Syllabus for the Winter Term Physics course 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 winter, we will focus on rotational mechanics, including circular
motion, center of gravity, torque, rotational inertia, and angular momentum.
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
Portable Building
Room #530
Meeting Times
B Block: M, Tu, W, F
E Block: M, Tu, W, Th
Extra Help:
by appointment
Contact Info
justinjoslin@
waterfordschool.org
Office Room #351
CIRCULAR MOTION
We will learn how to
describe and measure
the motion of objects
moving in circular paths
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GRAVITATION
We will learn how
planetary objects
interact and how
gravity affects time.
2
THERMODYNAMICS
We will learn how heat
is transferred and how
energy tends to
become disordered.
3
MR JOSLIN WINTER TERM 2019
Course Syllabus
Information and expectations for Conceptual Physics

2. CONCEPTUAL 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:
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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
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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.

3. CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LOGIN TO CANVAS FOR MORE INFORMATION
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. (~20 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)
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Quizzes
20%
Warm Ups
10%
Problem
Sets
25%
Midterm
Exam
10%
Final Exam
20%
Projects
& Labs
15%
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
Your final grade will
be weighted according
to the listed categories
and rounded to the
nearest whole
number.
FINAL GRADE
Please refer to my
schedule to schedule
extra help. I am often
available in Rm 312
during lunch or before
school.
EXTRA HELP

4. CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS LOGIN TO CANVAS FOR MORE INFORMATION
Scope and Sequence
Following is a proposed schedule of the topics we will discuss and the major
assignments to be completed in the Winter Term.
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Week 1 - Circular Motion
CHAPTER 9: What is the difference between centripetal and centrifugal force? Does centrifugal force
even exist? By manipulating these forces, we could actually create “gravity” in space ships.
Week 2 - Center of Gravity
CHAPTER 10: Consider that the the gravitational force on your toes is slightly stronger than the force
on your ears. Finding the center of gravity of an objet helps us simplify calculations involving gravity.
Week 3 - Rotational Mechanics
CHAPTER 11: Why is it easier to turn open a door by pushing on the handle rather than pushing on the
middle of the door? Why are wrench handles long? The answer is torque!
Week 4 - Universal Gravitation
CHAPTER 12: Space and time are not a flat plane; they are warped. Because of this, we have gravity,
and every object with mass in the universe is connected to every other object of mass in the universe!
Week 5 - Gravitational Interactions
CHAPTER 13: You probably know that the moon affects the tides of the ocean on Earth. But why do we
have two high tides everyday instead of just one?
Week 6 - Satellite Motion
CHAPTER 14: Why does the moon circle the Earth at all? Does the Earth really move in a circle around
the sun or is it some more complicated path?
Week 7 - Special Relativity
CHAPTERS 15-16: Have you seen Interstellar? Why does the main character’s daughter age so much
while he is way, but he doesn’t?
Week 8-9 - Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics
CHAPTERS 21, 22, & 24: Eventually, the universe will become a cold, dark, uninhabitable place. Why?
Because all energy will eventually become disorganized and unuseful through entropy.
Week 10 - Independent Project (if time allows)
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.