SEA PHYSICS MR. MOEHNKE & MRS. SHADE MERRILL WEST HIGH SCHOOL COURSE SYLLABUS

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1 SEA PHYSICS MR. MOEHNKE & MRS. SHADE MERRILL WEST HIGH SCHOOL COURSE SYLLABUS GOALS This is the Academy's freshman science course. Physics is the foundation of engineering and space science. This course will give you a solid understanding of Physics and prepare you for advanced study in science. While science is the focus of this course, we will be developing your engineering skills through an engineering contest in each unit. UNITS 1. Science & Engineering: how scientists & engineers make measurements & calculations. 2. Describing Motion: describing linear motion using speed, velocity, and acceleration. 3. Laws of Motion: explaining motion using Newton's laws of motion. 4. Mechanical Energy: explaining motion using conservation of energy. 5. Momentum: explaining motion using conservation of momentum. 6. Gravity & Motion in Space: explaining circular motion and gravitational motion. 7. Fluids: properties of liquids, and gases. 8. Waves: describing waves with a focus on sound and earthquake waves. 9. Light & Optics: describing light, and the interaction of light with mirrors and lenses. 10. Electricity & Magnetism: describing electricity, electric circuits, and electromagnetism. 11. Nuclear Physics: describing radiation, nuclear reactions, fission, and fusion. 12. Electric Power: describing and comparing the different ways we generate power. RESOURCES We use the textbook Hewitt, Conceptual Physics, 2006 ed. Keep your text at home for homework and study. We have a class set of textbooks to use when we need it in class. Physics uses mathematics. Get a scientific calculator and bring it with you daily. Our course web site has project information, project photos, and a Hall of Fame at goo.gl/17uvlu. Remind o Remind is a free, safe, private communication network for schools. It is accessible by text messaging, smart phone app, desktop app, and web site. We will use Remind for communication outside of school you can use it to send messages to Mr. Moehnke or Mrs. Shade to get help with homework, and they will use it to send out announcements. o You need to sign up to use Remind. To sign up, to and follow the instructions. Or go online to remind.com/join/seaphysics. Or download the Remind app from Google Play or Apple. Our class ID

2 o You can send messages to Mr. Moehnke or Mrs. Shade by using Remind s web site, remind.com, by using the Remind smartphone app, or by using the Remind desktop app. WebAssign o WebAssign is an online learning system at We will use WebAssign for most assignments. o To log in, use your username & password given to you by Mr. Moehnke. o From your WebAssign home page, choose an assignment, enter your answers, and click "Submit" at the bottom of the page. WebAssign grades your answers immediately and shows you which were right, and which were wrong. You usually get one or two chances to change your wrong answers and resubmit them. If you get your first submission wrong, don t just guess again! Ask for help to find out what you did wrong! You only get credit for right answers. o The problems are customized for each student no two students have the same answers. Share strategies, not answers! o You can review your assignments any time after the due date, under "Past Assignments", to compare your answers to the correct answers and to review. GRADING Your grade is calculated based on how many points you earn compared to the points possible in each category. Categories are then weighted and combined as follows: o Quarter Percent = 40% Tests + 40% Assignments + 20% Projects. o Semester Percent = 40% 1st Quarter + 40% 2nd Quarter + 20% Final Exam. Your Letter Grade is determined by your quarter or semester percent using the following scale: A = %, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 50-69%, F = 0-49%. We will have a final exam at the end of each semester that covers the whole semester. Final exams will have the same format as unit tests (see below) but will last 2 hours. A study guide for each final will be given a week before the final. If you are absent on the day of the final, arrange with Your teacher to make up the final as soon as possible afterward. Your quarter grades will be posted on WebAssign, including all assignments and projects, whether done on WebAssign or not. Grades are updated daily. Your semester and final exam grades will be posted on Aeries. TESTS 40% OF YOUR GRADE You will take a written test on each unit that covers the whole unit. You will have one period to take the test. Each test is worth points.

3 Tests are closed book & note. There are two parts to each test: a multiple-choice section that assesses how well you know the concepts, and a problem-solving and essay section that assesses how well you can apply them. Formulas are provided. If you are absent on the day of a test, arrange with your teacher to take the test after school within 2 days after you return from your absence. ASSIGNMENTS 40% OF YOUR GRADE Labs o We will do lab experiments at least once a week. You will work in teams of 3-4 students on labs, but you will each do your own reports which will be graded individually. Lab experiments must be completed during class time. Lab dates are shown on your assignment sheet and on WebAssign. o Most of your lab reports will be done on WebAssign, but graphs will be done in Excel, then printed and added to your notebook. Lab reports are worth points each. o If you are absent on the day when we do a lab, request an extension in WebAssign, get the results from one of your lab partners, and complete the report on your own before the extended due date. Notebooks o You will keep a notebook with notes about class discussions and presentations. The purpose of the notebook is to help you learn and make sense of what you re learning. Review your notes when you are doing problem sets and homework and preparing for tests. o Keep your notes in a binder or folder. You will turn in your notebook for each unit on test day. Notebooks are worth points. o If you are absent on a day when we take notes, get the notes from your teacher the day after your absence, put them in your own handwriting, and put them in your notebook. o If you are absent on a day when notebooks are due, turn in your notebook when you return. You lose 20% for each day your notebook is late if the absence is unexcused or you were not absent on the due date. Problem Sets and Homework o Problem sets and homework will help you review, practice, apply, and extend the physics you are learning. Problem sets and homework will be on WebAssign. Dates are shown on your assignment sheet and on WebAssign. Our homework follows School Board Policy 6154 (see the Student Handbook for details).

