Friday, January 15, 2010
Monday, October 19, 2009
Measurement Lab Reports
Reminder-
Please email me the labs Questions and Data Tables for the Mass vs Height, Height vs. Distance, Angle vs Speed, and the Spring loaded car labs from 2 weeks ago. Thanks
Please email me the labs Questions and Data Tables for the Mass vs Height, Height vs. Distance, Angle vs Speed, and the Spring loaded car labs from 2 weeks ago. Thanks
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Stuff for Studying
Put Hewitt Chapter 1 online, made notes for Theory vs Hypothesis ( don't work yourselves up too much about that). Will be making CD-Rom copy of Hewitt Conceptual Physics for all of you, along with another CD of Holt Physics. You will be getting an official textbook this week also, which we will use to parrallel our more exploratory work.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
USING THE OUTLINES AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE
Please note the expected schedule for the next couple of days. We need to finish the current unit. I would like you to start review for the chapter test next week- the test date has been postponed several times, but we have to accomplish it and move on.
I will be attending the NJSTA science convention on Tuesday and Wendsday- I will NOT be in school, but I expect that you will be able to take the test regardles. The unit outlines on my website, as are the objectives, which are what I will expect you to know. You will have assignments to help you review.
I would like to begin posting questions you have about the material for this upcomming test HERE as comments for this post, and I will answer them for you.
I will be attending the NJSTA science convention on Tuesday and Wendsday- I will NOT be in school, but I expect that you will be able to take the test regardles. The unit outlines on my website, as are the objectives, which are what I will expect you to know. You will have assignments to help you review.
I would like to begin posting questions you have about the material for this upcomming test HERE as comments for this post, and I will answer them for you.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Summer Work
Ok, finally, we have a majority of people who have finished the assignment! As you will notice, I have continued to leave comments on people's work and people's comments, so check back on your site. Others are also starting to leave comments, so I encourage you to respond.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Summer work
Ok Honors Students, time is ticking!! The summer is coming to an end and half the class hasn't even begun the assignment. That isn't very Honors like! The assignment has to be completed by the first day of school- that means responding to all the articles AND commenting on other people's work!! Get cracking! To those who have been completing the assignments, please note I have been commenting on your work, so please read my feedback
This entire assingment- from setting up your blog correctly to answering the reading questions and commenting on each others work will be your FIRST TEST GRADE!!!
I will grade this on completion of the assignment, on thoroughness of the answers, onyour comprehension of the material, and on the quality of the commments you leave each other.
We continue to explore this material at the beginning of the year, and there will be ASSESMENTS based on it, so do not take the reading lightly.
This entire assingment- from setting up your blog correctly to answering the reading questions and commenting on each others work will be your FIRST TEST GRADE!!!
I will grade this on completion of the assignment, on thoroughness of the answers, onyour comprehension of the material, and on the quality of the commments you leave each other.
We continue to explore this material at the beginning of the year, and there will be ASSESMENTS based on it, so do not take the reading lightly.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Another call for class Emails.
Please send me your GMAIL addresses, so that I can send a class list to everyone, and EVERYONE CAN INVITE EACH OTHER TO BE MEMBERS OF THEIR BLOGS! COME ON PEOPLE!
Part of your assignment is to become members of each others blogs, and COMMENT on each others work. We can't get this done without a class list of emails.
Part of your assignment is to become members of each others blogs, and COMMENT on each others work. We can't get this done without a class list of emails.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Summer Articles Are UP!!
Ok, the rest of your summer reading articles are up!
I suggest reading in the following order:
Thinking Scientifically
Debunking Astrology
A Brief History of Time
The Fabric of the Cosmos
The Whole Shebang
Endless Universe
Why you are reading these things:
Thinking Scientifically is a very good description of the philosophy and practice of science- what it is to THINK in a scientific manner- which is not the same as knowing science( ie facts discovered through science). It is an important distinction because the whole project of science is developing the best methods to make sure our understanding of the universe matches as best as possible with the true reality.
Debunking Astrology is a companions peice to Thinking Scientifically, in that is uses a specific example to show how the critical, skeptical, scientifically informed thinker should reason about claims and or ideas.
The rest of the pieces are meant to develop an brief overview of the context of physics, especially as it pertains the subdiscipline of astrophysics, and its sister disciplines of astronomy and cosmology. They give an overview of the main cosmological models ( models of the physical universe) that have been developed from antiquity, and also explain what the most current model of our universe is, called the STANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODEL- what most of you know as the " Big Bang" theory-and some of the evidence that has led to its development.
The history of ideas and framework of our current understanding is important to keep in mind when we study the specific facts and concepts of physics this year, because these specifics are the conceptual/factual building blocks have inexorably led us to develop our current cosmological models- models which in turn gives us new insight into understanding and refining the conceptual building blocks.
Therefore, I think that it is important for you to understand the conceptual framework and assumptions of physicists-their point of view -so that you may better understand the types of questions they think are important , how they evaluate evidence, and where our limits of knowledge are.
A NOTE ON PHYSICS
Physics studies the grandest scales of energy and matter- the structure of universe itself- to the smallest scales- the subatomic particles of matter and force that are the threads of the cosmos itself. As Briane Greene says- "To open our eyes to the true nature of the universe has always been one of physics' primary purposes". Many of the ideas we will study this year will be counter-intuitive, might challenge previous conceptions, or seem downright weird- but they are also cool, fun, wonderous and awe-inspiring. So get excited, and keep an open mind!
I suggest reading in the following order:
Thinking Scientifically
Debunking Astrology
A Brief History of Time
The Fabric of the Cosmos
The Whole Shebang
Endless Universe
Why you are reading these things:
Thinking Scientifically is a very good description of the philosophy and practice of science- what it is to THINK in a scientific manner- which is not the same as knowing science( ie facts discovered through science). It is an important distinction because the whole project of science is developing the best methods to make sure our understanding of the universe matches as best as possible with the true reality.
Debunking Astrology is a companions peice to Thinking Scientifically, in that is uses a specific example to show how the critical, skeptical, scientifically informed thinker should reason about claims and or ideas.
The rest of the pieces are meant to develop an brief overview of the context of physics, especially as it pertains the subdiscipline of astrophysics, and its sister disciplines of astronomy and cosmology. They give an overview of the main cosmological models ( models of the physical universe) that have been developed from antiquity, and also explain what the most current model of our universe is, called the STANDARD COSMOLOGICAL MODEL- what most of you know as the " Big Bang" theory-and some of the evidence that has led to its development.
The history of ideas and framework of our current understanding is important to keep in mind when we study the specific facts and concepts of physics this year, because these specifics are the conceptual/factual building blocks have inexorably led us to develop our current cosmological models- models which in turn gives us new insight into understanding and refining the conceptual building blocks.
Therefore, I think that it is important for you to understand the conceptual framework and assumptions of physicists-their point of view -so that you may better understand the types of questions they think are important , how they evaluate evidence, and where our limits of knowledge are.
A NOTE ON PHYSICS
Physics studies the grandest scales of energy and matter- the structure of universe itself- to the smallest scales- the subatomic particles of matter and force that are the threads of the cosmos itself. As Briane Greene says- "To open our eyes to the true nature of the universe has always been one of physics' primary purposes". Many of the ideas we will study this year will be counter-intuitive, might challenge previous conceptions, or seem downright weird- but they are also cool, fun, wonderous and awe-inspiring. So get excited, and keep an open mind!
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