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Ron Paul Curriculum 12th Grade Physics

From the instructor, John Hamilton

This will be a course in physics. I will assume that many of the students have gone through my physical science class. While I will teach the course so that a student can understand it without having had a physical science course, that background will help.

I will assume that students are proficient in algebra and know a little bit of trigonometry. I will review the trigonometry that they will need.

I will begin the course with introductory topics and background topics such as the scientific method, measurements and units and definitions of the various fields within physical science.

An understanding of the scientific method is crucial for the students. Before the development of the scientific method, western civilization believed for thousands of years that the world was governed by theories proposed by Aristotle. This method and the thinking that accompanies this will permeate the course.

I will then cover all of the major concepts in classical physics such as the laws of motion, vibrations, optics, electromagnetics, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics.

This course focuses on the fundamentals of physics. The course is algebra-based rather than calculus-based. This is normal for high school physics courses in American education.

Unlike typical high school physics courses, this course focuses heavily on not just learning by rote, but on understanding, in a logical and intuitive way, the physical laws involved. Most high school physics courses are taught by teachers with degrees in education and a slight education in science. This course is taught by a former university instructor in physics and physical science, who now teaches university-level engineering courses. Also, I am frequently hired as an expert witness in court cases involving engineering issues. I have the ability to explain things so that juries understand.

The students will also learn sound problem-solving strategies that will serve them well in any STEM courses they choose to take in college. Taking this course may or may not allow students to “CLEP out” of college physics, but it will definitely give them a chance at it with some extra study. It will most certainly make any introductory university physics course much easier.

Students who successfully complete this course will learn “how to learn” science. They will obtain an intuitive and deep grasp of physical and chemical principles that will serve them well in later courses in this curriculum, and will make their college courses in these subjects much easier.

A complete list of the lessons in the course is available for you to see here.

There are five free sample lessons for you to check out the course.

Lesson 1 introduction
Lesson 11 position and change in position
Lesson 14 kinematics
Lesson 23 projectile motion problem solving
Lesson 31 work

More info on the physics course can be found here.