4 o You will have a problem set at least once a week. You work on problem sets in class and finish them at home that same day if needed. Problem sets are worth points each. o You will have new homework assignments every two school days, and you will have two school days to complete each homework assignment. Homework assignments are worth points each. o If you are absent on a day when we do a problem set or have a homework assignment, request an extension on WebAssign, then complete the assignment at home before the extended due date. Quizzes o You will occasionally have a quiz about what you are learning that day. Quizzes last 5-10 minutes and are worth points each. Quizzes are unannounced and are closed book & note. o If you are absent on a day when we have a quiz, you can make up for it by doing points of Extra Credit on WebAssign before the end of the unit. Extra Credit o Each unit there will be an Extra Credit assignment on WebAssign - do as much or as little as you want. The points you earn on extra credit will be added to your Assignments grade. PROJECTS 20% OF YOUR GRADE You will do a team contest each unit that challenges you to do some engineering by applying the physics you have learned. You must work with a partner on this contest, and you and your partner will get the same grade. The details and due dates for each project will be on your assignment sheet and on our SEA Physics web page. Photos and scores from past contests are also on the web page. Your grade will be based on how well your project performs compared to other projects in the class. The highest scoring project will get a 100% grade. The lowest scoring project will get a 70% grade. All other projects will get a grade proportional to their ranking between high and low. Projects that do not meet all requirements are not guaranteed at least a 70% grade. If you are absent on a project test day, be sure your project makes it to school that day with your partner. Projects are tested only on project test day late projects will not be scored and cannot compete with other projects. Late projects that work will get a 70% grade.

5 ABSENCES You are responsible for all assignments absences are no excuse. All missed work is a zero unless made up. Follow the makeup policies given above. For excused absences, follow the makeup policies given above. These absences include illness, school activity, and in-house suspension. Unexcused absences cannot be made up all missed work stays a zero. These absences include truancy and home suspension. GETTING HELP You can come in before school from 7:00-7:50 am any day to work on assignments or projects or to get help from Mr. Moehnke. You can also ask questions during class. And you can come in after school from 2:50-5:00 pm on any day that Mr. Moehnke is there (typically Tuesdays and Thursdays). To get immediate help outside school (before 11 pm), message Mr. Moehnke or Mrs. Shade through Remind. To get delayed help outside school, ask Mr. Moehnke or Mrs. Shade a question on WebAssign using the "Ask Your Teacher" feature. Be sure to check back later for the response. BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS Be Prompt. Be in class, in your seat before the bell (otherwise you are tardy). Stay until dismissed. Be Prepared. Bring your notebook, a pen or pencil, and a calculator each day. Be Polite. Be courteous & respectful. Be quiet when others are speaking. No profanity. No food, drink or gum. Take hats off in class. No electronic devices (except calculators) all electronic devices must remain off and put away while you are in class, unless your teacher gives you permission to use them for a class activity. Then you may only use your electronic device as specified by your teacher for that class activity. Be Productive. Follow directions. Use class time for work. Don t cheat don't talk or copy on tests, and don't share answers when helping someone on an assignment (share strategies, not answers). BEHAVIOR CONSEQUENCES Minor Misbehavior: (1) You will get a verbal warning. (2) Your seating assignment will be changed. For electronic devices, the device will be confiscated and returned to you after class. (3) You will have a conference with your teacher. (4) Your parent will be contacted. (5) You will be referred to your counselor and your parent will be contacted.

6 (6) You will be referred to an administrator for appropriate consequences and your parent will be contacted. Serious Misbehavior (as defined in your Student Handbook): You will be referred to an administrator for appropriate consequences and your parent will be contacted. Cheating: (1) You will get a zero on the assignment that you cheated on and your parent will be contacted. (2) You will be referred to an administrator for appropriate consequences and your parent will be contacted. Tardies: Class policy: any class activities that you miss due to a tardy may not be made up. School policy: School Messenger will phone your parents each time you are tardy. On your 5 th school-wide tardy, you will be called to a conference with an AP. On your 10 th school-wide tardy, you will be put on a DART Contract, lose your off-campus pass, and may be given detentions. On your 15 th school-wide tardy, you will lose the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities including athletics, athletic games, clubs, dances, field trips, etc. SAFETY Always wear safety goggles during lab experiments. Handle all equipment properly - if you don't know how to use something, ask for help. Report any accident, injury or emergency to Mr. Moehnke or Mrs. Shade at once. At the end of each period, clean off your table and return all equipment to where you got it.

CLASS EXPECTATIONS Respect yourself, the teacher & others 2. Put forth your best effort at all times Be prepared for class each day

CLASS EXPECTATIONS Respect yourself, the teacher & others 2. Put forth your best effort at all times Be prepared for class each day CLASS EXPECTATIONS 1. Respect yourself, the teacher & others Show respect for the teacher, yourself and others at all times. Respect others property. Avoid touching or writing on anything that does not