Syllabus
for Honors Physics
Supply Listing For Honors Physics
Course Description:
Physics is the most basic of all the sciences, that is, the basic of most
everything in life: motion, forces, energy, matter, heat, sound, light .
. . . everything! All these
things, or, better yet, all that we see happening around us, can be described
in ever-day written English; however, it has been said that mathematics is the
language of Physics . . . . and if you don't "get" math then you
won't "get" Physics. So, which view is correct?? What one
must realize is that, because of this wonderful mathematical language connected
to all these things, we can not only explain them in the written language of
English, but we can also analyze and model and even investigate/demonstrate the
laws by which every one of these things is governed. In this course, the
student will explore through coursework, laboratory investigations and combined
groupwork, concepts that include (but are not limited to): scientific
measurement;
Two-thirds of the third quarter of this
course is devoted to class competition in the Team America Rocketry Challenge
(TARC) sponsored by the National Association of Rocketeers. This includes
the class’ design, development and test of a model rocket to meet competition
requirements. The remaining one-third
will include the usual coursework while the class endeavors to complete the
competition.
Course
Expectation:
In order to function effectively in the environment of this Honors Physics
class, the student must have successfully and confidently completed Algebra II
and have retained the basic concepts presented
therein. In fact, it is strongly recommended that the student have
also completed Pre-Calculus. Minimal class time will be spent on what
should be deemed "review" at this point and the student will be fully
responsible for keeping himself/herself from falling behind the rest of the
class.
The standard by which I expect all students to perform is that presented to us
in
Finally, I am in
my classroom by 7:15 every morning.
During this forty-five minute “before class” period, I am available to
answer any questions from students regarding their homework, class/chapter
projects, or other related materials. I
encourage students to take advantage of this time as sometimes simply
hearing/participating in the discussions can help those who may be struggling
with certain concepts – even if it wasn’t “their question” being
discussed. I also post any daily
warm-ups during this time – students may come in early and get started on this
exercise if they find themselves pressed for time during the time allotted for
such at the beginning of class.
***
There exists NO EXTRA CREDIT in this class -- a student is REWARDED with the
grade he/she EARNS as a RESULT of his/her WORK throughout the ENTIRE course of
the YEAR! ***
Required
Materials:
Students
must have their binders/material supply up-to-date at all times! Points will be taken off a day’s assignments
if a student does not have the required material on a day for which such is
called.
† A three-ring binder A two-inch binder is recommended; however, any type or size will
do as long as it is made for 8.5 x 11 paper. The contents of this binder
WILL BE as follows:
1.
All class lecture notes (spiral notebook recommended)
2.
Loose-leaf paper for homework, quizzes & tests
3.
Quarter-inch graph paper for homework, quizzes & tests
4.
Current and returned homework
5.
All corrections to returned homework
6.
All tests & quizzes
7.
All corrections to tests & quizzes
8.
All work on current laboratory report (may be in separate or manila envelope)
† Spiral-bound Notebook 8.5” x 11” college ruled – class notes should be taken
& kept here.
† Loose-leaf Paper 8.5” x 11” college ruled – the student should have an ample
supply at all times.
† Quarter-inch Graph Paper the student should have an ample supply at all times.
† Pencils/Sharpener I accept NO work in pen - any
exceptions will be CLEARLY and SPECIFICALLY noted to students.
The student should have ample supply to avoid having to sharpen pencils during
class. If necessary, the student should have a small manual sharpener
with them. Mechanical pencils (with sufficient lead supply) are
recommended.
† Report Covers or Three-prong Folders These will be
necessary for the submittal of completed laboratory reports. Reports will be required to be in formal
laboratory report format as presented in the book in the final item. This format will also be discussed in class.
† Scientific calculator TI-83or TI-84
graphing calculator. Although a bit more
expensive, the TI-84 is required by our Pre-Calculus program and will be a
calculator that you will use through WCA and FAR beyond into your college and
professional life!
† STRONGLY Recommended (but not
mandatory): “Successful Lab Reports: A Manual for Science Students” by Christopher
S. Loban & Marla Schefter; Cambridge University Press; 1992. Available at Amazon com,
BooksaMillion.com & BarnesandNoble.com [Barnes & Noble has best price
at $17.99]
Grading System:
► Homework/Class Work/Fieldtrip/Guest
Speaker – 20%
Homework is assigned on an as-needed basis and
is posted on the webpage usually by the afternoon it is assigned (if not prior
to class that day). The student should expect to work on homework for
about one-three hours for each assignment (this does not include lab reports which will require more). It is
DUE before the second bell rings for class to begin; otherwise, it will be
counted as late! It is collected, graded and returned USUALLY by
the next class. Unless due to an excused absence, homework turned in late
will automatically be recorded at 10% per
day late off the total points awarded for the assignment in addition to the
points actually missed. Homework will NOT be accepted after TWO
DAYS late and will be entered as a zero in the gradebook -- there are no
exceptions to this rule! Although there is no class credit for homework
corrections, I strongly recommend this exercise as it is the BEST
way to truly learn the material at hand!! If a student is aware
of a day's absence from class or if an absence is excused (school fieldtrip,
school athletics, family vacation, university visit, etc.), the homework due
for the absentee class period is due immediately upon return unless
arrangements are made in advance with
myself. Submittal of homework assigned during
the student’s absence will be worked out between the student and myself on a
case-by-case basis at my discretion – do not assume that just because a certain
schedule was worked for one student that such will apply to another! No
allowance is made for homework submittal or quizzes/tests for unexcused
absences – they will simply be entered as a zero in the gradebook! There is a clearly-labeled file tray
on my filing cabinet in our classroom where work can be turned in ANYTIME
during a school day.
