AP Physics 1

 Welcome to Mr. Hagner's AP Physics 1 class! This site is meant to provide a place where you can find information on the class schedule and AP exam, and a lot of useful or interesting links.

Class Rules and Expectations

AP Physics 1 will be taught this year using a format known as Asynchronous Flipped Gameful Mastery Learning (AFGML). It  is an asynchronous, self-paced course which gives students the freedom to choose what exactly they will do each day.  It will also use an unconventional grading system based on gaining points for completing tasks, rather than "losing" points on assignments. You can learn more about this format in the videos at the bottom of the page. Note that my class will not follow what is described in the YouTube videos in every detail, but they will give a good idea of how the course works.

AP Physics 1 is designed to be equivalent to a first-semester introductory college course in algebra-based physics. The class will explore Newtonian mechanics;  work, energy, and power; momentum and impulse; rotational motion; and simple harmonic motion. Hands-on laboratory work will be used to investigate phenomena.

AP Physics 1 is NOT a math course. Some mathematical skills will be necessary (for more information, see the "AP Exam Info" section), but this course will place a heavy emphasis on conceptual understanding.  This class will not be just about finding the right numbers to plug into an equation. Students will need to make logical, coherent arguments about physics, using sentences as often as equations.

The list of assignments for the class is linked below. Students should make a copy of this document and save it on their Google Drive. It will contain links to all of the lesson videos and other course materials.

Point values are listed to the right of each assignment. Assignments that are highlighted in blue are optional.

No

This class does not officially use a textbook. My recommendation is to use the "5 Steps to a 5" review guide by Greg Jacobs as a course supplement in lieu of a standard textbook.

There is a textbook that students may access if they wish to do so. It is available through the Mastering Physics website as an eText. To register, please follow the instructions at this link. At step 3, enter the following access code: 

There are physics textbooks located in the classroom that students can consult at any time. There is also a free online textbook that can be accessed through OpenStax

The Assignment List contains links to numerous videos, usually between 5 and 15 minutes in length, which contain physics content lessons. Students will earn points for the lessons by watching and taking notes on the videos. 

• The videos should be watched in a distraction-free environment

• Notes should be well-organized and legible.  The start of each new video should be clearly marked with an appropriate title ("Level 1, #5", for example)

• The videos are embedded in Google Forms. The forms often contain multiple choice and/or short answer questions about the content. These questions are optional, but recommended.

• Many videos will offer subtitles and/or audio tracks in other languages. Check the video settings on YouTube.

• Each video is listed with its duration in parentheses (), as well as a number indicating its mathematical degree of difficulty in square brackets []:

  • [1] = No math. Very few equations

  • [2] = Some algebra, no rearranging of formulas

  • [3] = Some rearranging of formulas and/or some trigonometry

  • [4] = Lots of rearranging of formulas and/or lots of trigonometry

  • [5] = A whole bunch of math

  • [5+] = Some discussion of Calculus

[See Canvas for the schedule of assignments]