Roadmap to the End of Physics

I believe the first time Physics was offered at Rio Americano High School, it was for the 1966-67 school year. My now-retired former colleague, Marion Gribskov taught the course for 19 years until he was called upon to teach Chemistry in 1985-86. I began teaching Physics in 1986. Based on my current reading of the tea leaves, I will teach Rio's final Physics classes in 2020-21.

In 2021-22, I will begin teaching Physics of the Universe (PotU). This will be our school's adaptation to the Next Generation Science Standards and the California Science Framework's digestion of NGSS.

As with most transitions of magnitude, there will be some awkwardness. I have penciled out a roadmap that will take my school from where we are now to where we need to be in 2023.

Here's the roadmap.

Here are the accompanying notes, for what they're worth.

PotU/11-12: Physics of the Universe for Juniors and Seniors. “Algebra 1”-equivalent prerequisite. These juniors and seniors will have had the opportunity to enroll in Biology of the Living Earth and Chemistry in the Earth as freshmen and sophomores.

PotU/11-12 might be a transitional course for use during Rio’s migration to the NGSS Three-Course model. It will be taught in 2021-22 and 2022-23 only. For 2023-24 and beyond, PotU will be a 9-10-level course. PotU/11-12 might be retained to accommodate juniors and seniors who did not enroll in PotU/9-10 but aren’t up to the challenge of AP Physics 1.

PotU/11-12 will omit physics topics not included in the California Framework Physics of the Universe course model, and add earth science topics as needed.

PotU/9-10: Physics of the Universe for Freshmen and Sophomores can omit the math prerequisite but will need to integrate some elements of algebra instruction.

Concurrent offerings of PotU/11-12 and PotU/9-10 in 2021-22 and 2022-23 are to prevent classrooms populated with freshmen through seniors. We put an end to this practice with Earth Science in 2016 with the introduction of Conceptual Physics. Earth Science was restricted to freshmen and sophomores while Conceptual Physics was restricted to juniors and seniors..

Development of Rio’s Physics of the Universe courses will be undertaken during all available collaboration time in 2019-20 and 2020-21 and additional time as needed and approved.

*Beginning in 2022-23, the prerequisite for AP Physics 2 will be “successful completion of AP Physics 1.” [The previous prerequisite had been “successful completion of Physics or AP Physics 1.”]

**Beginning in 2023-24, PotU/11-12 will be discontinued and PotU/9-10 will be the sole non-AP Physics course.

It should be noted that my district has not adopted physics textbooks since 2008. While the district has opted for the three-course model, it doesn't seem any textbook/curriculum program exists for this new course.

It seems there is an assumption among NGSS visionaries that they have provided a grand vision, and now it's up to classroom instructors to develop the curriculum that will implement their vision. That's simply not going to happen. I'm delighted to develop curriculum... to implement my own vision of what high school physics instruction should be. Anyone else who has a vision needs to provide their corresponding curriculum if the hope for implementation.

Between now and then, things may change in terms of the process. This is version 1.0 of how I think it will all go.