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554 Honors Physics (Level Honors)
554 Honors Physics (Level Honors)
Teacher: Mr. Christopher Siren
Mr. Siren's Email: csiren at IGNORETHIS gdrsd dot org
Room: 209
Text: Zitzewitz, Paul W., Davids, Mark, et al. Glencoe Physics: Principles and
Problems, Glencoe/McGraw Hill, Westerville, Ohio 1995. (Price: approximately $60)
Program of Studies Description
Grades 11-12 Level: Honors Semester 1 Credit
Physics is the study of the interaction of matter and energy. It can describe and predict the behavior of everything from galaxies to electrons to you and me. Students will explore physics concepts through demonstrations and hands-on laboratory activities and will use mathematics and data analysis software to help analyze their results. Some of the topics include: forces, linear and circular motion, vectors, linear momentum, energy, gravity and static electricity. Students will engage in analysis of physical situations and problems, interpreting them both mathematically and verbally. As concepts are introduced, students will learn about their development in a historical context. Students will also have the opportunity to explore topics beyond the standard curriculum with a research project. This course relies on Algebra II skills and right triangle trigonometry which is offered in Algebra III, Advanced Algebra/Trig, as well as Honors Geometry.
Prerequisite: completion of 443 or 444 Algebra II
Strongly recommended: completion of 454 Algebra III or 473 Advanced Algebra/Trig before taking the course.
Schedule
Course Goals
- To learn about the basic laws of nature through an introduction to motion, forces, and energy.
- To learn about how we can apply those laws to everyday life as well as more extreme situations such as the evolution of the solar system.
- To learn about how scientific knowledge is acquired by designing and carrying out experiments
- To gain laboratory skills Ð making measurements, using various lab equipment, keeping a science lab book, setting up and cleaning up experiments
- To gain valuable problem-solving skills through the process of designing experiments and analyzing data
What To Bring To Class Daily…
• Covered textbook
• Pens/pencils and scientific calculator
• 3-ring binder with section dividers
• Completed Homework, Assignments, Projects, and Lab Reports
• Lined paper and graph paper for notes, labs and quizzes.
• Lab notebook
Lab Notebook Format
Each student is expected to have a bound lab notebook (not loose-leaf) for detailing lab procedures, collecting lab data, and so forth. The notebook must include graph paper print so that graphs and sketches may be more easily included. It can be either a standard lab notebook or a simple tablet of graph paper. There will be a lab notebook check at least once per term, graded as a 10 point assignment. The first page must include a table of contents. The pages must be numbered. All labs must be included in the main body of the notebook and listed in the table of contents. All raw data collected, unless streamed directly to the computer from probes, must be included in your notebook. Data should be collected in pen using strikethroughs rather than
erasures to indicate errors to be ignored.
3-Ring Binder Format
Each student is expected to have a 3-ring binder for physics or a section of a larger 3-ring binder dedicated to physics. This binder should be organized into the following sections:
• List of Assignments
• Notes and handouts
• Completed Homework
• Quizzes and Tests
• Labs
• Project Work
• Miscellaneous
By having all your papers and by keeping them organized throughout the year, you will be much more effective in preparing for quizzes and exams. To encourage the habit of organization, your notebook may be checked by me at any time. Some pop quizzes will also be designated as open notebook and/or open homework.
Grading Policy for Each Quarter:
Labs: 25 to 50 points each
Quizzes/Problem Sets/Concept Questions: 1 to 10 points each
Lab notebook checks: 10 points each
Tests: 100 points each
Project (2nd term only): 75 point presentation
75 point written report
Both announced and “pop” quizzes will be given frequently throughout the year to help me evaluate your understanding of new material, lab preparation, reading comprehension, and assignment completion.
You will have tests at the end of each unit.
You will usually have at least one lab per unit. Some of these labs will be formal labs (50 points), requiring a formal lab report. Others will be mini-labs (25 points), requiring a less extensive write-up.
While class time will be given for many assignments, expect to spend approximately 2 to 3 hours per week (30 – 40 minutes per night for 5 nights a week) on physics outside of that time for problem sets, reading concept questions, lab write-ups, and test preparation. Please make use of the resources that are your teacher and fellow students when working on assignments in class. Under most circumstances questions will be taken on assignments prior to their collection. Following a question and answer period, an open-assignment quiz may be given in lieu of the full assignment being collected. Late work may be accepted at my discretion, but will be assigned a 10% per late class-day penalty.
A project involving research and/or experimentation which goes beyond the general topics of the class will be due a few weeks before the end of the course. It will involve both a written report and an oral presentation.
Collaborative Learning vs. Academic Dishonesty
Please learn the difference between collaborative learning and academic dishonesty! Collaborative learning is positive and involves constructive discussion of problem sets, concept questions, and labs with your classmates. However, what you write down for assignments or in you lab notebook must be in your own words in order to reflect your effort and understanding of the material. Students who hand in identical work, or work that is too similar, will experience serious disciplinary consequences! Note that all quizzes and exams are considered strictly independent work. While lab partners may share data and discuss how to address the analysis questions, their final words should be their own.
General Physics Links
- The publishers of our textbook have a page dedicated to support a more recent edition
Their support page includes interactive practice quizzes, additional sample problems,
links and monthly news articles sorted by chapter.
- MIT's Opencourseware project has syllabi, lecture notes, and homework assignments from all their Physics classes. I'm particularly fond of the RealMedia videos of 1999's 8.01/8.02 classes (calculus based introductory mechanics and E&M respectively) presented by Prof. Walter Lewin.
New! 5/24/2007
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