You have heard it in whispers for a while. The Physics B Advanced Placement is going away, to be replaced by a new 2-year curriculum. But details have been lacking. Well, at the AP Reading this year, we got a sneak peek. The change will be not only in pacing, but also in emphasis.
Here is how it breaks down.
The Physics 1 topics will be the usual motion and energy with the addition of rotational motion and an introduction electrical circuits. The Physics 2 topics will be thermo, fluids, E&M, optics, and modern.
The College Board is trying to design the P1 course so that it can be taught as a first year course with honors students. It is designed to need ~115 instructional days with the extra days available to cover the extra topics needed for state standards such as the NYS Regents. They are also suggesting that a student who does well in P1 would be adequately prepared to advanced into Physics C if they want a course more of a challenge than P2.
There will be more details forthcoming, but you might want to start thinking about how these changes will affect you and your school. I know that some schools need a lot of time for even a slight change.
The presentation slides shown at the AP Reading in KC this year can be viewed here.
The thoughts of a high school physics teacher wrestling with the needs to change his classroom approach and philosophy.
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