Physics

Methods, Goals, Procedures

Class Meetings: Two per week

You get to chat sessions by going to the Chat Login Link (available from the ScholarsOnline home page as well). Chats for the courses you are taking will be listed each day (so you will see only the chats for "today" listed: we try to keep this simple).

During each class session, we will base our discussions on the material in Physics: Principles with Applications (6th Ed) by Douglas C. Giancoli from Prentice-Hall. We will work example problems and discuss different approaches to evaluating events in physical terms. We will also take WebTours of sites which have interesting graphics or simulations. Logs of our discussions will be available from the Scholars Online Chat login page following the class for your review.

You may raise questions about the material from the text, my weblectures, your homework, your labs, and when we have time, from news media articles with a physics connection, such as the search for gravity waves, radiocarbon dating, radioactive waste disposal, theories of the origin of the universe, or engineering concerns.

I realize that occasionally you may need to miss our online chat sessions, because of illness or family emergencies, and occasionally because of planned activities. You must have a parent notify me of your absence and the reason, either by email or Moodle Message, if at all possible before the session starts. You are still responsible for posting all homework assignments to the class forums, and for mastering the materials covered in class by reviewing logs of any class sessions you have missed.

All reading assignments for the semester will be posted in the course calendar at the beginning of the course. Reading assignments include material from the textbook, my online lectures, and on occasion, readings from other websites. Access to the Scholars Online student materials require you to use a password that you will be sent during the week prior to the start of classes in September. You are expected to read assigned material and complete homework before attending the chat session.

Homework

Homework assignments for each session will be posted on the Scholars Online Physics website and on the Scholars Online Moodle Physics homepage. These may include problems from the text, questions designed by the teacher, or instructions to complete simulations or excercises on interactive media. All homework problems are for your benefit, and do not have to be turned in to me. It is important that you do all the practice exercises regularly so that we can identify and resolve any problems before you work on the next assignment.

Ideally, you should do all the homework questions assigned from the text. These exercises expose you to different ways of learning and using the concepts from the text and in class lectures.

Do not simply look up the correct answers in the back of the book!

Instead, do your best to solve the problem, then check your work and attempt to correct problems you miss yourself by comparing your methods and answer with those posted by your peers. If that doesn't clarify a problem for you, ask for additional help in class — that is what chat is for! You will be responsible for presenting solutions with detailed comments in class or to the forum to specific homework problems. Entering math-heavy solutions into a text file on the computer is an exercise in typing, not in physics or chemistry; I believe that your time is better spent working on learning the material itself.

Because I'm not checking your work off on a spreadsheet, you may be tempted to skip doing workbook exercises or homework problems assigned to other students for presentation.

Don't.

Most of the quiz and exam questions I use to evaluate your work will be based on these exercises. The more you do, the more thoroughly you prepared you will be. If you plan to take the SAT II or AP Physics examinations, dedicated and steady preparation throughout the year is essential. If you do not have the time to do all the exercises, select the ones you find most useful, and discipline yourself to get them done.

Labs

Labs are optional; see the labs page for more information.

Quizzes and Exams

Weekly quizzes will be available on the Moodle Physics homepage after the last discussion session for each chapter; you should try to take the quizzes within a few days of finishing the chapter. You will receive immediate feedback on your work and your score will be recorded in the Moodle. You can use the Moodle grade reports to determine which quizzes you have taken and how well you have done.

Exams will be given at the end of each term. These must be taken under parental supervision and returned to the teacher by electronic mail for grading. In addition, a paper copy signed by the parent must be returned by regular United States mail to the teacher, verifying that the exam was taken under the specified conditions.

Putting it all together

The Scholars Onlline Moodle and Physics Course Materials

The Moodle server at Scholars Online will host our chats, notice boards for general instructions, the forums for your class assignments, the quizzes, and the schedule for our work. Access will be limited to class members. We also have the ability to create Wiki entries (good for learning terminology), take surveys, and work on group activities. Students performing labs for the lab option, and students taking the AP option will have forums for their work in these areas. Since only members of the class will see your postings, you should feel free to use the class forum to ask questions and contact each other about class business, and to continue discussions for which we may not have time in class, but remember:

Goals/h3>

Just so we are all headed in the same direction....

• To learn the basic concepts of modern physics
• To learn how to think like a scientist about our everyday observations and experiences
• To understand the limits as well as the advantages of scientific methodolgy
• To understand how scientific models and theories compete for acceptance
• To prepare those of you planning to take SAT II or Advanced Placement Tests in Physics.

Expectations

You are expected to:

• Attend both class sessions each week.
• Observe the general rules for IRC classroom behavior.
• Read all the assigned materials BEFORE class.
• Complete and evaluate all practice homework exercises on your own, and ASK questions during chat sessions if you still don't understand the material.
• Turn in completed homework assignments on time.
• Treat each other with respect. Some of the topics we discuss will be controversial ones.

You may expect me to:

• Cover the material in the text and answer your questions; if I don't know the answer, I will try to find out and get back to you.
• Return comments on your homework at regular intervals.
• Provide your parents with a quarterly statement of your progress.
• Respect your opinions, when they are substantiated with some serious thought, even if I disagree with your conclusions.

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This course is offered through Scholars Online, a non-profit organization supporting classical Christian education through Internet-based courses. Permission to copy course content (lessons and labs) for personal study is granted to students currently or formerly enrolled in the course through Scholars Online. Reproduction for any other purpose, without the express written consent of the author, is prohibited.