Mr. Nixon’s Physical Science Syllabus
Welcome to Mr. Nixon’s Physical Science class. I look forward to a great
year of using hands-on and minds-on inquiry to learn the basics of chemistry and
physics. This course is designed to give you a basic overview of both chemistry
and physics.
Course Overview
My Physical Science course usually meets 3-4 days a week for the entire year
depending on the rotating schedule. Each class usually lasts 55 minutes. Labs
take up about 30% of the total class instructional time during the regular class.
Course Texts
The course textbook is the Prentice Hall Physical Science Concepts in Action
book with the hand glider on it by Wysession, Frank, and Yancopoulos.
Students should be reading this book daily. Here is a picture of the book that
should be going home.
Here is a link to the textbook website that
will be a great resource for you.
http://www.phschool.com/science/
1. Click on Textbook Companion Sites
2. Choose Ohio and Physical Science
from the pull down menus and click
go.
3. Click on the picture of the book titled
Physical Science: Concepts in Action
with Earth and Space Science
Moodle Page
Please visit Mr. Nixon’s moodle page. I will put various assignments, notes, and
announcements on this page. The moodle page will also be a great resource for
students that are absent. I am very new to the moodle environment for my
classroom, so please be patient with me as I incorporate this amazing technology
into my biology class. The students will be trained on moodle in the first couple
weeks of school. Once all the students are trained, I will begin to use the Ottawa
Hills moodle site regularly.
Lecture Component
The lecture component of the class will include detailed power point notes with
various pictures, animations, and videos to complement the content. Students
will be given detailed outlines with blanks for them to fill in, and space for them to
add in any necessary comments or information from the lecture. Students will
also be asked to write responses concerning the short animations and videos.
Student Evaluation
Grades will be determined using a straight point system. Students will be
evaluated in 4 major areas including laboratory investigations, homework/class
activities, quizzes, and unit tests.
The standard school grading scale will be followed.
A 92-100
B 82-91
C 72-81
D 64-71
F below 64%
-
Tests will normally be worth 50-150 points
-
Quizzes will normally be worth 5-50 points
-
Labs, Activities, and Projects will be worth 10-75 points
-
Binder checks will be worth 10-50 points
****Special Notice About Tests****
Under no circumstances will any tests leave my classroom. Once students have
looked at their tests and have finished the test corrections, I will collect the tests
and keep them. If students would like to study their old tests, arrangements can
be made with Mr. Nixon to stay after school to view them. If parents or guardians
would like to view the test, please email me to set an appointment time.
Binders
All students must have a 3-ring binder filled with paper for this class. Notes,
Classroom Activities, Labs, Homework, and Tests and Quizzes will be stored in
an organized fashion in your binder. Dividers are strongly recommended to help
with organization. Random unannounced checks will result in 10-50 points per
check.
Other supplies needed include:
-
pens or pencils (no red ink)
-
book cover (3 bonus points for each book that is covered within 2 days of
receiving the book)
-
Markers, colored pencils, and/or crayons are strongly recommended.
-
calculator
What is New In Chemistry and Physics? (Assignment On Moodle)
Science is changing all the time. In order to be good students of science, we all
(including myself) must stay current with the new chemistry and physics
discoveries and research. Throughout the year, each and every student in my
physical science course will be responsible for finding an article on the internet
that describes a new discovery or research in chemistry and physics to share
with the class. The students will post the article to Mr. Nixon’s moodle page on
an assigned Sunday by midnight. The other students in the class are to find the
article, read the article, and post a comment on the moodle page about their
thoughts on the article by Friday morning at 8:00 am of the same week. The
article must be related to the current topic being discussed in class.
Teacher/Student/Parent Expectations
As the teacher:
1. I will be prepared and ready to teach each day’s lesson and make sure that
class time is used effectively to increase student performance.
2. I will be available to help students that are falling behind, become confused or
need extra help. Students can schedule appointments with me any day after
school. I prefer not to use before school as I use that time to prepare for class,
however, that is a possibility.
3. I will provide an atmosphere where it is fun to learn, open to new ideas and is
centered on the success of my students.
4. I will keep parents informed when a student is falling behind or having trouble.
As the student:
1. Your #1 goal in this goal in this class is to prepare for this course each and
everyday. Proper preparation is the key to success.
2. You are expected to ask questions when there is a problem in your ability to
understand the material.
3. You are expected to take care of all make-up work when you are absent. If
you miss a lab it must be made up after school within one week.
4. You are expected to be responsible for your own actions and take full
responsibility for your behavior.
5. You must realize that just because there in no written homework does not
mean there is no homework.
As parents:
1. Please let me know as soon as possible if your student is experiencing
problems in this class.
2. Make sure your student is bringing home their book and binder every night to
study.
3. Students in my classes have homework every night. Please make sure your
student takes time each night to study for this class. Please ask to see the
Biology Hints Sheet I passed out today.
4. If at anytime you have questions or concerns please e-mail or call me.
Scope and Sequence
The following scope and sequence is to be used as a guide for Mr. Nixon’s
physical science class. While this is the general direction I will take in the class, I
reserve the right to change this as needed. The first semester will cover all the
chemistry topics, and the second semester will cover all the physics topics for the
course.
Unit 1: Basic Introduction to Chemistry
Chapter 1: Science Skills
Chapter 2: Properties of Matter
Chapter 3: States of Matter
Unit 2: Atoms, Periodic Table and Bonds
Chapter 4: Atomic Structure
Chapter 5: The Periodic Table
Chapter 6: Chemical Bonds
Unit 3: Reactions and Solutions
Chapter 7: Chemical Reactions
Chapter 8: Solutions, Acids, and Bases
Unit 4: Motion and Forces
Chapter 11: Motion
Chapter 12: Forces and Motion
Chapter 13: Forces in Fluids
Unit 5: Work, Power and Energy
Chapter 14: Work, Power and Machines
Chapter 15: Energy
Chapter 16: Thermal Energy and Heat
Unit 6: Waves
Chapter 17: Mechanical Waves and Sound
Chapter 18: The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Light
Chapter 19: Optics
All rules and policies in the Ottawa Hills High School handbook are expected to
be followed at all times, as they will be enforced in the classroom. Failure to
follow classroom rules will result in appropriate disciplinary actions. Please take
special notice of the Ottawa Hills Local Schools dress code policy as it will be
strictly enforced at all times.
I am looking forward to an exciting year filled with great hands-on
activities, labs, projects, and inquiry-based learning. Please feel free to contact
me at Ottawa Hills High School at any time if you have any questions or
concerns or would like to set up a conference. The main office phone number is
419-534-5376.
Please sign and return this sheet to me as soon as possible.
Thank you for your support.
Mr. Nixon
Science Teacher
Ottawa Hills Junior Senior High School
419-534-5376 ext. *412
jnixon@ottawahillsschools.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I (student name) ____________________________ have read Mr. Nixon’s
Honors Biology Syllabus and understand what is expected of me in Biology
class.
Parent or Guardian Signature
X________________________________________
Student Signature
X________________________________________
Parent or Guardian Phone #
________________________________________
Parent or Guardian email
________________________________________