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Honors Physics Information

 
Honors Physics Syllabus
 
Course Description:

This course is an overview of the major topics of physics. We will answer questions such as:          

 

  • how do you calculate the stopping distance of a car?

  • how does a double rainbow form?

  • how is electricity generated in power plants, solar cells, and wind turbines?

  • what orbital properties determine the rotational speed and period of a planet?

  • which muscle group is the most powerful? 

 

Employing laboratory experiments, projects, and mathematical calculations, students will discover ways to describe the world and enrich their thinking and analyzing capacities. The course is based on the physics standards set forth by the South Carolina Department of Education and seeks to develop problem-solving skills that will help students in college and beyond.

 

Course Outline:

 

1st Quarter Topics

  • Kinematics

  • Newton's Laws, Forces, and Friction

  • Work, Power, and Energy

  • Momentum

 

2nd Quarter Topics

  • Circular Motion and Gravitation

  • Electric Forces and Fields

  • Circuits and Magnetism

  • Heat Transfer

  • Waves, Sound, Light, and Optics

 

Grading

Only seniors with a grade of a 90 or above will be able to exempt the final exam.

 

The South Carolina Department of Education has shifted to a 10-point grading scale.  An “A” is 90-100, a “B” is 80-89, a “C” is 70-79, and a “D” is 60-69. 

 

The physics teachers are implementing components of Standards Based Grading in accordance with Wando High School’s Personalized Learning efforts. Standards-based grading is defined as “measuring students’ proficiency on well-defined course objectives.” What that means to students is the following:

  • Students will be assessed on a proficiency scale of 1-4 on each standard. Achieving a score of “3” for an objective indicates that a student is proficient in that standard. Level 4 work is considered mastery.

  • Proficiency on quizzes is achieved by scoring 80% or above, and students may perform corrections to regain half the missed points. Scoring below 80% requires students to study and re-take the quiz to achieve proficiency. Students may perform corrections on the retake, and the maximum score on a retake is a 90%.

  • Proficiency on tests is achieved by scoring 70% or above, and students may perform corrections to regain half the missed points. Scoring below 70% requires students to study and re-take the test to achieve proficiency. Students may perform corrections on the retake, and the maximum score on a retake is a 90%.

  • The highest grade that students can earn for achieving proficiency in all required standards is a 92. In order to earn a grade higher than a 92, students must do Level 4 work. In any course, it is reasonable to expect students to exceed proficiency, and this concept is reflected in the gradebook setup.

  • Level 4 work includes the following: Challenge assignments on the required standards, exploring higher-level standards, independent research, and other work approved by the teacher.

 

Gradebook Set-Up

Third Quarter Grade: 47% Major Assessments, 30% Quizzes/Labs, 15% Daily Work, 8% Level 4 Work

Fourth Quarter Grade: 47% Major Assessments, 30% Quizzes/Labs, 15% Daily Work, 8% Level 4 Work

Semester Grade: 40% Third Quarter, 40% Fourth Quarter, 20% Final Exam.

 

Expectations

  1. Be prepared. Bring your textbook, calculator, and binder.

  2. Be respectful. Listen while others are talking, be careful with school equipment, and help to keep our classroom looking as nice and new as it did on the first day of school.

  3. Be productive. Be engaged and on task during our time together. Treat time like treasure. Students will be allowed a limited number of bathroom passes during the quarter.

 

Students are expected to maintain high academic standards. Copying the work of another student on ANY assignment or talking during quizzes and tests will result in grade penalties, including earning a zero.

 

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