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AP/Honors Physics

Class notes, lab activities and other relevant information will be posted on the class Team on Microsoft Teams.
Additional class information will be posted to the class website at:
BarlowAcademy.com


AP Physics 1 is the equivalent to a first-semester introductory college course in algebra-based physics. The course curriculum is dramatically different from previous years as less material is covered though the students are expected to know the material in more depth. Students will spend less of their time on formula-based learning and more of their effort on critical thinking and reasoning skills. Students no longer need to memorize equations and will be able to use a calculator on all portions of the test. Instead, the focus is understanding relationships between critical variables depending on the situation at hand.
Click here to access a copy of the course syllabus.

Textbook
OpenStax College Physics for AP Courses. This can also be accessed on-line or downloaded as a PDF onto a computer, tablet or smartphone.  We will also be using Young and Freedman’s University Physics textbook as a physical supplement to the OpenStax

Extra Help
Every day after school until 2:30. If extra time is needed, please make an appointment with me.

Homework and Class Participation

Homework will be assigned every day. Homework assignments may consist of reading and outlining the text, problems from the textbook, worksheets or practice FRQ problems. There will also be several online homework assignments such as Physics Aviary tasks, Physlets or videos to watch. Many of the problems chosen will require you to use algebra for the solution. Clear and concise reasoning is essential as well as the inclusion of appropriate units. Each student will be periodically expected to present on a whiteboard a solution to a homework problem.

 

Tests and Quizzes

Tests will always be announced several days in advance. Quizzes may or may not be announced so you should always be prepared for them.  Please come to extra help as soon as you need help in this subject.

Quiz Corrections: Available for any quiz grade. Corrections are due one week from the time the quiz is returned to you. You must complete a Quiz Correction Form for each question to receive credit. Staple the correction form to your quiz and turn in your completed corrections to the Corrections Box.

 

Citizen Science Project
There will be a major project for the class involving citizen science . This will be due second quarter and more information will be provided sometime in September.

 

Grading

Grades are broken down into two categories: formative and summative assessments. The value or weight of any assignment is determined by the point value given to that assignment. Your grade is calculated by totaling the points earned for the quarter, and dividing by the total possible points. Summative assessments, consisting of both multiple choice and long answer questions, are graded numerically and will count toward the average in the course. Formative assessments will be either be scored or simply checked for completion. These formative assessments are used to prepare you for your summative assessments and your scores will be considered when completing the THS Behavioral Expectations Matrix.

 

Laboratory Investigations:

Students spend at least 25% of the instructional time engaged in laboratory work. Experiments designed by the instructor are used to demonstrate procedural guidelines and to learn how to use specific laboratory equipment. The majority of labs are inquiry-based where students are given an objective and a set of materials. You will be tasked with designing a procedure and collecting data to determine specific quantities, determine the relationship between variables, and/or to derive fundamental physics equations. Laboratory design, experimentation, data gathering, data presentation, analysis, drawing conclusions, and experimental error analysis are elements in these lab activities. Laboratory work is recorded in a laboratory notebook/binder, and students will have opportunities to present their laboratory work to their peers. Lab reports will consist of the following components:
-Title
-Overview/Purpose
-Experimental Design/Procedure (for guided inquiry & open inquiry, the design must be created by the students and approved by the teacher before experimentation may begin)
-Data
-Calculations and/or graphs
-Conclusion (including data and error analysis, summary of results)



Course Syllabus