Explorations in Physics (EiP) is an award-winning hands-on curriculum developed to help non-science majors improve their understanding of the scientific enterprise. The authors, Dr. Priscilla Laws, Dr. David Jackson, and Dr. Scott Franklin, are well-known contributors to Physics Education Research. The materials developed in EiP are unique in two main criteria. First, the students are engaged in guided-inquiry to develop their understanding of the physics concepts. Second, the students are put in the place of identifying a question of interest to them and then developing and conducting an experiment to help them answer their own question.
Originally designed as a non-science-major college science course, it has been adapted and adopted for use in high school classes. It does not attempt to cover a complete curriculum in physics, but rather exposes the learner to some major concepts through personal experience and invites them to engage in answering their own questions.
The first four units in the Explorations in Physics Curriculum was initially sponsored by grants from the Dana Foundation, the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) as well as the National Science Foundation. These initial units were published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. However, at present, a total of eight units are available. These include:
1. Motion
2. Light, Sight and Rainbows
3. Heat, Temperature and Cloud Formation
4. Pressure
5. Atoms
6. Sound
7. Population
8. Magnets, Field and Motors