Class Work/Time The first portion of each class period (except on a test or
quiz day) is focused on answering questions on the previous class' homework (if
any). This is not only for the benefit of the student, but for myself as
well to keep a handle on overall class comprehension of the topic being
discussed. Students are STRONGLY encouraged to ASK QUESTIONS BOTH during this time
AND in class during the lecture.
Periodically, the first part of a class will be devoted to a
"Daily Warm-Up" -- this is a problem/situational event involving ANY
topics already covered by the student in our class or other mathematics classes
as required by the Honors Physics pre-requisites. It must be turned in by the designated time or the student receives a
zero for the day’s exercise.
Work Heading It is mandatory that each student
include a proper heading on ALL work submitted -- papers submitted without
proper heading are subject to an automatic zero. I have FAR too many papers of which to keep track without the added headache
of trying to figure out to what class each paper belongs or for what assignment
within that class it applies!! A
heading includes the following information in the following location on the first page (subsequent pages need only
include first and last items!):
Top-line, Left-side Name (First & Last)
Second-line, Left-side Date Submitted
Top-line, Middle Date Due (should match
web lesson plans)
Top-line, Right-side Period & Class (i.e., 2nd
Period, Geometry)
Second-line, Right-side Text Section Number & Problems
(should match web lesson plans)
In the instance of a worksheet,
special instructions will be given by myself on a case by case basis. Generally speaking, however, in cases where
work room is provided on the worksheet, then a student should include his/her
name, period/class and the submittal date across the top of the page. In cases where work room is not provided or
is not sufficient for the student, a complete & proper heading should be
placed on separate work paper with the worksheet attached as the last page in
the work papers for submittal.
Field Trips Depending upon the unit of study, there may be
frequent field trips. The only acceptable reason to miss a field trip is
an excused absence from school. The student will be asked to bring in a
signed parent/guardian permission slip which will be posted on the assignment
webpage for each trip. ALL field trips
have required pre-trip or follow-up work (or both!) which will be submitted for
a grade.
Guest Speakers Also depending upon the
unit of study, we may be fortunate enough to have a guest speaker – it is
really great to hear from professionals who have pursued Physics/Engineering as
a career and hear about the exciting opportunities involved in such a
choice! Please remember, however, that a student WILL be graded on
his/her attention to and participation in discussions with the guest
speaker. All guest speaker presentations
have required follow-up work which will be submitted for a grade; therefore,
taking notes and paying close attention is STRONGLY encouraged. The form of this follow-up work will vary and
may or may not be announced prior to the presentation, but it will definitely
always be assigned.
► Quiz/Concept
Quiz/Pop
Quiz – 20%
Quizzes & Concept Quizzes I use these as a tool
of both evaluation and reinforcement. Quizzes will be announced in class
on the day prior to their application and usually cover only one or two chapter
sections. Concept Quizzes cover more subject matter than a simple quiz
and will be announced at least two class periods ahead of time. Both will also be
listed on the web page with the daily homework assignments just as soon as they
are announced. Missing a quiz on a day that a student has an excused absence
will result in the student having to make up the quiz outside of class
time. The quiz will be left in the school office with their name on it
so, that it can be taken ASAP. All missed quizzes MUST be “made up” within
three to five days of the student’s return; otherwise, a zero will be entered
in the gradebook and the opportunity for make-up will be lost. Any other arrangements MUST be cleared with
me ahead of time, NOT in retrospect.
Pop Quiz These are a proven method of
reinforcement, and, yes, I do use them.
Pop Quizzes are just that "pop" -- they are not
announced. They usually cover no more than 1 or 2 simple concepts that
have been clearly emphasized in previous classes. If a student has an excused absence on a day
on which a pop quiz is given, then such will not count against them, and
there is no requirement to make it up.
