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This teaching guide introduces a relativity gyroscope experiment aiming to test two unverified predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. An introduction to the theory includes the following sections: (1) "Spacetime, Curved Spacetime, and Frame-Dragging"; (2) "'Seeing' Spacetime with Gyroscopes"; (3) "The Gravity Probe B Science Instrument"; and (4) "Concluding Questions of Gravity Probe B." The guide also presents seven classroom extension activities and demonstrations. These include: (1) "Playing Marbles with Newton's Gravity"; (2) "The Speed of Gravity?"; (3) "The Equivalence Principle"; (4) "Spacetime Models"; (5) "Frame-Dragging of Local Spacetime"; (6) "The Miniscule Angels"; and (7) "Brief History of Gyroscopes." (YDS)

This course of study is aligned with the California State Science Framework and provides students with the physics content needed to become scientifically and technologically literate and prepared for post-secondary science education. Framework themes incorporated into the course of study include patterns of change, evolution, energy, stability, systems and interaction, and scale and structure. The course of study is divided into four sections. The first section provides an overview of the course and includes a course description, representative objectives, a time line, and the sequence of instructional units. The second section presents the course's five instructional units and enumerates the required concepts and skills to be taught. The first unit on mechanics is covered in the first semester. The four units for the second semester include heat and thermodynamics; electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism; light and optics; and modern physics. The third section on lesson planning discusses various teaching strategies that foster scientific ways of thinking and encourage student creativity and curiosity. Five sample lesson plans identifying specific objectives, instructional activities, practice formats, individual learner differences, and evaluation methods are provided. Twenty-six experiments concerning concepts covered in the five units are included. The fourth section contains three appendices: a list of 37 resources; a list of the standards for Physical Science from the "Model Curriculum Standards, Grades Nine through Twelve"; and a statement on physics preparation expected of entering freshman in the State of California. (MDH)

Suggests that the subject of time travel is the best topic to introduce ideas behind some of the most beautiful and fundamental theories about the nature of space and time. Explains the distinction between the two directions of time travel and how relativity theory forced the abandonment of Newtonian notions about the nature of time. (Author/KHR)

Explains how students can perform a refutation of the ether theory using information from the Global Positioning System (GPS). Discusses the functioning of the GPS, qualitatively describes how position determination would be affected by an ether wind, and illustrates the pertinent ideas with a simple quantitative model. (WRM)

Discusses the events surrounding a famous picture of Albert Einstein in which he poses near a blackboard containing a tensor form of his 10 field equations for pure gravity with a question mark after it. Speculates as to the content of Einstein's lecture and the questions he might have had about the equation. (Contains over 30 references.) (WRM)

Discusses Einstein's special relativity theory and some of the developmental mathematics involved. Presents motivational classroom materials used in discussing relative-motion problems, evaluating a radical expression, graphing with asymptotes, interpreting a graph, studying variation, and solving literal and radical equations. (KHR)

This is part of a series of 42 Calculus Based Physics (CBP) modules totaling about 1,000 pages. The modules include study guides, practice tests, and mastery tests for a full-year individualized course in calculus-based physics based on the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI). The units are not intended to be used without outside materials; references to specific sections in four elementary physics textbooks appear in the modules. Specific modules included in this document are: Module 41--Lenses and Mirrors, Module 42--Relativity, and an Appendix. (CP)

This is the second of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: stellar nuclear energy sources and nucleosynthesis; stellar evolution; stellar structure and its determination; and pulsars. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are included with each chapter. (BB)

This is the first volume of a two-volume minicourse in astrophysics. It contains chapters on the following topics: planetary atmospheres; X-ray astronomy; radio astrophysics; molecular astrophysics; and gamma-ray astrophysics. Each chapter gives much technical discussion, mathematical treatment, diagrams, and examples. References are included with each chapter. (BB)

This teacher's guide was developed for the third of four courses in Valencia Community College's Interdisciplinary Studies program, a 2-year core general education curriculum which chronologically examines the major developments in the evolution of human knowledge. The guide provides an introductory overview of the course's topic (i.e., Western intellectual history from 1800 to 1950 traced through the themes of the nature of objective and subjective knowledge); introduces each unit; discusses each topic within each unit, including information on methodology and main points to be stressed; and provides student papers showing the work in each unit. The units of the course are: (1) Determinism and Indeterminism, in which objectivity and subjectivity are examined through the writings, paintings, and music of some of the most famous 19th century figures; (2) Major Theories in Modern Psychology, which is devoted to four founders of modern psychology: Freud, Adler, Jung, and Skinner; (3) A Social Science Research Report, which focuses on analyzing data, reviewing literature, and mastering report writing; (4) Relativity and Its Effects, which explores the discoveries of Albert Einstein, discusses their philosophical implications, and shows that these implications were picked up and interpreted in painting, music, and poetry; and (5) Existentialism, which examines the period from World War I through World War II and looks at existentialism in psychology, philosophy, and film. (AYC)

Presents a method for using spreadsheets to model special relativistic phenomena based on the connection between electric and magnetic fields in special relativity. Uses the time dilation equation to carry out transformations between reference frames that show the connection between the fields quantitatively. (DDR)

In order to visualize relationships of space for teaching mathematical geography, this booklet shows how the globe may be used as a model of the earth in space. Its purpose is to stimulate the teaching of mathematical principles in secondary-school geography and earth science through a survey of basic principles of global usage. The introduction on using the globe discusses what it is, its advantages, its limitations, types of globes, and types of mountings. A discussion of the lines on a globe includes number and spacing of grid lines, parallels of latitude, meridians of longitude, direction in latitude and longitude, finding locations on a globe, and the great and small circles. How the earth is illuminated by sunlight involves its position in space. The discussion about illumination covers artificial illumination of the globe, summer solstice, winter solstice, equinoxes, length of day and night, subsolar point, tropic lines, natural illumination, sunrise and sunset, and location of the subsolar point. The concept of time is presented in relation to light and space by describing earth as a timepiece, noon and the meridian, equation of time, analemma, time and longitude, standard time, effect of repeated time changes, international date line, and time changes on the globe. (ND)

Outlines an approach to introduce students to special relativity using a discussion of stopclocks and measurement of the transmission of light pulses to produce a natural derivation of the time dilation factor. Aims at providing a frame of reference from which they can be tempted to explore special relativity at a more sophisticated level. (JRH)

Describes an interactive computer program (RelLab) that acts to introduce the fundamental ideas of relativity to students. Students working cooperatively investigate paradoxes of relative motion by constructing thought experiments and discussing their findings. (ZWH)

Discusses the merits of the Spectrum Techniques gamma spectroscopy system as used by university students to determine the mass-energy of an electron from measurements of the energies of Compton-scattered gammas. (WRM)

Describes a way of teaching the theory of relativity with the help of a novel. Aims to contribute to the formation of didactic theories by means of an evaluation of alternative methods. (AIM)