Room 52
Course Description
The course is designed for high school students who will be building a strong foundation for further study of IB science courses and other pre-university science courses. The physics course will also lay the foundation for any student with ambition of studying physics at the university level.
The course covers the following topics: general physics [measurement and mechanics], thermal physics, properties of waves, light, sound, electricity and magnetism, atomic physics. The course aims to develop in students, abilities and skills that are relevant to the study and practice of physics, and also useful in everyday life.
Course Requirements and Required Materials
The course requires that the student should have a good knowledge of middle school science and an enquiring mind. The syllabus is concept driven and the students are expected to develop knowledge and understanding in relation to scientific phenomenon, laws and theories during the course. Therefore the students are encouraged to have an open mind and a critical approach to the study of the high school physics course.
TEXT:
Complete Physics for Cambridge IGCSE by Stephen Pople – Oxford University Press ISBN: 978-0-19-913877-7
MATERIALS:
Every student is required to have the textbook at all times, a 3-ring binder, sheet graph paper, (or a graph paper notebook designated specifically for Physics), a pen (black or blue), a sharpened pencil with an eraser, a Graphing Display Calculator.
Goals and Objectives
Science education at Newman School aims to provide opportunities to students for scientific study and creativity within a global context that will stimulate and challenge students. Keeping with the aims of the IBO, science education in the school proposes to develop an ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize scientific information among the student community. It also intends to raise awareness of the moral, ethical, social, economic and environmental implications of using science and technology.
The objective of science education at Newman School is to help students achieve the following: Demonstrate an understanding of:
• scientific facts and concepts
• scientific methods and techniques
• scientific terminology
• methods of presenting scientific information.
Construct, analyze and evaluate:
• hypotheses, research questions and predictions
• scientific methods and techniques
• scientific explanations.
Demonstrate the personal skills of:
• Cooperation
• Perseverance
• Responsibility
Demonstrate the manipulative skills necessary to carry out scientific investigations with precision and safety.
Assessment and Grading Procedures
Quarter grades will be calculated as follows:
• Homework: 25%
• Classwork: 15%
• Tests: 60%
Semester grades will be calculated as follows:
• Each quarter: 40%
• Final Exam: 20%
Classroom management procedures
• Students are required to be in class on time everyday.
• Tardy students are expected to pick up a late slip before coming to class. Students must be in class before the bell rings.
• Homework assignments must be completed everyday to succeed in this class. Students coming to class without the Homework of the day done, will receive 0 for it.
• Homework must be done in pencil in order to receive credit for the assignment. Homework will be corrected in class in pen.
• If a student misses class, the homework assignment is due at the start of class the day the student returns.
• Students will not be penalized for an incorrect answer on their homework if they have tried to work out the problem and can show their work. Students will not be given credit for any homework assignment without showing their work.
• Tests will be announced 3 to 4 days prior to the test. If a student is absent on the day of a test s/he must make it up the day s/he returns to school. Exceptions will be made for students with serious illness or lengthy absences at the teacher’s discretion.
• Cheating is not tolerated at Newman. Zeros will be given for any work that is suspect.
• No extra-credit is offered in my class.
• Students missing one class should bring to class the HW of the missed class and the one for the day. For an absence of few days, students are expected to see me at the end of the day in which they’re back; for longer periods, students are expected to keep in touch with me via E-mail.