►
Mid-Chapter, Chapter &/or Unit Tests
– 30%
Tests will be given at the conclusion of each chapter (or mid-chapter)
or unit of study as deemed necessary by myself – no two classes are alike and,
therefore, class evaluations as well as other components must also be
different. The tests will cover the
current material and will require the student to perform tasks from any
previously-covered material as well – all math and, therefore, Physics is a continuum NOT a
chaotic collection of disassociated concepts!!! It is therefore mandatory that the student
stay current in the material and ask questions if there are ANY
problems. As is the case with quizzes, missing a test on a day that
a student has an excused absence will result in the student having to make up
the test outside of class time. The test will be left in the school
office with their name on it so, that it can be taken ASAP. All
missed tests MUST be “made up” within three to five days of the student’s
return; otherwise, a zero will be entered in the gradebook and the opportunity
for make-up will be lost. Any
other arrangements MUST be cleared with me ahead of time, NOT in retrospect.
► Laboratory Reports – 15%
A great man by the name of Albert Einstein once said the
following: “In the matter of physics, the
first lessons should contain nothing but what is experimental and interesting to
see. A pretty experiment is in itself often more valuable than twenty formulae
extracted from our minds.” I truly
believe that visual/physical investigations, where possible, are a vital part
of a Physics education. (Please see the article http://www.aapt.org/Policy/roleoflabs.cfm) However, it is NOT enough simply to observe -- the student
must learn to present his observations, data and conclusions in a formal and
collegiately-acceptable format. Even though I will present the
generally-accepted format and explain what I expect to see in a laboratory
report, I believe the student will find very usefuI and be greatly aided by the
explanations in the recommended book (final item in the “Required Materials”
section above).
Labs will be conducted in working groups, but this will
simply be for the collection of the data and general discussions, etc. Every
individual student is expected to produce & submit their own
independently-produced lab report.
Any deviations from this submittal requirement must be approved by
myself in advance. From the completion of a lab, a student will have five school days to
submit his completed lab report. This
allows the student time to research/investigate any questions he/she may have
regarding the topics involved or, more likely, the explanations for any
variances in the collected data. For
example, if a lab is conducted on a Monday, the student has until that Friday
to submit his report – likewise, if a lab is conducted on a Wednesday, the
student has until the following Tuesday.
The same timely submittal policy applies to both homework &
laboratory reports.
Brown-Bag Lab Days Due to the brevity
of our Physics class and no separate laboratory facility, students will be
asked to bring a brown bag lunch on days for which a lab is scheduled. Our class time on those days will easily
extend into the lunch hour and this provision makes such an extension easily
manageable (and assures no one will starve in the name of science!). Students will be notified of a lab day at
least two days in advance so that they may make proper preparations with food
supplies et al.
Grades will be determined
based on organization, required presentation & neatness as well as the
student’s data, calculations and discussions/conclusions. All content must be based on facts as presented in the class, in the text
and/or other reference books & materials.
The report must be typed (data, graphs & some equations et al may be
hand-written where necessary, but such writing should be legibly written in
ink). Please remember that laboratory
activities are not infallible and that a student’s results may not seem to jive
with accepted/proven physical laws – in such cases, it is up to the student to
both present his data objectively AND explain/discuss the physical reason(s)
the data is “wrong” – none of our
experiments will be ground-breaking enough to re-write existing scientific
law and lab reports should not be written as such!! There is no limit as to the length of a lab
report provided the submitted material fulfills the required format.
► Special Projects & Science Fair Projects –
15%
Each quarter, the student will be required to complete a
special project OUTSIDE of the classroom -- class
time will NOT be given for work on these! The assignment for each
project will be made in the beginning of the quarter with the due date and
expectations CLEARLY written for the student. Because these are
assigned so far in advance, late submittals will NOT be accepted.
We may address milestones for the project as the quarter
progresses, but this "milestone check" is not a defined or obligated
part of the regular class time. I strongly encourage questions regarding
each project early in the quarter rather than later to avoid unnecessary
complications and time constraints.
This year, every high school science
student attending WCA will be required to complete a Science Fair Project and
participate in the school-wide WCA Science Fair to be held Monday, January 28th
in our new gymnasium. As this is the
first year for such a requirement, the Special Project grades for the first,
second and third quarters will be solely based on the work required to
successfully complete a student’s project for participation in the fair. All necessary schedule and informational
documentation will be provided during the first few days of class with links to
such being provided on my webpage shortly thereafter. Please
note that the choice of topic may be from any realm of math or science and DOES
NOT have to be related at all to this Physics class. The endeavor of a Science Fair Project is an
important college-preparation exercise for our students in so many different
aspects, and I am in full support of the fair’s implementation! Finally, as Honors Physics is the only honors
science class offered by WCA, I will expect to see some extremely awesome
projects produced by this class!
Classroom Discipline:
The student will need to arrive each day with ALL required materials and be
ready to learn. Homework should be turned in and the student should be
seated as soon as the second bell rings.
Also, I expect students to show respect to myself, fellow classmates and any
guest speakers we may have. Students who cannot do so will be dealt with
on a case-by-case basis; however, it should be made clear that I have a very
low tolerance for violations of this simple requirement.
I have had very few problems with classroom discipline in the past and have
always had wonderful parental support whenever it has occurred. Thank You
for allowing me the privilege of teaching your child this school year.