to tackle the problem and be successful in project based learning (Svihla & Reeve, 2016). Drafting the project or problem is going to be a crucial first step in order to ensure a flow in the curriculum and that the students and teacher alike understand what is expected of them. Once the curriculum is created, it can be used as a guide or reference for educators in physics to allow for a student centered classroom in which everything applies back to the students lives. By breaking down the projects, it will allow for educators to have a path to follow in their own classroom.