Happy New Year!
This post covers the final week of the semester along with mid-term exam week. For all classes, please begin studying over winter break. The exam schedule is as follows:

These Weeks in AP Physics
Revised 1-8-14 to account for severe weather days: We will complete our study of oscillations and gravitation, ending our look at Newtonian mechanics. This week the following are due:
* Wednesday: Guided reading #3 and a semester review graphic organizer (described below)
* Thursday: Unit 7 homework problems
* Thursday and Friday: We will finish the unit 7 practice FRQ problems and go over the graphic organizers.
* Tuesday, January 21st: Lab report for the Spring Force Constant lab is due both as a hard copy (at the start of class) and to TurnItIn.com (by 3:00.)
* Graphic organizer assignment: Create a cognitive map (“web”) with ALL of the topics and formulas used so far this year. We will compare our organizers and create a giant poster-sized one in class, which I will photograph and post for you. This will be our only in-class review, and it will be brief. Therefore please be sure to use your time over break to begin your mid-term exam preparations. (Feel free to email me if you have questions. 🙂 ) The exam covers units 1-7, and all learning objectives are available on the front page of your notes for each unit.
OUR AP PHYSICS GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
From January 10th, just covering units 1-3 and part of 4: Graphic Organizer

These Weeks in Physics
Revised 1-8-14 to account for severe weather days: We will finish our energy unit by doing assignment 3 and 4 in class. We will NOT take an energy unit test as originally planned, although energy is on the mid-term exam. There is no in-class review, so please use your time wisely outside of class. The mid-term covers units 1-4, and all topics covered are in the learning goal packets. Reminder: Your energy research paragraphs must be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by Friday, January 10 at midnight. The class ID is 6936831, and the password to join the class is Tesla. For your reference, the paragraph rubric is here: Paragraph Rubric
OUR GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (Units 1 & 2 from review sessions): Physics Semester 1 Graphic Organizer

These Weeks in Astronomy
It doesn’t get a whole lot cooler than this! This week we will discuss all of the big mysteries of the universe! Prepare to have your mind blown! As for the exam, it covers all topics in units 1-6. All of these are listed in your learning goal packets…and in the notes you expertly took all semester. 🙂

Cool Science of the Weeks
Here are the coolest science images of 2013 as compiled by the folks at i09. Enjoy!

With one week to go before break, we are close to the end of the semester! When we return, we have one week plus a day before finals. Stay focused, and have fun!

This Week in AP Physics
On Tuesday the  FRQ Practice Problems FRQ Practice-Problems from unit 6 are due. This week we will begin to explore oscillations and gravitation in Unit 7. Guided reading 2 will be due, as announced. Depending on our progress we may complete a spring force constant lab this week, although there will be some disruptions to our schedule. Expect a quiz at some point during the week, but we will not test this unit before break. It marks the last of the content covered on the mid-term exam.

This Week in Physics
We will continue to explore the work-energy theorem. If you have not yet completed the notes on the following podcasts, please be sure to do so by Monday: Podcast 7 – Work-Energy Theorem, Podcast 8 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 1, Podcast 9 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 2, Podcast 10 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 3, and Podcast 11 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 4. On Monday and/or Tuesday we will complete assignment 2 and take a quiz the next day. When announced (likely for Wednesday,) please take notes on Podcast 12 – Conservation of Energy, Podcast 13 – Conservation of Energy Sample Problem 1, and Podcast 14 – Conservation of Energy Sample Problem 2. We will cover these topics and begin assignment 3 together. When we return from break we will complete this unit, which marks the final topic covered on our mid-term exam.

This Week in Astronomy
We will complete our prep-work on our planet presentations and then share the material with the class. We will cover comets, asteroids, and meteors and test this solar system unit on Friday. Please plan ahead to be prepared, since you may have tests in other classes that day.

Cool Science of the Week
We talk a lot in class about being ready for college and career with your 21st century skills, and one of the most important skills is a creative mindset. Invention involves science and technology, but it also involves imagination. Check out these 25 inventions that Time Magazine has recognized as the best inventions of 2013. These inventions can help blind people see, paralyzed people walk, and can bring extinct animals back to life. What could you do if you used your imagination and science skills?

While it seems as if we are almost done with the semester, we have just passed mid-quarter. Lots of time left…Let’s keep moving!

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue to work on our linear momentum unit. The homework is due Tuesday, and our test will be Thursday. The Impulse-Momentum Theorem lab report is due Friday. Also for Friday to begin our next unit, please do Guided Reading 1 for Unit 7.

This Week in Physics
For Monday please take notes on the following podcasts: Podcast 1 – Gravitational Potential Energy, Podcast 2 – Positive & Negative Potential Energy, Podcast 3 – Elastic Potential Energy, and Podcast 4 – Kinetic Energy. We will discuss these and then do assignment 1 in class, followed by a quiz. As announced, please take notes on Podcast 5 – Work, Podcast 6 – Positive & Negative Work, Podcast 7 – Work-Energy Theorem, Podcast 8 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 1, Podcast 9 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 2, Podcast 10 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 3, and Podcast 11 – Work-Energy Theorem Sample Problem 4. We will cover these topics and then do assignment 2, followed by a quiz, which will likely be the following week.

This Week in Astronomy
On Monday we will finish our exploration of The Motion of the Inferior Planets followed by a quiz on Tuesday. We’ll spend the next day or two looking at The Motion of the Superior Planets followed by another quiz, after which we’ll turn our attention to the individual planets in a giant jigsaw activity. Other due dates: The Unit 4 – Homework Questions are due on Monday, and because of clouds we extended the due date for the Unit 3 – Outdoor Lab to this Friday.

Cool Science of the Week
An eagle stole a camera! Flew right off with it…and then took a cute selfie. Check it out!