Physics Course Lesson Plans

This gives a good idea of the time and type of activities needed to teach each topic. I significantly reformatted it to take fewer pages. Meri

Morgan Park High School Physics Course Lesson Plans
http://mypages.iit.edu/~rcoleman/rnhphys.html

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 1
Objective(s): To have the students oriented to the requirements of the
introductory Physics class.
Strategies/activities:
Hand out syllabus and discuss class requirements.
Briefly review the material which they need to know from their previous classes
Evaluation(s): None.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 1.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 2
Objective(s):
Refresh the students' understanding of the metric system.
To understand how to use their calculators.
Recognize the difference between vectors and scalars.
To perform both vector and scalar addition.
Strategies/activities:
Review the metric system, including the proper prefixes.
Have everyone practice sample math problems on their calculators, including problems involving trigonometry, exponentiation and inverse functions.
Find the volume of air in the Physics lab in metric units.
Take short walks to illustrate the differences between vector and scalar addition.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Observation of their calculator and problem solving accuracy.
Proper completion of the experiment.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 2. Experiment 1.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 3
Objective(s):
The students will be able to properly make estimates of sizes in the metric system and will be able to find their percent of error.
The students will be able to use previously learned geometry to indirectly find the height of the building and the thickness of a sheet of paper.
The students will be able design a simple experiment to find the volume of air in their own bathroom at home.
The students will become increasingly accurate in vector addition.
Strategies/activities:
Have each student design an experiment to find the volume of air in their bathroom at home.
Have the students perform experiment 2.
Continue to work sample vector problems, including multiple vectors, and illustrate the commutative property of addition.
Distribute books.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Proper completion of experiment 2.
Friday quiz.
Proper design and implementation of the homework experiment.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 3. Experiment 2.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 4
Objective(s):
Students will be able to do useful 'real world' vector problems.
The students will be able draw graphs and obtain useful information from them.
Strategies/activities:
Present practice vector problems.
Work in lab groups to find the vector displacement to various room in the school.
Find the vector displacement from the student's home to the school.
Perform experiment 3.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Proper completion of the lab assignment.
Proper completion of experiment 3.
Proper completion of the homework.
Friday quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - pages 4 & 5. Mechanical Universe - 5

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 5
Objective(s): To understand different types of vector problems, in particular, vector addition of a boat moving across the water.
Strategies/activities:
Present practice problems.
Show the film loop on vector addition for a boat moving across a stream.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Friday quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - pages 6 & 7.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 6
Objective(s):
To understand different types of vector problems, in particular, vector addition of an airplane through a wind.
To understand what is required for all graphs.
To understand how to draw graphs.
Strategies/activities:
Present practice problems.
Explain graphing, including labeling, axis divisions, titles, quadrants, etc.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Friday quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - pages 7 & 8.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 7
Objective(s):
To understand the terms speed and velocity.
To understand the mathematical background for the differences between distance, speed, displacement and velocity.
To understand the term 'rate of change'.
To understand how to draw graphs from sample problems.
Strategies/activities:
Define speed and velocity in terms of the rate of change of distance and displacement respectively.
Introduce the symbol delta.
Define the term 'rate of change' for a quantity.
Present practice problems.
Experiment 4
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Successful completion of experiment 4.
Friday quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - pages 9 & 10.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 8
Objective(s):
To understand the mathematical definitions of speed and velocity.
To understand how to draw graphs from physical situations and 'real world' examples.
To understand the values of defining a reference frame.
To understand the concept of relative velocity.
Strategies/activities:
Use the example of a person walking on a bus - velocity across ground in terms of the velocity of the bus.
Define the term reference frame and expand the student's frame from a local reference frame of the body to the largest frame of the universe.
Present practice problems.
Evaluation(s): Continual participation by all members of the class.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 11.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 9
Objective(s):
To understand the concept of acceleration.
To reinforce the understanding of the material presented so far this semester in preparation for the quarter final exam.
Strategies/activities:
Explain acceleration in terms of the rate of change of velocity.
Present examples of acceleration.
Review the semester's work, highlighting the most important points.
Work practice problems presented by the students.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Quarter exam.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 10
Objective(s):
To reinforce the understanding of the material presented on the quarter final exam.
To understand how data is to be obtained from the 'real world'.
Strategies/activities:
Review the quarter exam.
Assign and answer questions about experiment 5 - THE ANALYSIS OF A COMMON HOUSEHOLD DEVICE (THE TOILET)'
Present the start of 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6).
Push each student down the hall on a tricycle and record on a piece of tape their position at every 1/60th of a second.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Successful completion of experiment 5.
Consistent data for experiment 6.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 11
Objective(s):
To understand how data from the 'real world' can be used to draw graphs and form conclusions.
Strategies/activities:
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the displacement, change in displacement and velocity data tables.
Draw a graph of displacement vs. time
Draw a graph of velocity vs. time.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Consistent graphs for experiment 6.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 12
Objective(s):
To improve the understanding of how data from the 'real world' can be used to draw graphs and form conclusions.
To reinforce the mathematical concept of 'the slope of a graph'.
Strategies/activities:
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the change in velocity and acceleration graphs.
Draw a graph of acceleration vs. time
Present examples of the slope of a graph.
Create a data table of the slope of displacement vs. time.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Additional graphs for experiment 6.
Reference(s): Mechanical Universe - 3

