Abstract
Adaptations of the college level PBS series The Mechanical Universe were created by a group of nationally recognized high school physics teachers. The adaptations were created to use the power of the television medium to develop a sound and solid understanding of physics, when used in conjunction with any existing high school course and textbook. Twenty-four modules were developed, each of which contains a ten- to twenty-minute videotape adaptation and written teacher support materials. The topics of these modules were selected to enhance the teaching of classical as well as more modern topics in physics and thereby bring the curriculum closer to the frontiers of physics. The video adaptations are designed to be easily incorporated into a class meeting and make extensive use of historical recreations, complete animation, demonstrations, and applications. The supportive teacher resource materials help teachers integrate the concepts presented in the video with more traditional high-school text materials and to create an interactive environment in the classroom. The inception and development of this project is discussed in detail.
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