MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Physics
Authored by: Jennifer Freeman, Luis Largo, Carole Rawding
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Tom Paterson
K12 Supervisor of Science and Technology
Date: Fall 2012
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Linda Gilbert
Shade Grahling
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I.
OVERVIEW
This laboratory-based course is designed to provide students a comprehensive study of physics as it describes
the natural world. This course offers a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to the study of physics. Emphasis is
placed on real-world investigations that encourage the active participation of all students in order to build
upon their existing knowledge of relationships in the physical environment. Students will participate in
activities that serve to introduce, illustrate and reinforce concepts. Students will study the major topics of
physics each contained within thematic units. The units include motion and forces, momentum and energy,
heat, electricity and magnetism, waves and sound, and light.
II.
RATIONALE
Physics concepts are fundamental to all of the sciences. This course is designed to give the students an
opportunity to explore these underlying concepts as they apply to their everyday experiences. Upon
completion of the course, the student will have the ability to more fully describe, discuss and explain many
phenomena. Students learn how the ideas they study in physics can be used in concert with the ideas of the
other sciences. Students also learn how physics can help to promote new technologies. Students will learn to
collaborate through the use of teams. Students develop reasoning power through problem solving supported
by algebra-based mathematics. They increase their ability to communicate clearly when explaining results and
relationships and improve their ability to be good citizens of both the global community and their own local
community. The content of this course provides a broad-based overview of the major topics of physics.
III.
STUDENT OUTCOMES (Linked to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards listed below)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Students should describe and utilize the laws of motion (5.2)
Students should gain an understanding of the relationships between forces, momentum and energy
transformations (5.2)
Students should gain an understanding of interrelationships of matter and energy (5.2)
Students should develop an understanding of the behaviors of matter in different phases (5.2)
Students should gain an understanding of the various modes of energy transfer and utilization (5.2)
Students should relate the study of physics with the ideas of the other sciences (5.1)
Students should learn, recognize and use the basic technical vocabulary of physics. (5.2)
Students should develop the background and curiosity to appropriately use scientific equipment in and
out of the laboratory
Students should develop science process skills of recording and reporting experiences and
information, evaluating conclusions, weighing evidence and recognizing that arguments may not have
equal merit (5.1)
Students should develop and apply basic mathematics skills useful in collecting and analyzing
scientific observations, as tools for problem solving, as a means of expressing relationships among
physical quantities, and for scientific modeling both on paper and utilizing a scientific
calculator/computer (5.1)
Students should use technology to retrieve, process, and communicate information as a tool to
enhance scientific learning (5.1)
Students should participate in a collaborative design project to propose and implement a solution and
evaluate to each solution to find the best solution within given constraints (5.1)
Students should learn to pose questions and seek answers to the science issues in the world around
them to (5.1)
Students should relate science process skills to the planning and fulfillment of career life roles
Students should recognize the role of the scientific community in responding to changing social and
political conditions
Students should examine the lives and contributions of important scientists and engineers of various
cultures who affected major breakthroughs in our understanding of the physical world
NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards referenced above
5.1 Science Practices: All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an
evidence-based, model-building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge.
The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must
acquire to be proficient in science.
5.2 Physical Science: All students will understand that physical science principles, including
fundamental ideas about matter, energy, and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense
of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science.
IV.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND
LITERACY IN SCIENCE
Reading
Students will:
1.
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the
precise details of explanations or descriptions.
2.
Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a
complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.
3.
Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks, attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the
text.
4.
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they
are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.
5.
Analyze the structure of the relationships among concepts in a text, including relationships among key
terms (e.g., force, friction, reaction force, energy).
6.
Analyze the author’s purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an
experiment in a text, defining the question the author seeks to address.
7.
Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a
table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation)
into words.
8.
Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a
recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.
9.
Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own
experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.
10. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9–10 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
Students will:
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while
pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a disciplineappropriate form and in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and
concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and
between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument
presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
a. Introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important
connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures,
tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s
knowledge of the topic.
c. Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.]
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic
and convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely
readers.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
f.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
3. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate
to task, purpose, and audience.
4. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
5. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display
information flexibly and dynamically.
6. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self
generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
7. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate
information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
8. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
9. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
V.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND CONTENT
Linear Motion
 How can we analyze motion with constant velocity using multiple representations?
 How can we analyze motion with constant acceleration using multiple representations?
 What are the differences between motion with constant velocity and constant acceleration?
Forces and Newton’s Laws
 How do you identify different types of forces and the factors that affect them?
 How is the motion of an object affected by balanced forces versus unbalanced forces?
 How is the force one object exerts on another related to the force exerted on the first object?
Vectors
 How are some physical quantities affected by direction?
 How do you add vector quantities?
Motion in Two Dimensions
 How can we analyze projectile motion using multiple representations?
 How do you identify different types of forces that keep an object in circular motion?
Impulse and Momentum
 How does impulse change the momentum of a given system?
 How can the Law of Conservation of Momentum be used to analyze collisions?
Work and Mechanical Energy
 How does work change the energy of a given system?
 How do you identify different types of mechanical energy and the factors that affect them?
 How can the Law of Conservation of Energy be used to analyze closed systems?
Heat
 How are heat, internal energy and temperature different?
 How does the addition or subtraction of heat energy affect the phase of matter?

How do you analyze the change in temperature of a system when heat is added or taken away?
Electrostatics
 How can you charge an object and how do charged objects interact with each other?
 How does electrical force compare to gravitational force?
Electric Circuits
 How do you set up an electric circuit so electric current can flow?
 What is the relationship between electric current, resistance and voltage?
 How can you differentiate between circuits in series and circuits in parallel?
Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction
 What are sources of magnetic fields?
 How can you describe magnetic forces and their effect on other objects?
 How can magnetism be used to generate electric current and how can electricity be used to induce a
magnetic field?
Waves and Sound
 What is the motion of a simple vibrating system?
 What are wave types, properties, and interactions?
 What are the properties and behaviors of sound waves?
Light
 What are the properties of visible light and other electromagnetic radiation?
 How does light interact with various optical devices?
Independent and Team Research/Design Projects
 What brainstorming can be done to reach a solution to an engineering design challenge?
 What design and building processes can be used to create a solution to a given problem?
 What troubleshooting and analysis can be done on a project?
 How can the operation of a system be maximized?
 How can the process of engineering design be fully reported?
 How can you work collaboratively to accomplish engineering design projects?
Laboratory and Experimental Situations
 What approach can be taken to solve a problem scientifically?
 What equipment and technology can be chosen to best investigate a particular problem?
 What are various methods of presenting laboratory results?
 How can you work collaboratively to perform, refine, and interpret laboratory investigations?
General Science Skills
 How can measurements be taken within SI units?
 How are physical quantities converted into appropriate units?
 How do you solve a scientific equation for the unknown variable?
 How do you use a scientific calculator to find mathematical solutions?
 How can the errors in a scientific experiment be minimized?
 How do you represent experimental data in graphical form?
 How can you interpret graphs for physical meaning?
 How can you make a best-fit line and determine the slope and mathematical model of the relationship
between the variables?
 How can you compare predictions to experimental outcomes?
Additional Topics (as time permits)
 How is center of gravity related to balance?
 How can torque be used to change the rotation of an object or to maintain rotational equilibrium?
 What is relativity?
 What are current topics being researched in physics?
 What is the relationship between nuclear forces, mass, and energy transformation?
 How can human energy consumption be adapted to incorporate green technology?
 How can buoyancy and Bernoulli’s Principle be explained with fluid behaviors?
 How can simple machines be used to make work easier?
VI.
STRATEGIES
Development of concepts takes place in thematic units. Each unit is designed around laboratory experiences,
hands-on activities and collaborative learning stations. Students use inquiry-based labs to explore conceptual
themes. Introduction of applications early in the teaching of topics is applied to help students form their
understanding. Demonstrations, software and internet-driven computer simulations and interactions are
utilized to encourage student engagement to discover, apply and verify, and extend concepts. Problem solving
situations using multiple representations are created for students to develop the ability to interpret, analyze
and solve authentic problems. Problems are also presented to allow students to design and interpret their own
experiments. Both group and individual problem solving time is utilized. Students learn to develop models to
represent their understanding. Assessment of student learning, both formative and summative, is approached
to fully value each student’s abilities.