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 13
Objective(s): To reinforce the concepts of the slope of displacement is velocity and the slope of velocity is acceleration.
Strategies/activities:
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the slope of displacement graph.
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the slope of velocity graph.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Additional graphs for experiment 6.
Friday - graphing and slope quiz.
Reference(s): Mechanical Universe - 3

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 14
Objective(s): To understand the concept of the area 'under' a graph.
Strategies/activities:
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the area under the acceleration graph.
Continue 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6) with the area underthe velocity graph.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Additional graphs for experiment 6.
Friday - graphing and area quiz.
Reference(s): Mechanical Universe - 7

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 15
Objective(s): To reinforce the relationships between displacement, velocity and acceleration.
Strategies/activities:
Complete 'THE LONGEST METER' experiment (#6).
Examine the slope and area graphs and compare them to both the original graphs and the derived graphs.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Complete experiment 6.
Friday - quiz on graphical relationships.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - pages 12 & 13

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 16
Objective(s):
To understand the physiological effects of both constant and varying velocities and accelerations.
To understand the mathematical and physical concepts behind uniformly accelerated motion.
Strategies/activities:
Discuss the effects on the body's sense organs of various velocities, changes in velocities (accelerations) and changes in accelerations (bumps).
Derive the sf = 1/2at2 + vot + so equation.
Work example problems.
Demonstrate Galileo's discovery of equally falling bodies.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Friday - quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 16

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 17
Objective(s): To understand the mathematical and physical concepts behind gravitationally accelerated motion.
Strategies/activities:
Use the sf = 1/2at2 + vot + so equation to determine the acceleration of gravity.
Work example problems.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Friday - quiz.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - page 16 Mechanical Universe - 2

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 18
Objective(s): To reinforce the understanding of gravitationally accelerated motion.

Strategies/activities:
Use the sf = 1/2at2 + vot + so equation to solve gravitationally accelerated motion problems.
Work example problems.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Friday - quiz.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 19
Objective(s):
To understand Newton's first two laws of motion.
To reinforce the material presented during the semester.
Strategies/activities:
Roll a bowling ball off of the table to demonstrate Newton's first law.
Shove the same ball with a spring scale to demonstrate Newton's second law (F=ma).
Use the sf = 1/2at2 + vot + so equation to solve accelerated motion problems.
Work example problems.
Review for the semester final exam.
Evaluation(s): Continual participation by all members of the class.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 20
Objective(s): To reinforce the material presented during the semester.
Strategies/activities:
Review for the semester final exam.
After returning graded exam, correct any errors.
Evaluation(s): Semester final exam.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 21
Objective(s):
To understand the process required to calculate the final velocity of an object (spring) fired vertically.
To be able to shoot a spring to a consistent height given a known stretch.
Strategies/activities:
Review the equations relating to uniformly accelerated motion.
Use the ballistic pendulum apparatus to demonstrate the process for determining the initial velocity from the height reached.
Working in lab groups of two or three, determine the amount of stretch needed to fire the spring to a height of about 50cm.
Working in lab groups of two or three, determine the amount of stretch needed to fire the spring to a height of about 200cm.
Have each person in the lab group practice firing the spring.
Evaluation(s): Continual participation by all members of the class.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 22
Objective(s):
To be able to graph height and velocity vs. stretch for a spring.
To understand when data is bad (out of the ordinary) and how to handle such data.
Strategies/activities:
Working in lab groups of two or three, determine the amount of stretch needed to fire the spring to ten different heights between 50cm and 250cm.
Working in lab groups of two or three, fire the spring at least ten times for each of the stretches calculated in the previous step.
Have each person in the lab group practice firing the spring at each of the ten stretches.
Calculate the initial velocity from the average height reached in each of the previous ten trials.
Graph both height and initial velocity vs stretch and check for any points that do not meet the pattern.
Redo those points that do not fit on the general trend of each graph.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each group will writeup and turn in an acceptable experiment.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 16-19

