Mr. Todd's Honors Physics Class Blog

QUESTIONS FOR MIDTERM

2010-01-15T08:29:00.001-08:00

If you have any questions, please post here!!

Measurement Lab Reports

2009-10-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

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

Stuff for Studying

2009-10-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

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.

USING THE OUTLINES AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

2009-10-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

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.

New Blogs!!!

2009-09-02T09:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, new blog addresses!

Claire

Patrick

Justin

Nicole

Summer Work

2009-09-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

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.

Summer work

2009-08-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

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.

Another call for class Emails.

2009-07-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

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.

OK, a new Class Blog!!

2009-07-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

Veronica

Summer Articles Are UP!!

2009-07-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

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!

Class blogs so far

2009-07-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

Sarah

Nicola

Molly

Micheal

Iniviting everyone else

2009-07-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

Hey!!!!:

Please make sure you send me your GOOGLE EMAIL ADDRESSES by EMAILING ME FROM YOUR ACCOUNT so that I can send a class email list around. You all need to become Followers of each others blog- in other words, everyone in class has to receive an invite from everyone else and be able to comment on each others work. WE need everyone's email for that Sending me the invite to your Blog is not enough!!

Response Questions for Thinking Scientifically

2009-07-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

The only questions you need to answer for the Thinking Scientifically article I gave you at the end of the year are the 15 questions that were attached to it.

You DO NOT have to answer the Part 1 Reading Response Questions for that article. YOU DO have to keep the article in mind when you answer the Part 2 Summarizing questions.

Hello

2009-07-20T13:08:00.001-07:00

Hello Class,

I Havn't been around much the past 2 weeks, hope everyone's summer is going well.

I see some people have created their blogs and are beginning to upload their responses to the first article. Great! I 'll be posting some comments on your work.

As stated before, I have some additional articles in mind for you to read, and everything should be uploaded by the end of this week. The Bad Astonomy- Debunking Astrology article is already available.

Also take note that I made a specific page for your SUMMER WORK downloads on my website, HERE, Honors Physics Summer Work Downloads, as opposed to the previous page I was using, Honors Physics Downloads, which I intend you to use for downloading assignments during the regular school year.

Attention Class!! Be a Follower!

2009-06-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Don't Forget:

Be a follower of my blog, that way you will get instant updates on my posts

GOOGLE APPS

2009-06-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

I suggest you go HERE, and download Google Apps and stuff. All these programs are FREE and superhelpful. When everyone in class gets a Google account, the Google Chat and other programs will be really helpful. I would denfitely download Firefox, Google Earth, Google Apps, Picassa, and Google CHROME browser at the very least. You can learn about each one HERE

Keep eye out for additional summer assignment

2009-06-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

There will be a Math+Physics summer packet that I will be putting up by next week. Make sure you keep up on this blog and on my main website to download it!!

Student Blogs

2009-06-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

When you have completed making your personal Honors Physics Blogger site-- PLEASE paste the url for it as a comment below!!! I'll request to become a member and then I'll also start following your posts! AWESOME!

THEN I'll post the URL address for everyone site on my main Website, then everyone can sign in and follow each others blogs . That way we have an open communication channel.

Honors Physics Summer Reading Assignments

2009-06-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

First...Did you make a Goolge account? Good! Then Continue

Second... Did you make your Blogger page?? Good! Then Continue

Third...Did you read an article???Good!! Then Continu
Fourth....Are you signed in so that you can post a blog?? Good!! Then Continue
Finally....Post any questions about the assignmens as a comment below!

SOOOOO

Use the following format to post Journal Resonses to the Summer Articles:

Your Name ( i can't guess it from your gmail handle)

Article your responding to

Your response answers

To respond to the questions, you must write a POST ON YOUR BLOGGER PHYSICS BLOG!!!!!! containing your answers.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Part 1: Response Questions: Answer the following questions for each of the articles in the summer packet.

These Questions have been adapted from the work of the following site: http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/dbova1.html

1. What did you learn from this article that you did not know before? What surprised you? Explain why it surprised you?

2. Were any questions that you had answered by what you read? List the questions that you had and the answers that you came up with from the reading. Are you satisfied with what you learned, with these answers? Why or why not?

3. Did you come across a problem/question in your reading that you had not considered before? What was the problem? Could you solve it? How?

Part 2 : Summarizing the Standard Model and the Scientific World View

1. If you had to explain to non science teacher what the currently accepted scientific understanding is concerning our universe and its origins, what would you say? What evidence would mention?

2. What do you consider to be the main underlying philosophical principles and problem solving methods of science, specifically Physical Sciences, as described by the articles?

3. How is this philisophical outlook and problem solving method different then what the average person uses? How is it similar?

Extra Credit: Chat Bots

2009-06-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

AI Chatbot

What do you think of this?? We talked about it in class, and lo and behold, I found the real thing. Do you want an AI friend?

How about Bearbot?

Other AI CHATBOTS

Learn about the Turing Test, tell me if you think this thing passes it!

3 Points per paragraph. min 1 paragraph comment

Robotics Questions

2009-06-08T05:12:00.002-07:00

You can Answer the Robotics Article Questions Here

posted Jun 4, 2009 10:24 AM by Kaie Todd

OK, use the comments to answer the questions

AI Questions

2009-06-08T05:12:00.001-07:00

2 points each

1.What is your reaction to the idea of emotional, or even over-emotional social robots, as depticted in the AI movie?

2.Do you think the depiction of the relationships (between the family and the mecha) is accurate?

3. Do you think that the owner of such a robot should have any moral/ethical responsibility for it? Do you agree with the mother's actions of abandonment?

4. Do you think that the "Flesh Fair" was an accurate portrayal of the prejuidices some poeple might develop?

5. Would you buy Teddy for your child? Why or Why not. Also see this, and this.

Robot Wiki

2009-06-08T05:11:00.001-07:00

Robotics wiki

Extra Credit: EXOSKELOTON

2009-06-08T05:10:00.000-07:00

Extra Credit: Exoskeloton like in AI

posted Jun 4, 2009 10:38 AM by Kaie Todd

Comment on this for 3 points (paragaraph)

CYBERDYNE EXOSKELOTON!!

Shades of Terminator?

Extra Credit: Podcasts and more

2009-06-08T05:06:00.001-07:00

1. Choose one of the sites below.
2.Read an article, watch a vidcast, listen to an audio podcast.
3. Create an account on the site, if required for posting comments.
4. Post a Comment on the comments section of the media you experienced, responding to whatever you read, watched, or listened. You should:

Describe what you think is interesting about it and why.
Connect it to something you have learned previously.
Identify what parts of it you did not understand completely

Your response comment must be at least 1 paragraph.

6.Comment on at least 2 other peoples comments.

7. Post the link to the website you commented on below, in the Comments section(?!?). Include your name so I know who you are.

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is an experimental site for Mr. Todd's Physics Class at Dunellen High School. It's purpose is to accompany Mr. Todd's Website on Google, which does not allow visitor commenting without also having global editing privelages It is an assignment posting and collection site.

TO POST YOUR HOMEWORK, YOU MUST SELECT THE SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT POST (CLICK ON THE UNDERLINED TITLE) AND THEN A NEW PAGE WILL OPEN UP, WITH ONLY THAT ASSIGNMENT DISPLAYED.

UNDERNEATH THE ASSIGNMENT DESCIPTION ARE THE TABS FOR COMMENTS AND ATTACHMENTS. USE THESE TO POST HOMEWORK DIRECTLY AS A COMMENT OR TO POST IT AS AN ATTACHMENT.