About the Class

Welcome! I'm more than excited to be teaching preAP physics, and I look forward to our year together. I can promise you two things:

• You're going to learn a lot of physics.
• And I'll do my best to make it fun.

​Because physics can be fun. It should be fun. (But that doesn't mean it should be easy!)

Based on scientific research and my own observations, I feel that lecture is among the least effective means of teaching. And, for you, it's among the least effective means of learning. I didn't say earning an A, I said learning. Can we acknowledge that there is a difference?

For this reason, I will attempt to structure the class so that you acquire information through your own active exploration, guided by me. Physics is not something to be memorized, like anatomy. Physics is something that you do. Be open to the process. You may be amazed at just how much you learn!

What you need to bring to class:

• a notebook (you may also wish to use a 3-ring binder to hold handouts)
• pens and pencils
• a laptop (all Vandegrift students should have access to a school-issued laptop; if you use a personal laptop instead, it shouldn't be an issue, but you may have occasional software issues to sort out)
• a graphing calculator (recommended but not required; personally, I use a TI-83)

Tutorials:

I am available mornings (8:00-8:35) for tutorials. I am also available during PIT on Tuesday-Thursday but not on days when students have 3rd or 4th period for dynamic PIT. After school, I am available by appointment on Mondays and without an appointment on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Conference Periods:

My conference periods are 1st and 5th, except for one day per week (which varies) that is devoted to a team meeting.

Kinematics

Forces