Syllabus for the spring term of Physics at the Waterford School.

1. Course Description
Conceptual Physics is a year long course designed to
introduce students to the concepts of classical and rotational
mechanics, gravitation, and electricity and magnetism.
This spring, we will focus on electromagnetism, including electrostatics,
electric fields, electricity, and magnetism. You will be asked to employ
algebra skills, although emphasis will be placed on conceptual
understanding of these topics. Concepts will be illuminated through various
demonstrations and individual projects.
Location
The Interwebs
(Maybe Room #350)
Meeting Times
B Block: M, Tu, W, F
E Block: M, Tu, W, Th
Extra Help:
by appointment
Contact Info
justinjoslin@
waterfordschool.org
The Interwebs
(Office Room #351)
ELECTRIC FIELDS
We will learn how
charged particles
behave with each other
and in electric fields.
1
ELECTRICITY
We will learn how the
flow of electrons can be
used to transform
energy and do work.
2
MAGNETISM
We will learn about the
behavior of magnets &
how magnetism and
electricity are related
3
MR JOSLIN SPRING TERM 2020
Course Syllabus
Information and expectations for Physics

2. PHYSICS LOGIN TO CANVAS FOR MORE INFORMATION
My Learning Philosophy
The world is a fascinating place full of
curiosities, both natural and engineered.
If we take time to appreciate these curiosities,
then we will naturally begin to ask questions.
Learning happens when we seek answers, both by finding and
evaluating new sources of information and by synthesizing this
information through a broad range of experiences.
We will all get out of this class what we put into it.
A great recipe for success is to make sure that we all live up to
the school’s Core Values each and every day. We can all hold
each other accountable, including you and me.
In an effort to help you have the best experience in this class, you can expect that I
will do the following:
2
EXCELLENCE
Demonstrated by arriving
on time and prepared, by
participating fully in class,
and by striving to master
all course concepts.
CURIOSITY
Demonstrated by taking
academic risks, by trying
new approaches and
techniques, and by being
willing to fail often.
RESPONSIBILITY
Demonstrated by being an
active group partner, by
seeking help when
needed, & by completing
all assignments on time.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
My role as a teacher is to
provide opportunities that will
“stimulate intellect, ignite
passion, and shape character”
in each of my students. I hope
to help you develop a passion
for life-long learning. As this is
an individual pursuit, I would
rather have you try and fail on
your own than rely on someone
else’s work. Please refer to the
Academic Honesty section of the
Student & Parent Handbook for
more details.
We ALL should
aspire to live
lives of
meaning and
purpose.
I WILL SHARE MY PASSION
FOR UNDERSTANDING
NATURAL AND ENGINEERED
PHENOMENA
3
I WILL ENCOURAGE ALL
STUDENTS TO CONFIDENTLY
ASK QUESTIONS AND TO TAKE
ACADEMIC RISKS
1
I WILL SHARE A VARIETY OF
RESOURCES FROM WHICH
STUDENTS CAN SEEK
ANSWERS
2
INTEGRITY & CARING
Demonstrated by
completing our own work,
by always being respectful
and kind, and by following
instructions.

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Policies
The following polices will be enforced.
Grading
Your overall grade will be weighted
using the following categories.
Warm Ups: short assessments to start class (5 pt)
Problems Sets: Weekly sets will include concept,
calculation, or discussion questions. (~15 pt)
Quizzes: Weekly quizzes will review material
from the previous problem set. (~15 pt)
Projects & Labs: Inquiry based activities to make
observations, collect data, & apply physics (50 pt)
Midterm & Final Exams: Comprehensive exams
for the first half and entire term. (100 pt)
3
SKILLS WE WILL PRACTICE
PROBLEM
SOLVING
CREATIVITY
SCIENTIFIC
INQUIRY
TECHNOLOGY
ORGANIZATION
CALCULATION
You can expect to
spend ~30 minutes
per class for HW.
Weekly problem sets
are generally due on
Wednesday.
HOMEWORK
There will be reading
assignments from the
textbook, but we will
not need the book in
class. The textbook
may be left at home.
TEXTBOOK
Late work will receive
a 10% penalty per
class day. If your HW
is 2 class days late,
the max score you can
earn is 80%.
LATE WORK
Laptops and tablets
may only be used in
class when you are
instructed to do so.
Phones will be left in
your backpacks.
TECHNOLOGY
Please refer to my
schedule to schedule
extra help. I am often
available in Rm 351
during lunch or before
school.
EXTRA HELP
Your final grade will
be weighted according
to the listed categories
and rounded to the
nearest whole
number.
FINAL GRADE
Quizzes
20%
Warm Ups
10%
Problem
Sets
25%
Midterm
Exam
10%
Final Exam
20%
Projects
& Labs
15%

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Scope and Sequence
Following is a proposed schedule of the topics we will discuss and the major
assignments to be completed in the Spring Term.
4
Weeks 1 to 2 - Electrostatics
CHAPTER 32: Why do you get shocked when you try to open a door after walking across a carpet? Why
do balloons stick to walls? Charged particles act just like magnets do.
Week 3 - Electric Fields
CHAPTER 33: Remember how any object of mass creates a gravitational field? It turns out that any
charged particle creates an electric fields, which applies a force on any other charged particle.
Week 4 - Electric Current
CHAPTER 34: We know that water always flows downhill (without work being done to it!). Well,
electrons always flow from “downhill” as well from ares of high potential to areas of low potential.
Weeks 5 to 7 - Electric Circuits
CHAPTER 35: Let’s face it, your life would be almost unimaginably different without electricity.
Electricity is considered to be the most important engineering feet of the 20th century. We’ll learn the
basics of how to control the flow of electrons in circuits to generate electricity.
Week 8 - Magnetism
CHAPTER 36: Magnets are fascinating. By now, you should recognize that magnetic forces are derived
from a magnetic field. How do these fields differ from gravitational and electric fields?
Week 9 - Electromagnetism
CHAPTER 37: Did you know that we can turn magnetism on and off with the flick of a switch? Electricity
and magnetism are so closely related that they are actually one entity, just like space-time!
Week 10 - Independent Project
Complete an independent creative project on a topic from a list of given options. Topics will be directly
related to what we have studied this term, but there will be latitude for individual interpretation.
Week 11 - Review
Reinforce previously learned concepts, practice problem solving, and general review for the final exam.