1. Teaching Special Relativity with Physlets to High School Students Laura M. Nickerson Wright Center for Science Education Tufts University & Illinois Mathematics & Science Academy

2. IMSA's Modern Physics Modern Physics is a one-semester algebra-based elective course in the physics since 1900. Students have had one semester of physics (mostly mechanics) and have a wide variety of mathematical backgrounds. This year on my sabbatical from IMSA, I am working on curricula in modern physics for high school students.

3. Haven't got a modern physics class? These Physlets can be used for a short unit in special relativity -- for instance after the AP exam or during a week of testing They can be used for a class or for individual students -- the Physlets are in the public domain and are easily accessible on the internet. The added storyline helps students to see science as an evolving body of knowledge, with an emphasis on how we know what we know.

4. Modifying Physlets for your own use These Physlets are taken from Physlet Quantum Physics by Mario Belloni, Wolfgang Christian, and Anne Cox. Like any web page, they can be modified in FrontPage, DreamWeaver, or even Word or a text editor. I have changed the emphasis to be much more conceptual and the language to be more user friendly for younger students.

5. Testing Physlets with high school students I have not yet tried these in a classroom as I am not teaching this year, but I have had several student volunteers try them and like them very much -- the thing they appreciated most was to be able to manipulate the reference frames, the speeds of the vehicles, and to be able to pause and step through the animation. My replacement will be trying these in the current semester of Modern Physics at IMSA.

6. The Physlets shown here and other materials will be available on the Wright Center website shortly at www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center Come to a free workshop on Relativity in Boston: April 8, 22, 29, and May 15 Or Chicago: April 5, June 23 Email me for more information: laura.nickerson@tufts.edu