Country

yes

no

remarks

Australia

x

federal curriculum: no, state curricula?

Belgium (Flanders)

x

other regions?

Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

x

other regions?

Czech Republic

x

Denmark

x

Finland

x

Germany

x

4 out of 16 states: yes, others: no

Hungary

x

Italy

x

Iceland

x

Israel

x

Netherlands

x

Norway

x

Scotland

x

Sweden

x

Switzerland

x

in some cantons, in some schools

Turkey

x

USA

x

federal curriculum: no

country

curriculum on GR

remarks

Brazil (Rio de Janeiro)

Recognize the present models of the universe (stellar evolution, black holes, curved space and big bang)

Ensino Medio, age 15

Germany (Bremen)

Equivalence principle, experimental tests (precession of the perihelion of Mercury, light deflection near the sun, gravitational redshift)

advanced level, ages 16-17

Germany (North Rhine-Westfalia)

Basic statements of GR: gravitational time dilation, equivalence principle, Gravitation and time measurement (describe qualitatively); gravitation, time measurement and curvature of space (illustrate using models and graphics); impact on physical world view

advanced level, ages 16-17

Germany (Saarland)

Reference to GR as theory of gravitation and to its significance for astrophysics and cosmology

age 16

Germany (Saxony)

Evidence for the impact of gravitation on light: reference to GR, gravitation and curved spacetime, experiments with atomic clocks, black holes in the universe

standard level, age 16

Selected aspects of GR: gravitation and curved spacetime, experiments with atomic clocks, black holes in the universe, big bang theory

advanced level, age 16

Norway

… give a qualitative description of general relativity

upper secondary school

Scotland

Knowledge that special relativity deals with motion in inertial (non-accelerating) frames of reference and that general relativity deals with motion in non-inertial (accelerating) frames of reference. --- Statement of the equivalence principle (that it is not possible to distinguish between the effects on an observer of a uniform gravitational field and of a constant acceleration) and awareness of its consequences. --- Consideration of spacetime as a representation of four dimensional space. --- Knowledge that light or a freely moving object follows a geodesic (the shortest distance between two points) in spacetime. --- Knowledge that GR leads to the interpretation that mass curves spacetime, and that gravity arises from the curvature of spacetime. --- Representation of World lines for objects which are stationary, moving with constant velocity and accelerating. --- Use of an appropriate relationship to solve problems relating to the Schwarzschild radius of a black hole. --- Knowledge that time appears to be frozen at the event horizon of a black hole.

Advanced Higher Physics, ages 17-18

Sweden

… an introduction to the general theory of relativity

Switzerland

Basic principles of general relativity. // Basic principles of general relativity, experimental tests. // The students know ideas and basic concepts of general relativity in a qualitative way. // The students are given a short, qualitative insight into general relativity. // The students can explain the concept of spatial curvature using a simple example. // The students can state the limited field of application of special relativity and fundamental principles of general relativity using a simple example. // The students can explain the concept of spatial curvature using a simple example.

From individual cantonal and school curricula

The equivalence principle, the gravitational field, the curvature of spacetime

Implementation of a school curriculum

Turkey

Big Bang, Cosmological models