Syllabus
Course Title: Introductory Physics
Teacher: Mr. McKearney
Classroom Number: 236
Contact Information: Email - jmckearney@apps.avon.k12.ma.us
Avon Core Values
The Mission of Avon Middle High School is to create an atmosphere that encourages intellectual pursuit where teachers employ a variety of teaching strategies to meet the diverse needs of our students. Our aim is to prepare students to be self-directed, inquisitive learners. We encourage collaboration among teachers, students, and the community in order to develop students who are life-long learners and productive, responsible citizens of a global society.
Sophomore Mission
We will respect ourselves, respect each other, and respect the classroom, both its contents and especially our time in it. Doing so will create a positive learning climate for students, teachers, and administration.
Course Description:
This course introduces the basic principles of physics. Through demonstrations, activities, and class discussions, processes such as observing, measuring, and hypothesizing are emphasized. Daily class work, homework, and lab assignments help develop problem-solving skills. Major topics addressed in this course are motion, forces, energy, heat, waves, electricity, and radiation.
Short version: Everything that has to do with how you move, move other things, how hard it is to do so, why it’s difficult, how to make it easier, how the electronic age works, why sunburns happen, and levitation … without as much math as the Senior class.
Course Outline:
The below topics are required by the Massachusetts Department of Education. These will NOT be the only topics covered in class, but the "extended" material will relate back to this core.
1. Motion and Forces
Central Concept: Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation describe and predict the movement of most objects.
How, why, and where things move (or don’t move)
2. Conservation of Energy and Momentum
Central Concept: The laws of conservation of energy and momentum provide alternate approaches to predict and describe the motion of objects.
Why motorcycles will always be more fuel efficient than a car, but always less safe
3. Heat and Heat Transfer
Central Concept: Heat is energy that is transferred by the processes of convection, conduction, and radiation between objects or regions that are at different temperatures.
Why opening your refrigerator is a horrible way to cool down the room
4. Waves
Central Concept: Waves carry energy from place to place without the transfer of matter.
How we can make tractor beams in water and see 3-D movies
5. Electromagnetism
Central Concept: Stationary and moving charged particles result in the phenomena known as electricity and magnetism.
Why some non-US countries have floating trains
6. Electromagnetic Radiation
Central Concept: Oscillating electric or magnetic fields can generate electromagnetic waves over a wide spectrum.
Why we can’t get sunburned behind glass and fires are only feel hot if you can see them
Grading
This is based on a points system. The total points you obtained that quarter divided by the total possible points equals your grade for that quarter. Different ways to earn points are elaborated on below.
Homework will be assigned two or three nights a week and will be checked at the beginning of class the following day. We have an extra 48 minutes a week than most classes and we’ll try and get the majority of work done in school. Homeworks are graded on effort and completion, not correctness. The amount of points per homework is proportional to how much time it should take you to complete it. Shorter assignments are ~3 points whereas longer assignments, review packets, etc, could be 5 or 6.
Classwork is simple: do what’s assigned during class, get credit. This is usually taking notes, a brief worksheet, or book reading and questions. This is generally on the same scale as homework; shorter assignments ~3 points, longer assignments 5 or 6. Often, an assignment will start as classwork and be completed as homework. The more you get done in class, the less you have to do at home.
Homeworks and classworks that are incomplete at the time its due can receive a maximum of half credit for showing it to me after that time.
Labs are going to be about every other week, sometimes more often, sometimes less, depending on where we are with the material, if a test or quiz is coming up, etc. These are split approximately half and half between physical (tangible, done with your hands) and digital (online). Both are equally as beneficial. They will be handed in one week from when it started. So, if you start a lab on Monday, we work on it again on Tuesday, a little bit on Wednesday, it is still due the upcoming Monday. These are worth 20-25 points each, depending on the length of the lab.
Notebook quizzes are my version of a notebook check. These are open note quizzes that are entirely based on the notes from the week and problems we’ve done in class. Organization is paramount to your success. As long as you write down what you should and don’t lose massive amounts of paper, these will be easy every time. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get whatever notes were taken the day before. Get them from a classmate! These are usually ~30-40 points.
Tests will be given throughout the year, usually when a unit is completed or when a good ‘pause’ point might be. Students will get two days notice for each and the day before a test is typically a review day. These are worth ~80-100 points.
If you are absent…
The folders on the right side of the room will house your missed work. Check there upon returning to class to gather your missed assignments. If you miss a test or a quiz, your name will be on the front board under “missed test or quiz.” You can make up these assessments during...
8th Block
Eighth Block is the opportunity to recover missed learning in the classroom that can be redeemed with any of your core teachers after school. This is when students can make up missed assignments, get extra help, or create plans to overcome difficulties that cause a loss of time in the classroom. Students can choose to attend Eighth Block by signing up to see whichever teacher from whom they may need extra guidance.
A plan will be created in Eighth Block if a student shows continued difficulty in:
● Showing up on time to class
● Completing activities (homework, classwork, projects, group work, etc)
● Spending appropriate time in the classroom
● Overall grade is a 70% or lower
If a student has three recorded instances in a day, or five instances in a given week, an Eighth Block will be assigned for the student to recover lost instructional time and work completion without penalty. Students will have 48 hours (that day, or one of the next two days), to attend Eighth Block with a teacher of their choice. If the student does not attend the assigned Eighth Block, a parent/guardian will be notified. If necessary, team meetings can be set up to address ongoing struggles.
As a team, your teachers will track your progress to make sure you are valuing your time in the classroom.
Eighth Block Teacher Schedule
Mondays - Ms. Whitworth, Ms. Francisco
Tuesdays - Mr. McKearney, Mr. Clifford / Mr. Lochrie
Wednesdays - Ms. Howe, Ms. Whitworth
Thursdays - Mr. Clifford / Mr. Lochrie, Ms. Francisco
Fridays - Mr. McKearney, Ms. Howe
FYI - There will be exceptions! There are meetings, half-days, holidays, snow days, and the like, so as a team we will be flexible to accommodate these circumstances.
Materials: You need a notebook and folder or a large binder. Bring them to class every day. Also, bring something to write with. I have extra pens / pencils if you forget, but you get ONE for the week.
Classroom Rules and Expectations
● Come to class and bring your stuff.
● The first and last 5 minutes of class is “all hands on deck” - no leaving during that time
● No eating. At all.
● Electronic devices stay away. First time, warning. Second time and on, it goes into the void for the remainder of class
● Arrive on time (even if you had gym class the block before)
● Abide by the school dress code
Also, a helpful hint: If you are working with classmates, talking, and getting your work done, that’s fine. If you are interrupting me, distracting your classmates, and/or not getting your work done, that is not. Know when conversing is appropriate and when it is not appropriate.
Discipline
Will be as follows:
1st Offense: Verbal warning
2nd Offense: Teacher detention
3rd Offense: Office referral
Any type of serious offense will mean an immediate office referral.
Finally…
As a reminder, if it’s in the Student Handbook (which you have all read cover to cover already), it applies to this classroom as well.