Course Syllabus

Honors Physics

Weddington High School

Mrs. Calandro, Room E101

miranda.calandro@ucps.k12.nc.us 

Welcome to honors physics!  

Course Information:

This class is an honors level course.  This course is also available in the Program of Studies at the College Preparatory level.  Students earning credit for an Honors level course receive an elevated number of Quality Points for their Grade Point Average.  Students choosing the Honors level course should be aware that this Honors level course will include:

  • Required extension opportunities that are directly related to the Standard Course of Study. This includes additional content beyond that covered in the College Preparatory level.
  • More challenging coursework and assessments.  Students will be expected to demonstrate higher levels of understanding for grades.
  • Projects and presentations will be more in depth.  
  • Students will have to focus and study regularly to master the content. 

Because this is an honors course, please expect that it will be more challenging and rigorous than a college preparatory physics course.  In addition to modifying objectives and assignments to aim towards higher level cognition, we will include extension topics and projects that will prepare students for advanced placement science courses.

This course is designed to provide an introduction into the major topics of physics, including (but not limited to) kinematics, dynamics, energy, momentum, waves, electricity and magnetism. 

For the complete North Carolina essential standards for physics, please visit:  NCDPI Essential Standards for Physics 

The course prerequisite is honors NC Math 3. 

Rules and Expectations:

  • Be RESPECTFUL.
  • Be PREPARED.
  • Be PRESENT and PUNCTUAL.
  • Be POSITIVE.
  • ALWAYS TRY YOUR BEST and take responsibility for your learning!
  • Our goal in this course is for you to be successful. I am here to help you along the way, but you are ultimately responsible for your actions and your success.

Things that absolutely will not be permitted in our classroom include use of cell phones (unless specically permitted during instruction), electronic devices, foul language, disrespectful, violent or bullying behavior, cheating, plagiarism and horseplay.

Our time in class is valuable!  Cell phones use is not permitted at any point during our class time unless needed for lab.  Chromebooks are to be used only for instructional purposes.

Grading percentages and overview

Tests/Projects:                                50%

Quizzes/Lab Reports:                     25%

Classwork/Homework:                   25%

Additional Course Information

  • Tests will be given at the end of every unit.
  • Quizzes will be given often – at the end of a chapter, after labs, and as needed to address content needs.
  • We will be using the OpenStax Physics [for High School] textbook. 
  • We do many laboratory experiments in this course and hands-on activities.
  • Projects for honors physics include the projectile launch project, phamous physicist research project, global science research project (however these may shift due to any changes made to our schedule and time availability.)  
  • Homework is given daily and classwork will be assigned as needed daily. Our assignments will be submitted through Canvas.

Required Materials

EACH day, you will need to bring:

  1. Chromebook and charger
  2. Binder with and paper
  3. Calculator 
  4. Lab notebook (composition)

Canvas Platform and Google Drive

Assignments will be submitted on Canvas or via Google Drive.  Assignments can be submitted a variety of ways including, uploading files, typing into text boxes, and sharing Google documents/presentations.  Students not having used Canvas before should alert the teacher and they will be shown how to submit assignments on Canvas.  Individual assignments will indicate which method of submission on Canvas is expected.  If students need a refresher or have questions, they can access the Canvas Student GuideLinks to an external site. for specific instructions. It is the student's responsibility to ensure assignments are submitted on time and to contact the instructor if there is a problem.  The Canvas Learning Platform logs every student log-in on Canvas which provides teachers with a list of when students log-in to Canvas using their user id. 

Canvas is sometimes used to grade assignments as well, however, the grades in Canvas, while accurate to that assignment, are NOT the teacher’s gradebook.  The teacher’s gradebook includes categories of assignments that may be weighted differently and may include grades for assignments that did not use the Canvas Learning Platform. Therefore, students and parents should always check their child’s true average on the Parent Portal on Powerschool.   

 

EmpowerED Family Portal Link:  https://www.ucps.k12.nc.us/domain/2917 (Links to an external site.)

Late Work/Absence Policies - please READ carefully!

  1. Late assignments will NOT be accepted! From homework to projects, if it’s late, it’s late and will not be accepted.  

  2.    A zero (0) grade represents work the student may NOT makeup.

      A one (1) grade represents work the student MAY makeup (late points may be taken).

  3. My absence policy is that all work must be completed and turned in (using the absent/tech form on Canvas) within 2 days.

Tutoring:

If you find yourself struggling, please come see me!  I am available every morning (unless otherwise announced).

Laboratory Expectations

While conducting laboratory experiments and all other class activities, I expect nothing but your best effort and behavior at ALL times.

Labs are an integral part of a science class.  They are meant to be interesting and fun, but they must be handled seriously.  Horseplay, not complying with directions, mishandling or misuse of equipment and/or facilities and other unbecoming and irresponsible behavior will result in an automatic zero for the laboratory grade, office referral and parent contact.

Our classroom is a lab classroom.  All areas must be cleared away, cleaned and materials disposed of properly before your group may leave the lab area. Also, the drawers are NOT to be used as trash cans or lockers, the equipment (even if sitting on counter tops) are NOT toys and are NOT to be used or handled unless instructed.  Storage and laboratory areas are off limits unless instructed otherwise.  This is for your safety and the safety of others in our classroom. The available outlets are for laboratory use only and are NOT to be used for plugging in chromebooks or cellular phones.

Flinn's student laboratory safety sheet provides the specific guidelines we use as a department and these are found under the "modules" tab in the "resources" section.  Please read and sign off that you have read and understand lab safety rules and the details of the course as listed in this syllabus.  This semester, I am expecting that you fill out a Google form on  our Canvas page to serve as your agreement to adhere to the laboratory safety guidelines. 

I look forward to working with each of you this semester! :)