Best Practice High School

CONCEPTUAL PHYSICS FOR FRESHMAN

Lesson Plans

Week #1

• Checking in student equipment
• Book Assignments, Unit Descriptions
• Group Selection and Seating Chart
• Introduction and Laboratory Safety
• Syllabus, Rubrics and Expectations
• Science Fair and Parent Letter

WEEK #2

1ST SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Students First Day in Physics Block Schedule Math & Graphing Skills Test
2ND SESSION (Wed)	Student Inventory Evaluation (Science) a national questionnaire to learn students attitude towards science.
3RD SESSION (Thurs)	ìForce Concept Inventoryî; a national exam to pretest students level and proficiency in physics
4TH SESSION (Fri)	Steve Zemelman presentation on ìQuestioning Skillsî

WEEK #3

5TH SESSION (Mon)	Introduction, Graphing, Measurement, Conversions Short Lecture and introduction to labs
6TH SESSION (Tues - Thurs)	Students working in team groups on labs and writing lab reports
7TH SESSION (Fri)	Introduction to worksheets ìMeasuring Distanceî

WEEK #4

8TH SESSION (Mon - Wed)	Students will be introduced to Worksheet 1-1 Graphing and be given additional time to complete labs & White Boards
9TH SESSION (Thurs)	Students will be given a Bell Ringer #1 to help practice and learn graphing principles. Additional time will be given to allow students to finish their labs.
10TH SESSION (Fri)	Students will be given Bell Ringer #2 for further practice with graphing skills. Worksheet 3 will be explain giving example and allowing students time to practice in groups and give oral presentations at the end of the period.

WEEK #5

11TH SESSION (Mon - Wed)	Students will be given a Bell Ringer #1 to help practice and learn graphing principles. Additional time will be given to allow students to finish their labs. complete the 1st lab, ìVelocity, Distance, &Accelerationî (ticker tape).
12TH SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	Students will be given the 1st worksheet, giving sample problems and be given time to practice their skills and make an oral presentation (on white boards).

WEEK #6

13TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Students will be given the 2nd lab ìBall down the Ramp.î Students will design a lab to determine time, distance,velocity, & acceleration.
14TH SESSION (Thurs)	Students will be given lab time to complete the mini labs stationed in the room.
15TH SESSION (Fri)	Students will be given Worksheet 2-2 ìaccelerationî. Students will be given several examples and asked to complete the worksheet.

WEEK #7

16TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Bell Quiz; Discussion on the mini labs in the room and how to set them up. Also, students will be given another opportiunity to finish the mini-labs.
17TH SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	Bell Quiz; Worksheet 2-3; ìLinear Equationsî examples will be shown and time will be given for each student to complete the problems.

WEEK #8

18TH SESSION (Mon)	Bell Quiz; Discussion on the ìComputer Labî as a resource for the ìScience Fair Projectsî.
19TH SESSION (Tues)	Class session in the computer room. Students will be given HOU introduction and be given access to the computers. Students will learn how to access the HOU Programs.
20TH SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	Students will be given time to complete all mini-labs in the Unit #2; Worksheet 2-4 Velocity, Distance, Accleration. Graphing will be introduced. Students will be given an opportunity to complete the work.

WEEK #9

21ST SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Bell Quiz; Identification of slopes and sample worksheet work. Class presentation on worksheet 2-4 showing others how they worked out their problems in teams and prepare white boards.
22ND SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	Preparation for the final exam. Students are placed into groups to prep for exam.  Also students are given time to complete all mini-labs and worksheets.

WEEK #10

23RD SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Students are given 50 minutes to complete the Final Exam. The next day is to be spent completing Unit #2.
24TH SESSION (Thurs)	Unit # 3; Introduction; ìForces in Equilibriumî. Students will be introduced to mini labs set up in the classroom. The unit worksheet will be presented. and a time line established.
25TH SESSION (Fri)	Students will work on Lab -31; ìForce vs. Angleî. Students will create a lab format and graph to explain their findings. General applications will be established to explain examples in life.

WEEK #11

26TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Students will continue to complete the unit #3 Labs. We will start the Wrksht 3-2 Vectors and Equilibrium.
27TH SESSION (Thurs)	Bell Ringer - Practice adding vector and defining terms.
28TH SESSION (Fri)	Students will be given the end Bell Ringer for Unit #3. Students will be given the end worksheet and given practice time to complete worksheet.

WEEK #12

29TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Bell Ringer #4 ìVectorsî & complete lab ìComponents of îForcesî.
30TH SESSION	Notes in preparation for Unit #3 Test. Sample problems and group activities.

WEEK #13

31ST SESSION	Introduction to Unit 4; ìScience Fair.ì Students will be given current due dates and also strategies for completing the first 3 assignments.
32ND SESSION	Library references on 2nd Floor; Reading summary; Definitions for new terms in Unit #4.

