Debra LeDoux
Science Teacher
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Freshman Physics
Get Ready for Midterms, 11/19 and 11/20
We made it through our Roller Coaster Days! There were some glitches because we were all working in one space with a finite amount of time, but I think everyone learned something and got to see physics in action!
Roller Coaster Technical Reports are due on Tuesday, 12/18; they are designed to review much of the semester's material. All students should be working on them this weekend.
Everyone received a Midterm Review packet today, 12/14. Students should work on it as much as possible this weekend and be ready to ask about any areas of concern on Monday and Tuesday. Packets should be complete on Tuesday.
Scroll down to link, below, to download the Midterm Review.
We've spent this semester focusing on Newtonian Mechanics----forces and motion!
We've looked at energy transformations and how forces are required to make things happen!
Now, it's time to put some of what we learned into practice.
This week, freshman physics students will be building roller coasters. We'll be working in two gymnasiums.
If your student has Mrs. Le Doux, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Dominguez or Ms. Bergman for A Block, we will be walking over to the Rec gym (The Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore St. Decatur, GA 30030). THESE STUDENTS NEED SIGNED PERMISSION SLIPS TO WALK TO AND FROM THE RECREATION CENTER!
If your student has Mr. Boettcher, Ms. Shepherd, Mr. Billingsley or Ms. Ayers for A Block, we will be working in the Decatur High School, next door to our main building.
Please, consider joining us for some of the time!
We will be working on this project from 8:45-1:45, Tuesday and Thursday (December 11th and 13th). If you can come join us for any of that time, please email Mrs. Le Doux at dledoux@csdecatur.net
Welcome back from Thanksgiving Break!
We're working on our last unit before the end of the semester: Work and Energy Transformations. Students took their first assessment for this unit, before break. They received their graded quizzes today. There was much room for improvement, so class time today was spent working on quiz corrections. A re-quiz will be given on Wednesday. Please, ask your student to show you his or her quiz and the corrections. Tutors will be available Monday and Tuesday after school (in addition to Wednesday.)
Lab Report Format
Every student has been issued a black lab folder. All reports should be kept in the lab folder and written according to the lab report format.
Click link to access lab report format.
Syllabus
Click link to access current syllabus.
Unit One
The current unit introduces dimensional analysis, scientific processes, and speed. Students should prepare for the unit test by:
1. reviewing notes
2. reviewing "questions and answers"
3. reviewing all conversion factors that must be memorized (see notes section of notebook)
4. practiciing problems, including previous quiz questions; each student should have many problems in his or her "problems and quizzes" section.
I have recommended that students spend about twenty minutes a night practicing problems. The preferred method is to re-write a problem on a fresh sheet of paper and try to solve it without looking at the solution we worked out in class. The problem can then be checked with the solution from class.
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