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 23
Objective(s):
To understand Galilean relativity.
To understand the how and why of a variable table.
To be able to work with two dimensional motion.
Strategies/activities:
Show the two Galilean relativity film loops.
Use the projectile motion demonstrator to reinforce the concepts shown in the film loops.
Use the ballistic pendulum to calculate where the ball should land if it were fired horizontally, then fire it and calculate the percent of error.
Each group will calculate, from the initial velocity, where the spring should land if it were fired horizontally from the top of the lab table.
Each group will fire the spring 10 times, horizontally, at each of the stretches used in the first part of this experiment.
Calculate the percent error for each of the trials.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each group will writeup and turn in an acceptable experiment.
Each group will successfully play 'You Bet Your Grade' by calculating where the spring will land when fired with a given stretch from an unpracticed height.
Successfully pass a quiz on these concepts.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 16-19 - Galilean Relativity - Parts I & II

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 24
Objective(s):
To review vector components.
To enhance the understanding of how to use the trig functions.
To reinforce the understanding of Galilean relativity.
Strategies/activities:
Review vector addition.
Review how to use the trig functions to find the horizontal and vertical components of a velocity vector.
Use the ballistic pendulum to calculate where the ball should land if it is fired upward at an angle, landing at the same level as it is fired, then fire it and calculate the percent of error.
Calculate, from the initial velocity, where the spring should land if it were fired upward, at an angle, from the top of the lab table, landing on the lab table.
Fire the spring 10 times at each of the stretches used in the first part of this experiment.
Calculate the percent error for each of the trials.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each group will writeup and turn in an acceptable experiment.
Each group will successfully play 'You Bet Your Grade' by calculating where the spring will land when fired with a given stretch at an unpracticed angle.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 18-22

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 25
Objective(s): To reinforce the understanding of Galilean relativity.
Strategies/activities:
Use the ballistic pendulum to calculate where the ball should land if it is fired upward at an angle, landing below the level it is fired from, then fire it and calculate the percent of error.
Calculate, from the initial velocity, where the spring should land if it were fired upward, at an angle, from the top of the lab table, landing on the floor.
Fire the spring 10 times at each of the stretches used in the first part of this experiment.
Calculate the percent error for each of the trials.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each group will writeup and turn in an acceptable experiment.
Each group will successfully play 'You Bet Your Grade' by calculating where the spring will land when fired with a given stretch at an unpracticed angle and height.
Successfully pass a quiz on all aspects of Galilean relativity.
Successful completion of homework problems from the texts.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 18-22

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 26
Objective(s):
To understand the concept of inertia.
To understand the difference between mass and weight.
To understand and apply Newton's law of Universal Gravitation.
Strategies/activities:
Explain the concept of inertia.
Lift and push a bowling ball and then a large 'hot air' balloon to demonstrate the difference between mass and weight.
Define the units of mass.
Calculate each student's mass.
Calculate the weight of each student in Newtons and Dynes.
Calculate each student's mass and weight on the moon, on Saturn and in space.
Introduce Newton's law of Universal Gravitation.
Calculate the gravitational attraction between two students.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Successful completion of homework problems from the texts.
Successfully pass a quiz on Newton's law of Universal Gravitation.
Reference(s):
Teaching notes - Pages 23-24 - Mechanical Universe - 7
AAPT Toys in Space - I-III

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 27
Objective(s):
To understand the concept of equilibrium as applied to Newton's first and third laws.
To understand and apply graphical vector addition to an object in equilibrium.
To understand and apply algebraic vector addition to an object in equilibrium.
Strategies/activities:
Explain the concept of equilibrium, in particular, that an object can be in equilibrium and still be moving.
Demonstrate that when two forces are holding up a weight, the system is in equilibrium.
Demonstrate that the vector sum of the two forces mentioned above is equal to but opposite in direction to the weight.
Have the students reproduce the demonstration as an experiment but with different initial conditions.
Students will first add the two forces graphically and then verify their results algebraically.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each lab group will turn in a successful experiment.
Successfully pass a quiz on equilibrium.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Page 25 - Mechanical Universe - 8

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 28
Objective(s):
To further the understanding of static equilibrium.
To understand cantilevered systems.
Strategies/activities:
Discuss problems such as a hammock and tight-rope-walker.
Explain the engineering term of cantilevering.
Demonstrate a cantilevered system (sign hanging over a sidewalk).
Perform an experiment to analyze the three systems of cantilevering.

Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each lab group will turn in a successful experiment.
Successfully pass a quiz on hanging signs.

Reference(s): Teaching notes - Page 26

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 29

Objective(s):
To understand the physical causes of friction.
To be able to calculate the coefficient of friction.
To understand the conditions under which the coefficient of friction is a constant.

