Name:AP PhysicsB
Brief Description of the Site:
Dolores Gende created a comprehensive classroom website that contains resources for students and teachers of AP Physics. While the site designer has a section of the site dedicated to her present students with assignments and information, there's plenty of other content for those attending a physics advanced placement course wishing to prepare for exams. Resources for Students include the subcategories The Course, Background Material and Problem Solving, and Exam Preparation. Within those student categories are tutorials, conceptual facts, interactive problem solving, and simulations and virtual labs. The Resources for Teachers section offers categories of Classroom Resources, Lab Resources, and Additional Resources. Within those are links to the College Board AP site, physics textbook publishers, simulations and virtual labs (for educators), PhysicsQuests, various AP Physics homepages, and additional Physics Topics.
How to use the site:
This is a site for both high school students taking AP Physics courses (in the hopes of obtaining college credit) and educators offering the course. There's plenty for the physics enthusiast as well. The site's design is an important feature because it is text based, without the frills so that site navigation is easy. The simplicity of design makes apparent that the emphasis is on content. The link to PhysicsQuest is particularly useful, citing Bernie Dodge's concept of WebQuests as the impetus for focusing on "using information rather than looking for it." 17 quests are listed each offering additional information and links within that topic. Projectile Motion, Isaac Newton, Linear Motion, Lawn Mower Physics, and Roller Coaster Physics are just some of the entertaining and informative WebQuests available for perusal (or better yet, in-depth study). Looking for physics projects? Scroll to the bottom of the Physics WebQuests page for ideas, It's important to note that the site is devised to make the most of other physics web sites as resources within the content area. Because of the many links to both academic and commercial sites involving physics, students have the opportunity to explore and ultimately find material most appropriate to their needs.
Submitted by:
Dolores Gende
Atlanta, Georgia
