<fsintr02.doc>jlt03 FRESHMAN SCIENCE PHYSICS -- INFORMATION & GUIDELINES 2003
Welcome to Freshman Science Physics. As you probably (hopefully?) already know, this is a single quarter adventure that fits into a full year science survey additionally comprising 1 quarter each of chemistry, biology, and computer literacy. You will normally have a different teacher and room for each quarter. Your sequence of teachers and subjects is encoded in your schedule. The room number is where you will report each day for the first quarter. Subsequent room changes will be announced in class.
Example:
FRESHMAN SCIENCE TA/BR/ER/LE T106 means:
1st Q: Mr. TAska (physics in T106)
2nd Q: Ms. BR
uining (chemistry in T104)
3rd Q: Ms. ERaci (Biology in T116)
4th Q: Mr. LEszczynski (computer literacy in ACC lab)
Freshman Physics focuses on several fundamentals of Newtonian
Mechanics and is both interesting and challenging.
The philosophy here is to get the student interested physics while developing/improving the basic problem solving skills and lab techniques required in a full-year course. Benet's Freshman Science program is far from being characterized as "blow-off"; success follows those who develop daily disciplined and methodical study habits.
The text is conceptual and reads very easily. The text is supplemented with daily numerical problem handouts that support the concepts studied. Good note taking is essential since the book does not provide examples of numerical problem solution. The math involved is very basic algebraic manipulation and linear graphing. Testing covers the understanding of the concepts as presented in the book and in class as well as the numerical applications.
Please be:
On time and with your materials;
Dressed in accordance with the dress code;
Aware that others deserve your patience and respect.
Attendance:
Good attendance is generally pointed to as the number 1 indicator of success in school. Each day of class is important, particularly since each
discipline is studied for only 9 weeks. Each day represents more than 2% of the subject. Missing class is serious business and requires responsible actions. The absent student must obtain (not during class
time) the daily notes from a reliable classmate - the material is not "retaught" during help sessions.
Other particulars are noted below. You are responsible for your own makeup work - reminders should not be necessary.
Help Sessions:
The HELP schedule will be posted during the first week of school for your benefit.
Both Mr. Taska and Mrs. Russ will have weekly help sessions for Freshmen Physics. Feel free to attend either or both. Help can also be obtained from Mr. Szorc (Sr. Physics teacher), your math teachers, and NHS tutors.
Materials supplied by Benet:
- Text: Conceptual Physics by Hewitt (to be returned at end of quarter)
- Problem handouts and lab handouts
Materials supplied by student:
- 3-ring binder/notebook for class notes & handouts (you do NOT need a lab book)
- Graph paper: 6-10 sheets
- Access to the usual supplies: paper, ruler, stapler, hole punch, etc.
- Scientific calculator (your own, with your name engraved, with the instruction booklet you've read)
(Note: the brand/price of calculator is not important in this class - acceptable models can be found for less than $10. However, the math department generally requires a particular graphing calculator – check with them.)
Grading:
Semester grade computation for semester comprising physics/chemistry:
50% physics, 50% chemistry (Note: there will be no semester exam covering both physics & chemistry.)
Despite the fact that Freshman Science is broken into mutually exclusive quarters, only the semester grade is recorded in the permanent student transcript. Since it is possible to pass one quarter but still fail the semester, the student should always be aware of his/her cumulative semester grade by appropriately weighting each of the two quarter components.
Weighting of activities within the Physics quarter alone depends on the teacher as well as how much material gets covered within the quarter. A rough but reasonable
approximation might be:
Labs and homework: 35%
Tests and quizzes: 50%
Quarter exam: 15%
Homework:
You should expect daily homework in the form of worksheets. Homework is due at the beginning of class the day following its assignment unless otherwise
specified. It will not be accepted late. If you are absent, you are responsible for finding out what the assignment is and doing it!
You will likely need to copy (not during class time) the notes of a reliable classmate. Reading is an important part of the course and should be approached with the same diligence applied to written homework. Outlining a chapter is an excellent study tool.
Homework assignments and announcements are posted on Mr. Taska's website at www.benet.org.
Tests:
Tests will be given at the end of each logical section/unit.
They will cover both vocabulary/concepts and numerical applications. If you are absent from school the day of the test, you should be prepared to make it up the following day after school or as arranged with your physics teacher. If you are absent the day before a test, you should still expect to take the test with the rest of the class, as usually no new material is presented the day before a test. Quizzes are given to verify progress as necessary and need not be announced ahead of time. Corrected tests are usually reviewed in class and then returned to and held by the teacher. There will be a quarter exam cumulative over the entire quarter given in the last week of the quarter. There is no cumulative semester exam.
Lab Reports:
Lab reports are due at the beginning of the class on the day specified. They are to be stapled ahead of time. Late lab reports will be penalized
roughly 1 letter grade for each day late. Labs that are incomplete or not turned in count as zero until the situation is remedied. You and your partner share data taking responsibilities in the lab, but you are EACH
responsible for turning in your own unique lab report. It is required that you each record the data during the lab so there is no problem writing your own report. If you are absent the day of the lab, you are responsible for
coming in and making up the lab, alone if necessary - you may NOT just use another person's data. It is possible to make up the lab after school as per arrangement with your teacher.
It is usually NOT possible to make it up during your study hall as the room is used for other classes. Lab report format will be discussed in class.
Notebooks:
Your notebook is for physics only.
A 3-ring binder/folder can hold everything. Put your NAME on it. (Spirals or pockets are NOT sufficient instances of a good notebook.) Your notes are valuable! Keep them neat, complete, dated, organized, and accessible. Don't take notes on the back of handouts or do homework on the back of your notes. All notebooks should contain:
1. All notes taken in class (DATED and in ink);
2. All homework assignments and class handouts;
3. All lab reports;
4. Any returned quizzes;
5. Any supplementary notes or materials (eg, chapter outlines, this sheet, ...).
The lab notebook may be collected randomly for grading based on completeness, organization, and neatness.
MAY THE (NET) FORCE BE WITH YOU