Strategies/activities:
Slide an object and ask why it stops.
Explain surface frictional effects.
Develop the concept of the coefficient of friction.
The students will experiment with the various ways of determining the coefficient of friction.
Explain the difference between static, dynamic and viscous friction.
Calculate a student's weight by sliding them across a table on a chair where the coefficient of friction between the chair and the table is known.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all members of the class.
Each lab group will turn in a successful experiment.
Successfully pass a quiz on friction.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 27 & 28

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 30
Objective(s):
To review for the quarter exam.
To be able to pass the quarter exam.
Strategies/activities: Present review questions, problems and experiments.
Evaluation(s): Successful passing of the quarter exam.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 31
Objective(s):
To understand the inclined plane.
To understand how friction alters the resulting motion of an object on an inclined plane.
Strategies/activities:
Demonstrate an object rolling down an inclined plane.
Geometrically derive the equations for the normal and parallel forces on an inclined plane.
Have the students perform a friction experiment on an inclined plane
Evaluation(s):
Successful completing the assigned experiment.
Successfully passing a quiz on the materials.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 29 & 30

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 32
Objective(s):
To understand the terms impulse and momentum.
To understand the conservation of momentum principle.
To understand how to analyze two body interactions.
To understand how to analyze multibody interactions.
Strategies/activities:
Derive the equation(s) for impulse and momentum from Newton's second law.
Work rocket problems - exhaust impulse = change in rocket momentum.
Derive the principle or conservation of momentum.
Work two and multi-body interaction problems.
Work the elephant/peanut gun problem.
Evaluation(s): Successfully passing a quiz on the materials.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 31-33

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 33
Objective(s):
To understand vector multiplication, particularly the difference between the cross and the dot product.
To understand the definition of work.
To understand how to apply the vector dot product to the definition of work.
Strategies/activities:
Explain the difference between a vector cross product and a vector
dot product.
Demonstrate the concept of work.
Show how the correct answer for a work problem is obtained only if
it is considered a vector dot product.
Evaluation(s): Successfully passing a quiz on the materials.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 34 & 35

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 34
Objective(s):
To increase the students' understand of the differences between the cross and the dot product.
To understand the definition of energy.
To understand the difference between kinetic and potential energy.
To understand the Work-Energy Theorem.
Strategies/activities:
Work problems using both a vector cross product and a vector dot product.
Demonstrate the concept of energy..
Derive the equation for potential energy from the definition for work.
Derive the equation for kinetic energy from the definition of work.
Explain the Work-Energy Theorem.
Show that the final velocity problems from the first quarter could have been done much easier if the work energy theorem had been available and used.
Evaluation(s): Successfully passing a quiz on the materials.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Pages 36 - 39

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 35
Objective(s):
To understand the definition of power.
To understand that the electric company is really selling work.
To understand how the machine age evolved when machines were designed to do work much more cheaply than humans or animals.
To understand what is required in the way of information and experimental techniques at Physics Day at Great America.
Strategies/activities:
Define the term power - the rate of doing work.
Show that work is really power times time and that electricity is billed in units of work (kilowatt-hours).
Have a student try to do one cent worth of work at the rate that the electric company charges and discuss why it is much cheaper to purchase work than it is to do it oneself.
Hand out experiment sheets for Physics day and have the students prepare a list of the possible experiments along with the required measurements and equipment needed.
Evaluation(s):
Students will appreciate the amount of work purchased for one cent.
Successfully passing a quiz on the materials.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Page 40 - 43

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 36
Objective(s): To understand the physics involved in several amusement park attractions.
Strategies/activities:
Participate in Physics day.
Work with individual groups to insure that they fully understand the results that they are working towards as they finish the experiments from Physics day.
Evaluation(s): Students will successfully perform Physics day experiments.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 37
Objective(s): To understand the definition of horsepower.
Strategies/activities:
Define the term horsepower.
Have the students run up the uppermost flight of stairs and calculate their own horsepower.
Have the highest and lowest horsepower students run up from the first floor so that the entire class can calculate their horsepower and compare it with the 'burst' rate.
Evaluation(s):
Students will successfully perform the horsepower experiment.
Students will successfully pass a quiz on the material presented.
Reference(s): Teaching notes - Page 44

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 38
Objective(s): To understand requirements for the semester final exam.
Strategies/activities:
Review the material presented this semester.
Work problems created by the students.
Review the proper methodology for test taking.
Evaluation(s):
Continual participation by all students.
Students will feel confident about the final exam.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS LESSON PLANS - WEEK 39
Objective(s): To have the students do well on the final exam.
Strategies/activities:
Give final exam.
After grading and returning the exam, go over the proper answer for each question and the reason for each.
Evaluation(s): Students will pass the final exam.