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PHYSICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS 367 PHYSIOS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS. BY DAVID C. CALDWELL, Manual Training High School^ Louisville, Ky. In the early part of the present school year, I sent out printed forms to ninety-two of the leading high schools of this country, asking that they be filled in and returned. These forms con- tained ten questions dealing strictly with the teaching of physics in secondary schools. I have received seventy-four replies, and feeling that this is of interest to every teacher of physics, I give the results obtained. 1. What time^is given to the study of physics? There were fifty-one schools where physics is taught one year; .twenty-one where at least one and one-half years are given; and in some cases two years are required. 2. In what year is physics taken up? In the fifty-one schools where physics is taught only one year, only three take it up at the beginning of the second year, thirty- seven take it up during the third year, but in twelve of these it is optional whether they take it up in the third or fourth years; in five schools it is taken up during the senior year only, and in the rest it is started in the second half of the second year and continues through the first half of the third year. In those schools which give more time to physics, there seems to be a tendency to give an elementary course in science the first year and then physics in the third and chemistry in the fourth year. In eight schools they give three half years to physics. 3 and 4. Division of time for class and laboratory. The general division of time seems to be one period of forty- five minutes for demonstration; two periods of forty-five min- utes each for recitation; and two periods of ninety minutes each for laboratory work. This seems to be the least amount of time commensurate with the amount of work which should be done. One plan was used which might be profitable where the teacher was allowed two’ single periods and three double periods per week, to be used as he saw fit. 5. In matters of text-books the Carhart and Chute and Mil- likan and Gale seem to have preference. In two schools they use Higgins for an elementary course in the first year and Mil- likan and Gale for the regular physics work in the third year. 6. As regards texts for laboratory:

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PHYSICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS 367

PHYSIOS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

BY DAVID C. CALDWELL,Manual Training High� School^ Louisville, Ky.

In the early part of the present school year, I sent out printedforms to ninety-two of the leading high schools of this country,asking that they be filled in and returned. These forms con-tained ten questions dealing strictly with the teaching of physicsin secondary schools. I have received seventy-four replies, andfeeling that this is of interest to every teacher of physics, I givethe results obtained.

1. What time^is given to the study of physics?There were fifty-one schools where physics is taught one year;

.twenty-one where at least one and one-half years are given; andin some cases two years are required.

2. In what year is physics taken up?In the fifty-one schools where physics is taught only one year,

only three take it up at the beginning of the second year, thirty-seven take it up during the third year, but in twelve of these itis optional whether they take it up in the third or fourth years;in five schools it is taken up during the senior year only, and inthe rest it is started in the second half of the second year andcontinues through the first half of the third year. In thoseschools which give more time to physics, there seems to be a

tendency to give an elementary course in science the first yearand then physics in the third and chemistry in the fourth year.In eight schools they give three half years to physics.

3 and 4. Division of time for class and laboratory.The general division of time seems to be one period of forty-

five minutes for demonstration; two periods of forty-five min-utes each for recitation; and two periods of ninety minutes eachfor laboratory work. This seems to be the least amount of timecommensurate with the amount of work which should be done.One plan was used which might be profitable where the teacherwas allowed two’ single periods and three double periods perweek, to be used as he saw fit.

5. In matters of text-books the Carhart and Chute and Mil-likan and Gale seem to have preference. In two schools theyuse Higgins for an elementary course in the first year and Mil-likan and Gale for the regular physics work in the third year.

6. As regards texts for laboratory:

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368 SCHOOL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

By far the majority of the schools use the teacher’s manu-script with such books as Chute; Chester, Dean,, and Timmer-man; Nichols, Smith, and Turton; Adams, and Millikan andGale, for ready reference. I personally find Adams LaboratoryManual a very available book, but the use of a manual in a lab-oratory must be determined by the apparatus at hand.

7. How many students in the laboratory?The general opinion is that from 16 to 20 is the proper num-

ber, unless there is an assistant to help. Personally I think thattwelve (12) would be a better number, in that the teacher cangive more personal attention to the manipulation of the apparatus.

8. As to the number of experiments going on at one time.When apparatus will permit, it is eminently more satisfactory

for all to work on the same experiment, but with twenty boyswe might successfully divide them into four sections, each sec-tion working on the same experiment, but each boy having hisown set of apparatus. With just the four different experimentsthe instructor can give more instruction ’and time to each sectionand thus accomplish much more satisfactory work.

9. The number of experiments which each boy should haveshould not be less than thirty but some colleges require more.

10. The tenth question was as regards surveying. Of theseventy-four replies received, only ten reported as having sur-veying, and six of these only slightly in connection with thetrigonometry. I raise the question. Is surveying a high schoolsubject?

PHYSICS CLUB OF NEW YORK.The Physics Club of New York at its regular meeting held March

7, 1908, unanimously adopted the following resolution:Resolved, That a uniform course in Physics for all schools is both

undesirable and unattainable. We therefore recommend:1. That syllabuses should deal with the barest outline of general

principles, leaving each teacher free to fill up the course accordingto his best judgment

2. That examinations for college entrance should be confined tothe general principles specified in the syllabus and that a teacher’scertificate should be accepted for other material�this might well takethe form of a rather full statement of the work done.