This is the second-to-last week of the quarter, so please stay on top of things and finish strong! 🙂
As this is OGT week, we have a heavily-modified schedule:
Astronomy class only meets Monday and Wednesday.
Physics 3rd period only meets Monday and Wednesday. Note that our lab period (4/5) is the first period of the school day, and our 3rd period will meet later in the day.
Physics 6th period meets every day as usual. Note that our lab period on Tuesday and Thursday will be your first period of the school day.
AP Physics only meets Tuesday and Friday. (That means we have only three periods together instead of nine.)

This Week in AP Physics
We will conduct our electrostatics lab on Tuesday and will hopefully do homework 3 for Friday. Expect the unit 10 test the following week, the week of March 17. Please remember: YOUR CEDAR POINT MONEY AND PERMISSION SLIPS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY. 

This Week in Physics
We will (hopefully) finish our unit on circular motion and gravity, although the test won’t be until the following week, the week of March 17. For Monday please take notes on Podcast 5 – Gravity and Podcast 6 – Center of Mass, Gravity, and Planetary Orbits. We will discuss those on Monday and do assignment 2. What we don’t finish in class will be due as homework for Wednesday if you are in 3rd period. For 6th period, we will finish the assignment in class and then spend the rest of the week doing an enrichment engineering project. Please remember: YOUR CEDAR POINT MONEY AND PERMISSION SLIPS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY. 

This Week in Astronomy
We will continue to examine the daily and annual appearance of the sun’s motion in our sky and will (if time) relate it to climate. There will be a unit test the following week, the week of March 17. NOTE: We have had plenty of clear nights, so your Unit 1 – Outdoor Lab is still due. However, since we’re not meeting on Tuesday, I’m extending the due date to Wednesday, March 12.

Cool Science of the Week
This past week the movie Gravity won an Oscar for visual effects. Have you ever wondered how CGI works? Check out this article and video that shows you how the Gravity  team made the movie magic happen!

In like a lion, out like a lamb! There are three weeks until the end of the quarter. Let’s work hard!

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue our electrostatics unit. Homework 1 will be due on Monday, and homework 2 will be due on Tuesday. We will take quizzes over Coulomb’s law and electric fields, as announced. Also this week: One of my favorite labs EVER!!!! Also note: Unit 9 test corrections are due by Friday.

This Week in Physics
We will spend Monday and Tuesday doing assignment 1, followed by a quiz, which will be announced. Next we will conduct an experiment on circular motion. (We will need safety goggles, so if you have your own, please feel free to bring them. However, I do have a disinfected class set, as well.) Toward the end of the week (when announced,) please take notes on Podcast 5 – Gravity and Podcast 6 – Center of Mass, Gravity, and Planetary Orbits. We will do assignment 2 by the end of the week or early next week. Expect the unit test next week.

This Week in Astronomy
Our unit 1 test is Monday. To help you prepare for the test, please do the Unit 1 – Homework Questions for Monday. Our Unit 1 webpage has every lecture podcasted to help you review. Remember also that your Unit 1 – Outdoor Lab is due NEXT Tuesday, March 11, so look for a clear night when you have a couple of hours available to go outside to make repeated observations. Starting Tuesday we’ll turn our attention to a welcome friend, the sun! Unit 1 focused on the night sky, and unit 2 will help us understand the astronomy of the day sky.

Cool Science of the Week
I hear this all the time (pun intended!): Cracking knuckles causes arthritis. But does it?

Let’s look forward to a full week of school! (fingers crossed!)

This Week in AP Physics
We will finish our unit on thermal physics. Homework 4 will be due on Tuesday, we will do practice FRQs in class on Tuesday, and the test will be Thursday. Be sure to use the resources on the unit webpage to help you study. Your thermodynamics lab report is due on Friday and must be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on that day. By the end of the week we will turn our attention to electricity as we embark upon our electrostatics unit.

This Week in Physics
Do you like spinny rides at Cedar Point? How about roller coasters with loops? We will find out how these work as we we begin our exploration of circular motion this week. Be sure to have taken notes on the following podcasts by Monday: Podcast 1 – Introduction to Circular Motion, Podcast 2 – Circular Motion Formulas, Podcast 3 – Formulas, and Podcast 4 – Centripetal Force. We will spend Monday and Tuesday going over these podcasts and doing assignment 1, followed by a quiz, which will be announced. Third period: For Tuesday please finish Frequency & Period Practice Page. By the end of the week we will conduct an experiment on circular motion. The best news of all is that this experiment requires you to wear goggles for safety! Fantastic! (I have a class set, but if you prefer to use your own, please bring them.)

