General Course Information for Courses with Dr. Wilson

The general course information applies to Physical Science, Physics 1, Physics 1(H), AP Physics, or IB Physics.

    In my class, your success is my success. My priority is making the world a better place than it was when I was in your seat. Excellence is the result of working after everyone else thinks the work is done, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than yours think is possible. Working together successfully requires cooperation and understanding each other. Quiet attentive listening is expected when someone is addressing the class. This may be the instructor, a fellow student, or a guest speaker. As the instructor working together means I introduce, explain, drill, review and evaluate and you memorize, understand, practice (over and over again), synthesize, and demonstrate. Every day I will ask students to tell us about the homework assignment and previously introduced material. Please stay on top of the work.

Classroom Rules

· All students will be in their assigned seat before the tardy bell.
· Students must bring their own writing tools, i.e., pencils, pens, and paper. Please refer to the materials needed for Doctor Wilson's classes.
· Use of profanity or obscene jester will not be tolerated and will be referred to the administration for disciplinary action. This includes but is not limited to touching yourself under your clothing.
· Be considerate of others at all times. Bullying, racial or religious slurs, sexual harassment are not permitted nor tolerated at anytime anywhere.
· Cellular telephones shall be off in my classroom. Anyone using their cellular phone during my class will have it confiscated and given to the assistant principal. In my class, you may not use your cell phone as a calculator, email provider, calendar or for anything else. I find cell phone etiquette to be essential to good order and discipline.
· You will use all of your time in the classroom on physics related lectures, drills, labs, or evaluations.

Consequences of classroom rules are not followed.
1. Immediate verbal warning or reprimand.
2. Detention and parent contact will be made.
3. Disciplinary referral.

Absences

    Taking Physics will be an enjoyable experience (most of the time). Students who have a difficult time with Physics are typically those who are absent for one reason or another. Please understand that if you are not in my class during your assigned period you are missing valuable information that many times is difficult to make up. If you are absent due to an illness, email me marc_wilson@places.pcsb.org, go to my website, call a classmate to find out what assignments you have missed. Please stay current. It is your responsibility to learn the material. Senior cut-day is no excuse for not learning the material. You must not expect the teacher to give you one on one instruction for your absenteeism. If you miss a test due to an illness you will be given one day for each day you are absent, plus one additional day to make up your test. If you do not schedule yourself for a make-up test within this time frame, you will earn an unsatisfactory grade for that test. If you are absent on a lab day you will need to talk to me about a lab make-up assignment. If you are going to miss my class due to a school related absence, you must inform me at least one day in advance of the absence. To ensure I am aware of your planned absence, I would appreciate it if you would email me, too. You will be given the assignment that your classmates will be doing during your absence. It is expected that you will have completed your assignment and have it ready to turn in upon your return. Failure to make prior arrangement for school related absences would result in a reduction in your grade for any work missed.

Homework

    There will be 45 minutes of homework per night. Completing homework assignments on time leads to a successful Physics experience. Your homework assignments may be either collected or graded, checked for completion or you will be quizzed to check for comprehension. Most homework grades will come from short quizzes on the assigned work. If you have been paying attention in class and have completed your homework assignments, you will find the homework quizzes to be quite easy. If you miss a homework quiz due to an absence it will be your responsibility to produce the quizzed assignment upon your return. All assignments are announced one month in advance. Ignorance is not an excuse. Failure to make up a homework quiz in a timely manner will result in a grade lower than if the work was in on time. 

    Heading on Papers to be Handed In on 8.5 in by 11in. paper will have the following heading on the right-hand side of the paper:
                                                                                        Name___________________
                                                                                        Date ___________________
                                                                                        Period or Block _____________
                                                                                        Assignment or Session #________
Testing

    Any and all class work serves as the foundation for testing. All films, labs, and notes covered in class contain potential test questions. If you are absent it is recommended that you obtain the notes from a fellow classmate.

    Tests will be announced at least one period or block in advance. If you are absent on the day the test is announced, you will still be required to take the test on the regularly scheduled day.
If a test is missed, arrangements are to be made on your first day back to schedule a make-up. Please schedule a make-up date by signing your name on my appointment calendar. Failure to make up any test will result in an unsatisfactory grade on that test. In the event of an extended illness, please coordinate make-up arrangements ASAP upon your return! A calculator will be required for most tests. You must have your own calculator!

Exams or Quizzes

    All examinations or quizzes will be of pre-introduced material. Examinations or quizzes questions will come from homework assignments, study guides, textbook example problems, or laboratory experiments. Examination and quizzes are for determining performance. There will be at least one exam every six weeks. A quiz is the end of a chapter or chapters. It may consist of multiple-choice, true or false, problems or essays. Again, all elements in every quiz or exam will have been introduced beforehand.

