AP Physics 1 Syllabus
Michael Clarkston
707-863-7950 ext. 2803
michaelc@fsusd.org
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to offer students interested in physics the opportunity to take
the A.P. Physics Examination and to pursue more advanced topics. Following Advanced Placement guidelines,
the course is designed after an introductory college physics course, using a college-level text. Many colleges
use the grade assigned on the A.P. Examination as a basis for placement and credit decisions. Students explore
principles of Newtonian mechanics (including rotational motion); work, energy, and power; mechanical waves
and sound; and introductory, simple circuits. The course is based on six Big Ideas, which encompass core
scientific principles, theories, and processes that cut across traditional boundaries and provide a broad way of
thinking about the physical world. The following are Big Ideas:
• Objects and systems have properties such as mass and charge. Systems may have internal structure.
• Fields existing in space can be used to explain interactions.
• The interactions of an object with other objects can be described by forces.
• Interactions between systems can result in changes in those systems.
• Changes that occur as a result of interactions are constrained by conservation laws.
• Waves can transfer energy and momentum from one location to another without the permanent
transfer of mass and serve as a mathematical model for the description of other phenomena.
Grading: Every other week, students will take A.P. style test questions to coincide with topics being reviewed
along with past materials. Grades will be averaged from formal assessment scores (70%), lab reports (20%) and
an “active learning” grade (10%). Since all tests and quizzes are timed on the A.P. format, scores will be
assigned to tests according to an A.P. scale.
Tests will be given on specific days throughout the year and may cover more than one topic or even occur mid
topic. Tests will increase in size for each test until the 5 th test when students will take an exam equal to the
length of the actual AP Physics 1 exam.
Due Dates
Test Dates
Lab Notebook
September 10th
September 11th
October 22nd
October 23rd
December 17th
December 15th
February 11th
February 12th
th
April 9
April 7th
*Following the AP exam there will be a final project that will count for the final exam. All work for the project
will be documented in the lab notebook and turned in for credit upon completion of the project.
Labs: Labs are a frequent part of the course. Labs must be completed in a quad-ruled comp book and must be
done in blue or black ink. A good lab book can do wonders when colleges are looking at what units you
should get. ALL LABORATORY DATA MUST BE REVIEWED AND SIGNED BY THE INSTRUCTOR AT
THE END OF CLASS ON THE DAY OF THE LAB. NO SIGNATURE WILL BE GIVEN OUT UNTIL A
GROUP HAS CLEANED UP…NO SIGNATURE EQUALS NO CREDIT. Labs can be made up/ completed
during any tutorial (1st - 4th periods) for up to one week after the lab is completed in class. It is the student’s
responsibility to find a lab partner to complete the lab with if they were absent. NEGATIVE
LABORATORY BEHAVIORS WILL RESULT IN POINT REDUCTIONS MARKED INTO THE
LABORATORY JOURNAL.
Tutorial : Failure to be productive will result in a loss of active learning points (see below). Students will be
REQUIRED to form study groups and work together on posed physics problems. Only students with evidence
of an upcoming exam/ project can be excused from this, but they must be working in groups on their other
assignment. Only students with an A or B will be released from tutorial to another teacher.
“Active Learning” Grade Specifications: During the course of the year all students will be expected to take an
active role in ensuring that they are achieving mastery of target goals for the class. In order to successfully
learn students will need to: produce work (homework and classwork), reflect on completed work, take Cornell
notes, read and outline text, participate in class discussions, along with other classroom activities provided to
promote learning.
The “active learning” portion of the grade will be determined using an online website/ mobile device
application called CLASSDOJO. The application tracks classroom activities quickly during the day and assigns
positive or negative scores for classroom behaviors. Students can download the application and receive
notifications of all behaviors (positive or negative). Parents also have the option of creating an account on
classdojo.com. From there they will be emailed a weekly report of every behavior that has been logged for
their student. Parents/ Students will need to email the class instructor for their student’s code in order to link
up to the teacher’s account
Assigned Class Behaviors
Positive
Innovation – Production of a method/solution that
shows a higher level of learning. This can occur
classwork or laboratory work.
Negative
Not Reflecting – Accounts for all class activities
where we are reviewing student work (class,
home, tests, etc.)
Persistence – Physics will not always click the first
time. Students who go above and beyond to
show that they are trying to achieve mastery will
be rewarded.
Not Producing Work – Incompletion of the proper
amount of classwork and/or homework
Academic Breakthrough – Reserved for students
who “turn a corner” in the class.
Wasting Time – This can be class time or in
tutorial.
Other – Any other behavior that negatively
impacts a student’s learning, or the learning of
others.
Other - Any other behavior that positively
impacts a student’s learning, or the learning of
others.
“Active Learning” in the final grade calculation - Behaviors (both positive and negative) are totaled in the
system as either +1 or -1. At the end of the semester the grade for the “Active Learning” category will be
calculated as follows:
(5 X # of class days – # of negative points)/(5 X # of class days) X 100 = score
EX: If there are 65 class days in the semester and a student has a -12 the student would receive an 81.54% in the grading
category.
((5 X 65)-12)/(5 X 65) X 100 = 96.31
This grade will be updated in the computer on the Friday prior to the end of the grading period and will be
reset at the beginning of each grading period. Students will not be allowed to achieve more than a perfect
score in this category.
Reading documents in AP Physics (probably all of school) is critical. In order to prove that you have read this
document and receive full credit on this assignment you must participate in a non-choreographed dance
exactly 10 minutes during our next class. Thriller by Michael Jackson will begin playing and the dance from
his epic music video will be your inspiration (you might need to do some youtube research if you are not
familiar with these moves). Please do NOT spread the word if you have actually read this.
Extra Credit: There is one opportunity for extra credit during each semester. It is an all or nothing extra credit
opportunity. For a student to earn the 2% extra credit they must meet all of the following requirements:
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NO tardies
NO copying/ cheating on assignments or assessments
NO use of bathroom passes
Absences: Many demo’s, lectures and activities will occur during class that will help students retain concepts.
It is the student’s responsibility to make up as much of the class work as possible when they return from
absences. Many times there will be things that CAN NOT be made up, but will not directly affect a student’s
grade.
Class Materials (brought to class every day)
 Method for organizing homework and class activities (I recommend a bound lined notebook but
anything that works for you is fine with me)
 Pencil and blue pen or black pen.
 Scientific or Graphing Calculator (be sure it is approved for the AP exam)
 Quad-ruled Comp Book (Staples #11624, Mead #09127, or Tops #63786; No spirals or perforations for
tear out.)
You can leave your Class Text: Physics, 6th edition, Giancoli [Pearson, 2005] at home every day unless you are
going to need it outside of AP physics class time.
Please detach and turn in the second day of class.
I _______________________ have read and understand all the material in the syllabus.
(please print student’s name)
__________________________ ____________
Signature
Date
I _______________________ have read and understand all the material in the syllabus.
(please print parent’s name)
__________________________ ____________
Signature
Questions/ Comments/ Concerns:
Date