This Week in Astronomy
We will finish our first unit on the celestial sphere this week as we explore how the appearance of the night sky changes throughout the year. We will conduct a culminating project in class and will take the unit test by Friday. Be sure to use the podcasts on the unit web page to guide your studying. The unit homework will be due the day of the test and is a great way to test your skills. Big news! You’ve developed your skills in the planetarium. Now it’s time to put them to the test in the real world as you do your first outdoor lab. This lab will require you to make multiple observations outside on a clear night over a couple of consecutive hours, so plan ahead to ensure you don’t get stuck with a cloudy night right before it’s due, which will be on Tuesday, March 11.

Cool Science of the Week
I’ve shared this before, but with a new semester of astronomy underway, it’s a great time to remind you about some really fun, free software that turns your computer into a virtual planetarium. The software is called Stellarium. Check it out! It’s fun!

Happy President’s Day! This week marks our halfway point for third quarter…wow! Be aware that we will not get as much done this week as usual because it is a four-day week, I have meetings all day on Tuesday, and on Thursday/Friday we will be discussing course recommendations for next year, which requires time for me to meet with each of you individually.

This Week in AP Physics
Please look at the ALHS Program of Study 2014-2015. Science course descriptions begin on page 51. Please come to class on Thursday prepared with ideas and questions regarding your science options for next year. For Tuesday please do homework 3 and your thermodynamics processes graphic organizer. You will go over this and then will do an experiment on Tuesday into Wednesday. We will quiz over the First Law of Thermodynamics and PV diagrams on Thursday. Homework 4 will likely be due Thursday or Friday, and we will hopefully test this unit next Monday.

This Week in Physics
Please look at the ALHS Program of Study 2014-2015. Science course descriptions begin on page 51. Please come to class on Thursday prepared with ideas and questions regarding your science options for next year. Your momentum unit test will be on Wednesday. For Thursday please take notes on Podcast 1 – Introduction to Circular Motion, Podcast 2 – Circular Motion Formulas, and Podcast 3 – Formulas for Thursday. For Friday please take notes on Podcast 4 – Centripetal Force if announced.

This Week in Astronomy
On Wednesday we will continue to examine the northern sky and the circumpolar stars. We will quiz over this topic on Thursday or Friday, and Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will help you study. At the end of the week we turn our attention from how the sky changes as you travel north/south and will instead start examining how they sky changes throughout the year. Anticipate a test over the celestial sphere unit some time next week.

Cool Science of the Week
Sad about the demise of Flappy Bird? Fear not…I’ve got some cool physics game apps for you that are not only fun but will help you with your science awesomeness. (Not on this list is Cat Physics, which has both cats and physics. It’s like cake and ice cream!)
(Disclaimer: I am not endorsing spending money on products.)

Happy Valentine’s Day! This is a good time to celebrate your loves of physics and astronomy! 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
We will finish debriefing assignment one on Monday and will then take a quiz over temperature and heat on Tuesday, which ironically will be cold. We will explore the ideal gas law and the kinetic theory of an ideal gas on Monday, and homework 2 will be due on Tuesday followed by a quiz on Wednesday. We will spend the rest of the week on the First Law of Thermodynamics and will explore various processes using Pressure v. Volume graphs both conceptually and in lab. Animations and weblinks on our unit 9 webpage will help you through these concepts. As a reminder, your lab report on our Bernoulli’s equation lab is due at the start of class on Tuesday, and it must be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on that day.

This Week in Physics
Third period class: On Monday your assignment 3 is due at the start of class, and we will take a quiz over elastic, inelastic, and totally inelastic collisions on Tuesday. Sixth period class: We will work on assignment 3 in class on Monday, so don’t do it for homework. Your quiz will be on Wednesday. For Tuesday (3rd period) or Wednesday (6th period) you should take notes on the remaining podcasts for this unit. We will explore these as we look at the impulse-momentum theorem in class and do assignment 4. We  may test this unit by the end of the week. Remember that your lab report for the Conservation of Momentum Lab is due on Thursday at the start of class and should be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on Friday.

This Week in Astronomy
On Monday we will examine the E-S-W sky and south declination stars as we use meridian diagrams to place the celestial equator at different latitudes. Then we will journey back into the planetarium to turn our attention to the northern sky. We will transpose the northern sky onto our meridian diagrams to create a full picture of the celestial sphere at different latitudes. Expect a quiz over this on Wednesday or Thursday. Podcast 2 – Celestial Equator and Celestial North Pole and Celestial Sphere Podcast 3 – Circumpolar Stars will help you study. By the end of the week we’ll look at annual changes in the appearance of our night sky.

Cool Science of the Week
Talking cars? Redefining what it means to be a smart car, the US government announced this week approval of new technology that would enable cars to interact with each other wirelessly in order to alert drivers to hazards.

Here’s hoping we have a full week of school for the first time since before winter break! Obviously we are a bit behind last week’s objectives, but we’ll get a lot done this week. 🙂

This Week in AP Physics
First we will go over the Unit 8 Practice Problems, which are due on Monday. On Monday we will also conduct our unit 8 lab on Bernoulli’s equation. Depending on how that goes we may flow into Tuesday and test on Wednesday (pun!). However, I am hoping we can do the unit 8 test on Tuesday and begin unit 9 on thermal physics on Wednesday. Our first topic will be temperature and heat, and homework 1 will be due by Friday. Note: Your unit 8 lab report is due at the start of class next Tuesday, February 11, and it must be submitted to TurnItIn.com by 3:00 on that day.

