enduring understandingsand essential questionsfor physics（持久understandingsand questionsfor物理至关重要）.doc

Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions for Physics Overarching Enduring Understandings: Students will uncover and use appropriate scientific models to describe and quantify the nature and interactions of matter and energy. Students should understand that there is a network of rules and relationships that determine what will happen in a given situation Students should understand that physics principles are applicable to their everyday lives Students should find that by studying the rules of nature, the beauty of natural world becomes more alive to them Overarching Essential Questions: How does physics serve to improve our understanding of physical systems? How do the principles of physics effect your daily life? Describe something in nature that has become more compelling because of an understanding of physics principles Is it possible to describe the whole natural world (chemical and biological) with a small number of physical principles? If so, how? Is physics a redundant science? Do we now have a clear understanding of the interactions between matter and energy on all scales? Is technological application the main thrust of physics research today? Measurement Enduring Understandings: Students should understand that theories are based on careful measurements Essential Question: What can you say and what can’t you say with confidence? How sure are you? Is the degree of precision relevant to our lives? Where are the puzzles, anomalies and questionable ideas in current theory? What are the critical findings that support or call into question key theory? (i.e. gravitational force, atomic structure) Mechanics – Kinematics and Dynamics Enduring Understandings: Students should understand the principles of mechanics to sharpen their intuition of nature Students should relate imbalance of force to change of motion Essential Questions: How can understanding various physical properties about motion be usef