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY! NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

 

WEEK #14

33RD SESSION	Notes for Unit #3 Test; Computer Lab Room 206
34TH SESSION	Test on Unit #3; ìVectors in Equilibriumî
35TH SESSION	HOU ìBrowser; in the Computer Lab Room 206

WEEK #15

36TH SESSION	Reading Summary #2, Internet Research, worksheet 4-2; ìTopic Choice.î
37TH SESSION	Bell Quiz #1; ìParts of the Science Projects.î Choosing 10 Labs to Reflect and  Evaluate
38TH SESSION	Bell Quiz #2; ìEvaluation of Previous Projects.î Completion of Research articles on the Internet. Worksheet 4-4

CHRISTMAS VACATION 2 WEEKS

 

WEEK #16

39TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Bell Quiz #3; ìHypothesis & Procedures to Project.î Research and Individualize help. Lab Reports.
40TH SESSION (Thurs -Fri)	Introduction to Unit #; ìNewtonís Laws.î Lecture and  brief description of 11 labs.

WEEK #17

41ST SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Unit #6 Newtonís Laws lab time. Data Collection and Graphs for Science Fair.
42ND SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	Student Centered Time to complete the portions of the Science Fair Project not completed to date & Unit #6 labs.
43RD SESSION	Student Centered Time to complete the portions of the Science Fair Project not complete to date. Individualized Help. Typing Abstract and Presentation Board.

WEEK #18

44TH SESSION (Mon - Tues)	Student Centered Time to complete the portions of the Science Fair Project not completed to date. Individualized Help. Typing Abstract and Presentation Board.
45TH SESSION (Thurs - Fri)	ìALL SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIRî (ALL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PRESENTATION AND EVALUATION OF THIER PROJECTS & SET UP TIME)

WEEK #19

46TH SESSION	Discussion about the evaluations and scores received in the Science Fair.  Students asked to share their feelings with the rest of the class. Discussion about the next steps in developing their projects. Introduction to the new topic; Unit #5; ìReflectionî
47TH SESSION	Students were given a copy of their final grade for the semester. Students given time to talk one-on-one with the teacher to discuss the evaluation given for the 1st Semester. Unit #5; Definitions and Reading Summary
48TH SESSION	Unit #5. Lab ìReflection in a Plane Mirror.î Students are prepped for the lab and begin working in groups of 2 to complete the Lab.

WEEK #20

Special Schedule: H.O.U. PRESENTATION
VIVIAN HOETTE, LEAD TEACHER
ADLER PLANETARIUM

 

WEEK #21

49TH SESSION	Unit #5 Mini Labs  5-3 -- 5-7. Students work in cooperative groups to complete the mini labs and hand in the lab reports.
50TH SESSION	Unit #5 Mini Labs Day II. Labs 5-3 -- 5-7. Students work in cooperative groups to complete the mini labs and hand in the lab reports.

WEEK #22

51ST SESSION	Unit #5; Lab ìReflection in a concave mirror.î Students are prepped for the lab and begin working in groups of 4 to complete the Lab.
52ND SESSION	Complete worksheet 1 and 2 for Unit #5. Reflection in a Concave Mirror and the 3 Rules for determining image point.
53RD SESSION	Unit #5 Last two days for mini-labs and completing worksheets. Possible ìWhite Boardî presentations.

WEEK #23

54TH SESSION	Unit #5 Last two days for mini-labs and completing worksheets. Possible ìWhite Boardî presentations.
55TH SESSION	Prep for final exam. Quick Bell Quiz and Review
56TH SESSION	FINAL EXAM Students complete a 100 point test to complete the unit.
57TH SESSION	Prep for New Unit Demonstration in Laser Technology.

WEEK #24

58TH SESSION	Students will be given the new unit sheet #8 and a brief description of the labs and schedule
59TH SESSION	Students first day working in Unit #8 ìRefractionî
60TH SESSION	Students second day working on Unit #8 ìRefractionî

WEEK #25

61ST SESSION	Lecture on the concepts found in ìRefractionî and how it extends the unit on reflection.
62ND SESSION	Video Presentation on ìReflection and Refractionî
63RD SESSION	Lecture #2 on the concepts found in ìRefractionî (ie. Speed changes in medium, T.I.R.)
64TH SESSION	Video Presentation on ìSpectrum and Color Mixingî

WEEK #26

65TH SESSION	Refraction Worksheet #1 & #2 Rules and Ray exercises; Finding image position.
66TH SESSION	Students work in project groups to complete lab work Students are reassigned seating and grouping.
67TH SESSION	Students groups work on white board problems and presentation.
68TH SESSION	Students will finish the lab work to be handed in on assigned due date.

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