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Syllabus

Connecticut Technical High School System STUDENT COURSE SYLLABUS2008-2009 Course Title:  Physics                         Course Credit: 1 credit Instructor:   Diachenko                        Classroom:     215 E-Mail:  Richard.Diachenko@ct.gov             Voice-Mail:     203-732-1863 Office Hours:  7 AM to 7:25 AM – After school by appointment

 

Course Description

Physics is the branch of knowledge that studies the physical world. Physicists investigate objects as small as atoms and as large as the universe. It is about the nature of basic things such as motion, forces, energy, matter, heat, sound, light and the composition of atoms. Physics also studies the natures of energy and matter and how they are related. Physics contains the building blocks for other sciences. You can understand other sciences much better if your first understand physics.

 

This course provides students with a solid foundation in physics. It incorporates problem solving, hands-on experiments and projects. Through the use of Power Standards, the focus is on an understanding of skills and concepts a student must know to become proficient upon exiting the course

Goals and Essential Questions for this Course:
LEARNING GOALS:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of:ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
1.  Describe, represent and apply laws of motion.Big Idea: motion can be described using pictures, graphs and calculations1.        What are ways to describe how objects move? 
2. Determine and apply how forces affect motion. Big Idea: Forces applied to an object influence its motion1.        How can an objects motion be changed?
3. Apply conservation of momentum to the movement of objects.Big Idea: The law of conservation of momentum provides a way to predict and describe movement of objects. 1.        How is motion affected by an object mass? 2.        Why does an automobile crumble in an accident? 3.        How does change in velocity impact momentum? 4.        How is motion affected by an object’s mass? 5.        What happens when objects hit and bounce apart? 6.        What happens when objects hit and stick together? 
4. Apply conservation of energy to the movement of objects.Big Idea: 1) Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be changed – the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant.  2) Work and power describe how the external world  changes the energy of a system1.        If energy changes, how and why does it change?2.        How does force relate to work?3.        How do simple machines ease the load?
5. Illustrate energy transformations using heat and thermodynamics Big Idea: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, although in many processes is transferred into the environment as heat.1. Why does an ice cube melt?2. Can you add thermal energy to an object without increasing its energy? 3. If the efficiency of a gasoline engine is 25%, what happens to the rest of the energy stored in the gasoline? 
6. Identify and differentiate wave production and transmission Big Idea: Waves have characteristic properties that do not depend on the type of wave 1. Do sound waves and light waves travel differently in space?2. What is the electromagnetic spectrum?3. How is color determined  
7. Describe wave interactions with different surfaces Big Idea: Light has characteristics as being a particle, a wave and both 1. What happens when one looks into a mirror?2. Why does the image of a pencil in a glass of water seemed to be bent?3. Why does a tsunami wave also flood the opposite side of an island?4. What are considerations for setting up a surround sound system 
8.9. Describe and apply electric and magnetic phenomena Big Idea: Electric and Magnetic Fields are used in everyday devices.1. How are magnets used in machines or systems such as loud speakers, motors, and televisions? 2. How do magnets and electricity create different fields, and how do they interact?
10. Review and assessment 
  Textbooks and Materials Provided to Students in the Course:

Physics Principles and Problems – Glencoe Sciences

A CD textbook is an available option

 

Students can also check the teacher’s web information through the link posted on the EOB website main page

 

Textbook website/access: www.physicspp.com  You will be given a password, so you can read selections from the textbook and complete activities in reading and writing using the online website.

Additional Materials Students Need to Purchase for the Course:·              2” (or larger) three-ring binder with college-ruled loose leaf paper with 5 tabs·              Pen, pencils and highlighters

·              A homework planner or assignment pad·              Calculator 

Course Grade:  The course grade will be weighted according to the following activities and assignments:30% Tests20% Quizzes30% Labs and Projects10% Homework, Class Work, Journals10 % Trimester Assessment:

 

IMPORTANT POLICIES TO NOTE 
LATE WORK POLICYI want all my students to be successful in this course. All assignments are an important part of this class and need to be completed on-time and prior to the beginning of the next cycle so that you will be successful. It is in your best interest to complete assignments in a timely manner while the class material is fresh in mind and before the class moves deeper into the next topic or skill to be learned. Due dates and deadlines will be given for all marked work that will be a part of the grade. Inform me in advance if you know that you will be unable to complete the assignment on the due date so that the deadline can be adjusted.Consequences for late work: Work handed in late shall be penalized 10% per day. It is your responsibility to complete assignments.