Laboratory

    Labs should be fun to do and provide an easy grade to boost your average. Complete lab reports qualify you for a possible 100%. Completed data tables alone constitute 50%. This is a perfect opportunity for some easy points. Turn in lab reports or data tables on time! If you turn in your lab one day late you will receive a 10% reduction in your grade, two days late 20% reduction, five days late 50% reduction in your grade. When in lab you must wear goggles over your eyes if using any solution or projectile. If goggles are required for an experiment and I see you without your goggles on then you will be reminded to put them on and be required to wear them during the next class period. Anymore than one reminder per class period will result in an unsatisfactory grade for that day's lab. Safety is extremely important to me.

Grades

    Your physics grade will be based on your performance on examinations (50%), quizzes (20%), laboratory reports (20%), and routine presentations based on the homework assigned (10%) points. I work on the percent system. Your grades will be determined by calculating the percentage which you have earned for the six weeks grading period.

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following percentages.
100 < A < 89.5
89.4 < B < 79.5
79.4 < C < 69.5
69.4 < D < 59.5 (see me) 

     A score less than 59.4 earn an F. It is possible but improbable anyone of you will earn an F. In accordance with school board policy, individuals shall receive an F as a result of missing more then 10 days of classes and failing the semester examination.

    Since IB, AP, or honors course earn quality points, a grade of B in those courses is equivalent to an A in a regular course.

Academic Dishonesty
    "Successful students work hard to complete their homework, prepare laboratory reports and study for exams and quizzes. I will do everything possible to prevent dishonest, deceitful and fraudulent reprobates who may attempt to steal" from those who have put long hard hours studying. Cheating, plagiarism (academic theft), and storing unauthorized information in your plotting calculators will not be tolerated. Any student who is discovered obtaining information dishonestly, deceitfully, fraudulently, insidiously, manipulatively, perfidiously, unfaithfully, or unethically will receive a grade of ZERO for their efforts. In addition, a conference will be scheduled with such student, their parents, IB Coordinator, Guidance Counselor, Assistant Principal and Principal to discuss their academic integrity. Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect." (Mr. Robert Dull, Science Dept., Chair)

Extra Help

    If you would like some additional help, I am available during my two prescription periods. I will also be available to help you every afternoon when I do not have a faculty or committee meeting by appointment please from 1:35 PM to 2:20 PM. Please be prepared to ask good questions and be sure to bring your notes.
    If you would like to resit a class during your academic coaching period or free period, please obtain a pass from your teacher. Upon entering my classroom, please quietly take any available seat in the back of the room.
    Remember; get help before you get lost. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one you don't ask. Besides, you will probably see that question on your next test. Good luck and have fun! In this class, my success is your success. Working together successfully requires cooperation and respect for each other. Quiet attentive listening is expected when someone is addressing the class. This can be the instructor, a fellow student, or a guest speaker.

Five Levels of Learning:

    According to psychologists (I minored in industrial psychology), there are five levels of learning rote, understanding, application, correlation, and evaluation. Most students try to understand the material before they have thoroughly memorized it. Most people cannot afford to skip the rote or memorization step.

Materials needed for Dr. Wilson's classes

    All of my students must bring their own writing tools, i.e., pencils, pens, and paper. The following tools are unique to my classes: a 3 1/2 floppy disc or a re-writable (RW) CD, an erasable (any color other then red or yellow) dry whiteboard marker, a red (or colored) pen, textbooks, notebooks, tissues, and calculator (any other material needed for a particular assignment) to class every meeting. I will spot check students for materials one week after school commences.
    
    Coming to class prepared is a must for success! A Scientific Calculator will be necessary if you cannot do the calculation mentally or long hand. The Scientific Calculator required for my course inexpensive, approximately $10. I prefer all hand written work be on 8.5 in by 11in. paper. This can be purchase at Office Depot or Staples. I prefer all typed or word processor work is on 8.5 in by 11in. paper, too. Since there are not enough textbooks for a classroom set, you will need your textbook on a daily basis. The following materials are required on a daily basis too: textbook, 8.5 in by 11in. paper a pencil, black or blue pen and a red or colored pen, Completed Assignments, and Lab handout as given. You will also need a 1 in. loose-leaf notebook for handouts this year. All notes and homework will be placed into your loose leaf. You will stow these notebooks in a safe place. They will be very important when you begin reviewing for your exams. 

        For AP and IB students: You will also need a bound composition notebook for your lab journal (a rough draft, notes, etc.) and a 1 inch three ring binder for your lab portfolio. The reason for this is the IB external assessment and for AP transfers credit for the laboratory course co-requisite with the college physics lecture course.  It is strongly recomended that you buy your own AP workbook.

    From time to time depending on the type of material needed, students will be ask to supply their own consumables for a hands-on experiment.