This Week in Physics
We will continue to explore the conservation of momentum by completing our collisions experiment and analyzing data. (Your lab report will be due on Thursday, February 13 at the start of class, and it must be uploaded to TurnItIn.com by Friday, February 14 at 3:00.) Following analysis of the data in terms of the conservation of momentum, we will do new calculations with the data to analyze the role kinetic energy plays in the two types of collisions we ran. This will lead us into our next topic on the characteristics of different types of collisions. Notes on the following podcasts will be due as announced: Podcast 5 – Elastic Collisions part 1, Podcast 6 – Elastic Collisions part 2, Podcast 7 – Totally Inelastic Collisions part 1, Podcast 8 – Totally Inelastic Collisions part 2, and Podcast 9 – Inelastic Collisions. We may or may not get to assignment 3 this week.

This Week in Astronomy
As we complete our constellation mapping project, we will end our focus on star maps. Be sure to review Celestial Sphere Podcast 1 – Star Mapping as you prepare for the star mapping quiz, which will be announced mid-week. Our next topics will allow us to examine how and why the appearance of the night sky changes throughout the night and from one night to the next. If you’d like a preview, you can watch Celestial Sphere Podcast 2 – Celestial Equator and Celestial North Pole, although we’ll be covering the material in class.

Cool Science of the Week
We all know that life as we know it requires water. Therefore scientists search for it on other planets. This is difficult when it comes to exoplanets, or planets beyond our solar system. However, for the first time, scientists have found water on a rocky planet (or what’s left of the planet.) To some that suggests the conditions for life may have existed on that planet. What do you think about that? (P.S. Do you know where Earth got its water? Look it up! It’s wild!)

It’s week two of the second semester, and we’re gaining…MOMENTUM!!!

This Week in AP Physics
We will continue our study of fluid mechanics by exploring buoyancy (homework 2), fluid flow continuity (homework 3) and Bernoulli’s equation (homework 4.) Expect some quizzes to be tossed in, as announced. We will also perform an experiment to prove Bernoulli’s equation. When announced, the Unit 8 Fluid Mechanics Practice Problems will be due.

This Week in Physics
On Monday we will cruise through assignment 2, which covers the Law of Conservation of Momentum, followed by a quiz, as announced. We will then conduct an awesome experiment involving the crashing of toy cars. The data from the lab will lead us to awesome conclusions about the next topic. (Spoilers!)

This Week in Astronomy
We will spend much of the week in the planetarium practicing star mapping. It will be fun! There is a podcast that will support your studies, and we will take a quiz over this skill by the end of the week.

Cool Science of the Week
Time machine science! I rest my case.

Welcome to the start of second semester! Old astronomy students, please be sure to click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of your email. (Check out this week’s Cool Science link before leaving us, though!) New astronomy students, please sign up to follow this blog using the subscription field to the right.

This Week in AP Physics
This week we will begin Unit 8, which covers fluid mechanics. On Tuesday your spring force constant lab is due. Please be sure to hand in a hard copy at the start of class and upload to TurnItIn.com by Tuesday at 3:00. Please also turn in your Unit 7 Practice Problems by Friday.

This Week in Physics
We begin Unit 5 on momentum. For Tuesday, please take notes on Momentum Podcast 1 – Introduction to Momentum. We will discuss this podcast and begin assignment 1 in class on Tuesday followed by a quiz, as announced. Please take notes on Podcast 2 – Conservation of Momentum part 1, Podcast 3 – Conservation of Momentum part 2, and Podcast 4 – Conservation of Momentum Sample Problem by Wednesday. We will explore this concept, do assignment 2 together, and conduct a fun experiment involving crashing our Pascars.

This Week in Astronomy
Welcome! We will begin our exploration of the cosmos by learning how to map the stars. Please explore the Unit 1 webpage to get a feel for the resources available to you as we learn basic star mapping skills. Yes, we’ll be in the planetarium for much of the week! That means you need to bring in a dim flashlight (not LED) so that you can see your maps in the dark. Come prepared for some fun! 🙂 You do have one assignment this week, which is to read the Astronomy Course Policies and Procedures, print the last page, collect signatures upon it, and turn it in by Friday. This is a graded assignment.

Cool Science of the Week
In astronomy at the end of the first semester we had some cool discussions about the shape of the universe, namely that there is no “outside” and that it is finite, yet without an edge. Brain-numbing stuff! Here are the first two parts of a three-part series of short, fairly understandable videos explaining different theories about the shape of our mysterious home. (Part 3 isn’t released yet.)

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?