Course Structure

Grade Structure

Grades for all classes at Tates Creek High School will be computed according to the following breakdown...

50% Category 1

daily work (e.g. warm-up, participation, lab)

formative in nature

50% Category 2

long-term assignments (e.g. lab report, Web HW)

assessments (e.g. exam, practicum)

summative in nature

Exams, Practicums and Quizzes

Exams will be administered at the conclusion of each chapter, topic or unit. A variety of multiple choice and open response problems will appear on each exam. Students will work individually on every exam but may use a graphing calculator and a single 3" x 5" equation card. (IB students may use the IB Data Booklet.) Students who miss an exam due to an excused absence must take a makeup exam before school (7:00 AM) on the specified makeup date.

Practicums will generally be administered just before exams in non-IB classes. Students will work with their lab group members on every practicum and may use their texts, notes, labs, calculators and equation cards. Practicums require students to predict what will happen in a very specific physical scenario. Following submission, the predictions will be tested. Generally, predictions within 5-10% of the actual result will get full credit; predictions outside this range will receive no credit. Practicums are usually worth about 10% of the unit exam. Students who miss a practicum due to an excused absence must makeup the practicum before school (7:00 AM) on the specified makeup date.

Quizzes may be given on occasion, both announced and unannounced. Generally quizzes are worth about 20% of unit exams. Students who miss a quiz due to an excused absence will receive the same percentage for the quiz they receive on the following unit exam.

Lab Reports, Homework and Projects

Students will generally design and conduct at least one major experiment during each unit and often several smaller investigations. The experiments make use of computer interfaced probes and require the use of graphing software for data analysis. Students will work in small groups to investigate the phenomenon and must explain their findings and conclusions to the class. During the experiment students should keep a personal copy of all data collected.
Students who miss a lab experiment due to an excused absence should report before school on the day they return to complete the experiment.
Homework assignments will be given daily. Students are encouraged to work together on homework assignments with the goal of understanding how to work the problems. Written assignments may be checked for completion, accuracy or both. Students will present solutions to homework problems in class to stimulate discussion and provide clarity. A web-based homework assignment will generally be given for each unit. This requires students to download the assignment, work out solutions to the problems and return to the web to submit answers.

Projects may be assigned from time to time. These may include writing pieces, building an apparatus or taking part in an activity. While class time will not be provided for projects, students will have about a month to complete each one. Given the time allotted, projects are expected to be well done. Students are encouraged to use the allotted time wisely and not procrastinate!Projects may be submitted early but will not be accepted late for any reason! IF YOU ARE ABSENT FOR ANY REASON THE DAY A PROJECT IS DUE, YOU MUST HAVE SOMEONE SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT ON YOUR BEHALF!

Warm-ups and Participation

For non-IB classes, a short warm-up quiz will be given during the first few minutes of nearly every class meeting. The warm-up will generally include topics from the previous class meeting or the reading assignment. Students who are absent are expected to take the current warm-up quiz with everyone else the day they return to class. (It is in the student's best interest to talk to a lab group member or check the course history page to see what was missed before returning to class!) Students with an excused absence will be given an omit for any warm-up quiz they miss.

Learning physics requires active participation from students and points will be awarded daily. Students lose participation points when they are unprepared for class, fail to clean up their lab area, interrupt other students or are otherwise off task. Additional points may be earned for insightful questions or unique solutions. Students who are absent for any reason will not get any participation points for that class meeting. In the case of an excused absence, students may makeup their participation points by coming to class before school for half the number of minutes missed and working on physics. This must be done within the board-specified time for make-up work.

Other Items of Interest

Computers

The physics lab computers are available for physics students with valid TCHS accounts to use before school (7:30 - 8:20 AM) and after school (3:20 - 4:00 PM) every day, unless Mr. Gill has a meeting. Additional time may be arranged if needed. Remember, the Acceptable Use Policy remains in effect for these machines as well!

Lab Area

Students should not bring food, drink or chairs into the lab portion of the classroom. Drawers and cabinets are to remain closed and students should not sit on the lab counters. While physics equipment may be more durable than glassware, it may still be damaged if mistreated. Students are expected to pay for any lab equipment they damage or lose.

Hall passes

Hall passes are reserved for emergency use only. Students should not expect to leave class regularly.

"The Black Flag"

If the black flag is standing, pick up a handout upon entering the room.

End of Class

Students are not to leave their area (either desk or lab station) and line up at the door before the bell. Class lasts from opening bell to closing bell...and beyond! All students should push their chairs under the table when leaving class. Fourth block students must put all chairs on tables immediately after the dismissal bell.

Class Rules

All school rules will be enforced! Students are expected to treat each other with respect and behave responsibly.