A Body in Motion...Takes Physics

Here’s a quick physics lesson on momentum: If you have a large mass—say, the number of students in a physics class—and they’re on the move, then you’re going to have a lot of mo’, as the sportscasters say. In other words, high school physics has momentum.

Recently released data from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) show more than 30 percent of high school seniors have taken physics classes, more than ever before. Additionally, female students, who made up 39 percent of high school physics students in 1987, now represent 47 percent, while the percentages of Black and Hispanic students have more than doubled.

Steven Henning, chair of the physics/chemistry department at Clarkstown High School in New York has seen that growth. And, while AIP points to more AP classes and more “conceptual” physics classes as reasons for the bigger numbers, Henning also points to better teaching—more inquiry-based instruction, and greater attention to how kids learn. And, increasingly, competitive colleges “are looking for kids willing to take challenging courses,” he says, ”not kids who slack off in the final year.”