VII.
EVALUATION
May include:
 Individual and group projects
 Journals or notebooks
 Graded classwork and homework
 Student presentations
 Lab reports and lab practicals
 Performance Assessments
 Quizzes and tests
 Midterm and final exams
VIII.
TECHNOLOGY INFUSION
May include:
 SmartBoards
 Laptops
 Smart Response System
 High speed digital video
 YouTube video analysis
 Smartphones and tablet applications
 Data collection computer interfacing
 Web-based simulations
IX.
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Textbook for course: Conceptual Physics by Paul Hewitt
X.
SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Linear Motion (5 Cycles)
1.
2.
Motion with constant velocity
a. Motion and reference frames
b. Displacement
c. Velocity
d. Graphic representations
Motion with constant acceleration
a. Changes in velocity
b. Acceleration
c. Graphic representations
Forces and Newton’s Laws (4 Cycles)
1. Types of forces:
a. Gravitational force
b. Normal force
c. Tension force
d. Force of friction
e. Force of a spring
2. Inertia and balanced forces
a. Unbalanced forces and accelerated
motion
b. Newton’s Laws of Motion
Vectors (2 Cycles)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vector characteristics
Vector physical quantities
Vector components
Vector addition
Motion in Two Dimensions (3 Cycles)
1. Projectile motion
a. Freefall
b. Vertical launch
c. Horizontal launch
d. Angled launch
2. Circular motion
a. Tangential velocity
b. Centripetal acceleration
c. Centripetal force
Impulse and Momentum (3 Cycles)
1. Impulse changes momentum
2. Conservation of Momentum
a. Elastic collisions
b. Inelastic collisions
c. Explosions
Work and Mechanical Energy (3 Cycles)
1. Work and power
2. Types of mechanical energy
a. Gravitational potential energy
b. Kinetic energy
c. Elastic potential energy
3. Work-Energy Theorem
4. Conservation of Energy
Heat (4 Cycles)
1. Temperature
2. Internal energy
3. Heat transfer
a. Expansion
b. Change in temperature
c. Specific heat
4. Change of state
a. Heat of fusion
b. Heat of vaporization
Electrostatics (3 Cycles)
1. Electric charge
a. Charging methods
b. Conservation of charge
2. Electric interactions
a. Electric force
b. Electric field
Electric Circuits (3 Cycles)
1. Electric current
2. Ohm’s law
3. Electric circuits
a. Circuits in series
b. Circuits in parallel
Magnetism and Electromagnetic Induction (4
Cycles)
1. Magnetic fields
a. Permanent magnets
b. Moving charges
c. Electric current carrying wires
2. Forces caused by magnetic fields
3. Electromagnetic induction
Waves and Sound (4 Cycles)
1. Simple vibrating system
a. Oscillating pendulum
b. Mass-spring systems
2. Types of waves
a. Transverse vs. longitudinal waves
b. Mechanical vs. electromagnetic waves
3. Wave properties and interactions
4. Properties and behavior of sound waves
Light (4 Cycles)
1.
2.
3.
Properties of electromagnetic radiation
Reflection and mirrors
Refraction and lenses
Independent and Team Research/Design
Projects (Interspersed throughout year)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Project design
Construction
Portfolio
Evaluation
Research special topics in physics
Laboratory and Experimental Situations
(Interspersed throughout year)
Experimental design and methods
Instrument selection and use
Representation and organization of
observations
4. Data analysis and interpretation
5. Generation of future questions
6. Result presentation
1.
2.
3.
General Science Skills (Interspersed throughout
year)
1. Metric system
a. Fundamental SI units
b. Unit conversion
2. Graphing
a. Components of a proper graph
b. Best-fit line
c. Determining slope
3. Scientific calculator operation
4. Algebra skills
5. Identification of possible sources of error
Additional Topics (as time permits)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Torque and rotation
Center of gravity
Simple machines
Special behaviors of matter
Relativity
Nuclear energy
Green technology
Current research topics in physics