AP Physics

Overview of the course

AP Physics B is a trigonometry based physics class taught completely in American English. The class is equivalent to the standard 2-semester freshman class for non-majors taught at American universities and liberal arts colleges. There are 4 hours of lecture, 3 hours of lab, and a one-hour recitation every week. Students that do well in the class can expect to pass the AP Physics B class.

How is the teaching adapted to suit the needs of Chinese students?

Students interact with the teacher in the informal and friendly style of an elite university program. Introducing students to the rigorous, but unstructured world of the American university and its preoccupied professors is perhaps the most important, and yet intangible aspect of the class.

There are no concessions made to the imperfections of the Chinese students' English skills. The class is taught entirely in university level U.S. academic English. The students are required to understand written and spoken English and are given daily homework assignments. All of the homework and lab reports are done entirely on-line and require proficiency with word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

Chinese students invariably have excellent math skills but little "hands on" experience in the laboratory. The class work is centered on the physics laboratory to integrate their knowledge of theory, math, and computer science skills with real world physics measurements using state of the art instructional lab equipment. The lab work helps the students by developing critical thinking, self-reliance, observational skills, and requires writing weekly multiple page reports based on their own measurements.

Resources

Jiangsu Tianyi High School has a modern laboratory for teaching university level physics classes including AP Physics B, and both AP Physics C classes. The facilities include the latest PASCO equipment and computer resources in quantities large enough that no more than 2 students are required to work together at a time.

Other information

The school facilities are as good as those of the University of California, San Diego freshman physics program, using the same textbooks, and the same lab equipment.