Physics I Novare - Learning Options

PHYSICS I IS A YEAR-LONG COURSE FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 10-12.

Concise communication is the crux of the Rhetoric Stage in classical Christian education. Using the Novare curriculum, our Physics I Novare course gives students the opportunity to practice concise communication while learning the nuts and bolts of physics, and thoroughly prepares students for future studies in the sciences. We treat the physical laws as paragons of concise communication. From appreciation of the physical laws, we graduate to appreciation of the order of the cosmos; from appreciation of the order of the cosmos, we graduate to contemplation of the Creator of cosmic order. This Physics I Novare course assumes that the student has studied pre-calculus (including trigonometry). Homework will average 3 - 5 hours per week.

The Veritas Approach to Science

“I’m not a science person.” If science teachers banked a dollar every time they heard it, they could retire after five years. Many students feel they lack the gene or the gift or whatever it takes to succeed in science. They’ve bought the piece of fiction that science isn’t for everyone.

“Science involves a lot of math,” they reason, “and I’m not a math person.” “Science isn’t important for what I want to do in life.” “Science is incompatible with my faith.” “Science isn’t for the imaginative, the verbal, or women, and I’m all three.” Each sentiment may be understandable. Each reveals an incomplete or inaccurate picture of what science is, though.

Veritas has a different view of science. We see it as the cultivation of a skillful inquisitiveness about the natural world. We see it as applying to all of us, as well. We believe that science, as a field of study, primarily involves discovering the timeless, universal principles God has built into His creation. Therefore, we teach students not only the facts and principles already discovered by past generations, but also the carefully executed processes that have made these facts and principles known. We also seek to cultivate and encourage an attitude of wonder and curiosity. Science is a means of delving into Almighty God's handiwork, and it should naturally inspire us all.Aristotle said that human nature compels us all to want to know about ourselves and the world around us. Part of what makes us different from dogs, fish, and flowers is our appetite for answers. Why does the sky look blue but space black? Where did the dinosaurs go? Why are there no pain receptors in the brain? Why are there so many languages in the world? Why aren’t there more chocolate chips in this cookie?

We can no more opt out of our inclination to learn new things than we can choose never again to breathe, sleep, or dream. Desiring to know doesn’t so much describe what we do as who we are. Our curiosity percolates from the core of our being.

By nature, we explore, observe, theorize, hypothesize, test, and revise. We go for curiosity’s sake where we’ve never gone before. We note, describe, and measure what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. We build mental models to explain our experiences. We later replace those models when better ones come. When we’re doing all these things, we’re doing science.

Veritas believes that everyone is a science person. Some prefer art and music to biology, chemistry, and physics, true. Others enjoy the life and physical sciences and do well in them with little effort. This is true, also. No two of us have identical strengths and skills. Still, God has fashioned each of us to be a science person.

The sciences can enliven the mind as much as any humanities course. They can describe, model, and predict natural phenomena. They can open our eyes to see the world in new ways. They can help us solve some of mankind’s most troublesome problems.

Veritas introduces students to science’s contributions found in the Great Books, too. We teach not only science proper, but also scientific reasoning. We explore ideas that lead us to ask important questions about ourselves and the world.

We use three different curricula in our science courses. Veritas is working on a science curriculum. The first volume is Chemistry and is what we use in our live online courses. Apologia is a very homeschool friendly and covers the basics of the sciences. Novare Science is a more rigorous mastery approach. The difference being Novare covers fewer topics but goes in-depth into those that are covered. We believe either of these approaches provide a solid foundation for the classically educated student.

It’s notable that Veritas does not recommend science in grammar school. As you should see, not because we think science unimportant. Rather, we know time is limited, and building the language and math foundation is more important. And we’ve seen it time and time again because we’ve produced some great scientists. Students with no grammar school science may start a bit behind their peers who’ve had science, but very quickly pass them in their science learning. Of course, Veritas recommends and includes memorizing a whole host of science facts in Memory Period of grammar school.

Some believe the sciences have little to offer a classical Christian education. Veritas aims to dispel that notion. We humans are a curious lot at heart, brimming with questions. Science can’t answer them all, but it can give us powerful tools for seeking those answers out.

Live Online Course

Concise communication is the crux of the Rhetoric Stage in classical Christian education. Using the Novare curriculum, our Physics I Novare course gives students the opportunity to practice concise communication while learning the nuts and bolts of physics, and thoroughly prepares students for future studies in the sciences. We treat the physical laws as paragons of concise communication. From appreciation of the physical laws, we graduate to appreciation of the order of the cosmos; from appreciation of the order of the cosmos, we graduate to contemplation of the Creator of cosmic order. This Physics I Novare course assumes that the student has studied pre-calculus (including trigonometry). Homework will average 3 - 5 hours per week.

You Teach

You Teach is our term for those who take our curriculum and teach it themselves, whether at home or at school.

Designed for 9th- to 11th-graders, Introductory Physics incorporates math, history, and epistemology, making it the perfect text to draw students upward into the adult world of scientific investigation. This course is ideal for the "physics first" high school sequence, which places a physics-based course in the freshman year, but will also serve sophomores and juniors well. The Novare Introductory Physics You Teach Kit comprises these essentials:

• The mastery-oriented student text, which covers key topics that include motion; energy; momentum; atoms, matter, and substances; heat and temperature; waves, sound, and light; electricity; DC circuits; and fields and magnetism. Two optional, more challenging chapters on buoyancy and geometric optics are included for older students.
• The Digital Resources forIntroductory Physics includes a course overview, quizzes, semester exams, keys, weekly review guides, and more.
• The Solutions Manual to Accompany Introductory Physics contains worked-out solutions to calculation exercises. This helpful book allows students to see the mathematical steps for solving chapter problems but does not give them answers to assessments.
• The Experiments for Introductory Physics and ASPC volume provides the complete teacher's instructions for conducting lab experiments for this course.The six experiments are designed to teach proper laboratory skills and methods, illustrate concepts in physics, and stimulate students with interesting scientific activity. Each chapter typically includes learning objectives, materials list, experimental purpose, scientific overview, pre-lab discussion points, student instructions, any safety concerns, and discussion of the use of any special apparatus.