Physics- Lab (On-Level or Honors)
Description:
This is a full-year, lab-based course that covers traditional concepts in physics. Physics is a college-preparatory course that encourages students to engage in scientific inquiry, investigations, and experimentation so they develop a conceptual understanding and basic scientific skills. Physics will help students understand phenomena in the physical world such as the forces on a roller coaster, wave action at the beach, speakers for their music, batteries in electric cars, and the electronics that power their favorite devices.
Students will develop an in-depth conceptual and analytical understanding of principles such as Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, momentum, circular motion, thermodynamics, sound, properties of light, electric fields and energy, and magnetism. This course will use algebra- and trigonometry- based mathematical models to introduce the fundamental concepts that describe mechanics. The course is designed to emphasize scientific thinking and reasoning, problem solving, and experimentation.
Meeting Dates: This is a 29-week course witht the week off to be announced.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Students should have completed Geometry and Algebra II, be concurrently enrolled in Precalculus and have and understanding of trigonometry. The emphasis in this course is teaching/learning physics concepts, not teaching or re-teaching mathematical concepts.
Class Meetings: This class will be taught in a Hybrid format with an online lecture on Mondays (9:00 am - 9:55 am) over a live, online platform and in-person lab and activities on Wednesday (9:30 am - 10:55 am). Registration for the Lab section will automatically enroll the student in the Lecture section.
Class Expectations: For both in-person and virtual class meetings, students are expected to come prepared, have class materials, and be ready to participate in class discussions and activities. During virtual lectures (Mondays), students are expected to be seated at a desk or table and have their cameras on.
Workload: Students should expect to spend 4 - 6 hours of independent study/homework every week consisting of pre-reading chapters, taking detailed notes on concepts before class, completing problem-solving activities, analyzing data, and writing formal lab reports.
Assignments: All assignments and announcements will be posted on Google classroom management site. There, students access assignments; upload lab reports, message instructor and classmates; and attend virtual conferences. Parents can view the course instructions and materials via their students' accounts.
Assessments: Quizzes, tests, and lab reports will be assigned throughout the course. A detailed answer key will be provided for students to review and correct their own work. Submitted assignments will be checked on Google Classroom to monitor completion and general understanding, but no grades will be assigned by the instructor. Homework will be marked as complete or incomplete. Parents may calculate a letter grade by comparing the total points earned to the total points available, using the provided answer keys.
Textbook/Materials: Students should purchase or rent Physics by James S. Walker (2014 ed.) (ISBN #9780131371156.)
Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $100.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.
Supplies/Equipment: Students will need access to a computer with working camera, internet, a graphing calculator, a ruler, writing supplies, colored pens for graphs, highlighters, plain, lined, and graph paper, a 1-inch three ring binder, and a Five Star, 8.5" X 11" Quadrille-Ruled Notebook.
Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component full credit in laboratory science for purposes of a high school transcript.
We are sorry but this event is not yet open for registration.
You will be able to register starting May 12, 2026
