Regents Physics Syllabus

Textbook:

Description:

Physics is a laboratory science course that examines the relationship between matter and energy and how they interact. This course will have a strong emphasis in the mathematics of physics. Students will explore physics concepts through an inquiry approach. Embedded standards for Inquiry, Technology & Engineering, and Mathematics are taught in the context of the content standards for Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Waves and Sound, Light and Optics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Atomic and Nuclear Science.

Goals:

1.       Students will leave the course with an understanding of Physics, in addition to being able to apply it in real life situations.

2.       Students will build upon their knowledge after every unit, and will make connections between topics.

3.       Students will learn about the Scientific Method and how to apply this process to research problems.

Course Topic Outline (Time spent on individual topics may vary)

1. Measurement and Mathematics

2. Mechanics

3. Energy

4. Electricity and Magnetism

5. Waves

6. Modern Physics

Resources:

            Students will be able to use the computers in the classroom. Students will become familiar with programs, applets, and modules that will help them learn about key concepts in the class. Students will use their textbook as a resource, to guide them through the units. Accommodations will be made in the event that copies of notes or worksheets are needed. Most importantly, students will become familiar with the graphing calculator, and Vernier Laboratory equipment.

Evaluation:

Assessments                            75%

• Exams
• Quizzes

Assignments                            25%

• Homework
• Classwork
• Activities/labs

Examination Preparation

Students will be made aware of examination dates AT LEAST 2 school days before the scheduled date of the examination. There will be at least one day devoted to review for the curriculum covered on the exam.

Quiz Preparation

Students will be made aware of quizzes AT LEAST 1 school day before the scheduled date of the quiz.

Homework

Homework will be given in two forms.

Nightly Homework: Students will have homework daily. Homework will consist of 1-8 practice problems a night on the content from that day’s lesson. This homework will be checked at the beginning of class on a scale from 0-2. A score of 0 means less than half of the work was attempted. A score of 1 means more than half of the work was attempted. A score of 2 means all of the work was attempted. After this homework is checked, the teacher will go over any question the students had trouble with.

Weekly Graded Homework: At the beginning of each week, the teacher will distribute a weekly homework assignment. This will cover ANY topic already covered in YOUR science career. This homework will be graded for correctness and completeness. There will be between 5-20 questions, and the total weight will vary on difficulty and number of questions.

White Boarding and Modeling

These terms will become much more familiar as the year goes on. The idea is, the person doing the thinking and speaking in the classroom is the one that is learning. If I am in front of the room the whole period, I will be doing lots of speaking, and all of you will do very little learning. We will use open-ended activities to share our ideas using white-boards.

There are times when you may feel stressed by all of this; all that means is that you are learning; probably more than you ever have before!

Laboratory Activities

In order to take the Regents Exam students are required to complete at least 1200 minutes worth of laboratory time. Labs will consist of completing experiments, collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. Students will be graded on every lab completed in class. Lab reports will be collected one week after the completion of each experiment. An outline for the lab reports will be discussed in class, after the first lab. Not all labs will require a report.

Students will often place the results of their labs on whiteboards. This will be an opportunity to learn from the data. All white boards must be collected by photo and saved online.

Classroom Expectations

Please follow the school code of conduct. The goal of this classroom is to create a learning environment where students can learn and explore about a variety of technology and tools. Some of these can be dangerous if not handled appropriately. If you cannot control yourself, you will not use the tools.

Additionally cell phones are one of the most advanced and useful technology tools we have available to us. Their proper use is crucial to the success of this class. You may keep them in your pocket or face down on your desk. Additionally, you may use them when appropriate. This access is a privilege and may be taken away at any time.

As per school policy students are required to sign out, and have a pass when leaving the room during class periods.

In case of an emergency or emergency drill be quiet and listen to the teacher for further directions