This is the first year we are offering physics to our students in the International Academy, and physics teacher Leigh Arscott is implementing some exciting new strategies in the classroom to engage all learners in constructing their own knowledge of both the underlying concepts and the mathematical applications of physics. Ms. Arscott is participating in the Content Teaching Academy hosted by James Madison University along with four other science teachers from TC Williams to learn about this research-backed set of best practices. The best thing of all? Modeling instruction is absolutely great for English language learners! Students collaboratively develop an understanding of concepts before assigning vocabulary terms to describe them - a completely natural way to learn the language of science. For more information about physics modeling, check out the American Modeling Teachers Association website and the Content Teaching Academy.
Here you can see some class of 2016 juniors creating their white boards prior to a class presentation and discussion. In every physics unit, students collect and graph experimental data then present their findings to the class via a "white-board-meeting". Socratic questioning and sometimes heated debate lead the class to a final conclusion and physics model describing a law of nature. How scientastic!