Planned Instruction
Course: Advanced Placement (AP) Physics C
Standards:
3.1.A-E Unifying Themes
3.2.A-D Inquiry and Design
3.4.A-C Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics
Course Description:
The high school science program provides diverse experiences to account for differences in students’ interests and abilities. Common goals of the program include helping students develop as observers and problem-solvers who are equipped to cope in an increasingly complex scientific world. Each student will be actively engaged in thinking processes which include: observation, inquiry, communication, comparison, organization, relationships, inferences, and application. The high school science program emphasizes the depth of the concept over the breadth. The range of planned courses has been designed to interest and challenge all students, whether they will apply science literacy to everyday life as members of society or will enter the science profession as active participants.
AP Physics C is the study of mechanics, and will qualify the students to take the AP Physics Level C Mechanics test. In this advanced course, students will study and analyze motion, energy, forces, and momentum through the exploration of laboratory experiments, demonstrations, and mathematical derivations. An emphasis on the use of mathematics to describe the natural laws of the universe will be employed to further students’ knowledge. Students should have completed calculus as a prerequisite as they will use calculus to derive and solve formulas and problems. The students will design some of their own experiments as well as perform the more classical experiments suggested by the College Board. This course is designed for students interested in a scientific or technical career such as engineering or architecture. Students will need to complete additional study outside of class to prepare for the National College Board AP test.
Specific and measurable objectives directly related to the academic standards to be achieved by students:
Specific objectives for this course are stated as benchmarks for the standards in the District
HS Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics Scope and Sequence document.
Content to be used to reach objectives:
The study of Mechanics including scientific method, measurement, one, two, and three dimensional motion, forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion, work and energy, momentum, rotational motion, gravitation, rotational dynamics, and harmonic motion.
Materials:
Sears and Zemansky’s University Physics, Addison-Wesley; 2000AP Physics Mechanics C released exams
Pasco Scientific Probeware
DataStudio
ScienceWorkshop
Technology ( Internet based visualizations, Microsoft office, Inspiration, web resources)
Material for laboratory experiments and classroom demonstrations
Meter sticks, stopwatches, timers, calculators
Physics based videos
Safety goggles, safety posters
Instructional Activities:
Teacher generated activities, worksheets/written response sheets, science notebooks, laboratory experiments, and classroom demonstrations, will be utilized to teach the above content areas.
Estimated instructional time to be devoted to achieving objectives:
144 days (3 days per week of 46-48 minute periods, 1 day per week of 92-96 minutes).
In addition, outside of class independent work is required to achieve all objectives.
Procedure for measurement of student progress on the objective:
Students’ progress will be monitored through lab reports, tests, and homework. Students will also be monitored through a midterm and final exam.
An explanation of how student grades will be determined:
A student’s grade will be determined through a minimum of 5 assessments per marking period. The assessments will vary in weight and will be used collectively to calculate each marking period grade.
May 2005 UMTSD