Below, you will find specifics regarding Honors Physics.  This will include what to expect throughout the course and what extensions an honors student will receive in this class that is not taught in the general level class.  If you have questions regarding the following, please contact the course teacher.

Curriculum Content

Honors Physics is one of the first science classes that a student will take that has a strong math component.  Students learn the relationship between mathematic components in the science world.  Using this, students will see how everything around us is connected and how matter moves through time.  Students are also introduced to lab procedures that are necessary for higher level sciences and college level classes.  Throughout the course, students will have to think critically to come to conclusions, find solutions, and will make connections between pieces of knowledge they learned in pre-requisite science classes will knowledge learned in this class.

Honors Physics is an elective class, and its content is very useful for several AP level classes. It is vertically aligned with AP Physics 1 and AP Physics 2, and the vertical alignment may be applied to more than one course like AP Chemistry, AP Biology, or AP Environmental.

Standards and Objectives

Extensions to prepare for AP Physics:

• Multiple step problem solving.
• Multiple concept problem solving.
• Finding friction and applying concept to real world scenarios.
• Thermal Physics.
• Special Relativity and Nuclear Physics.
• Optics and diffraction grating.
• Physics of Cartoons Research Paper.

Curriculum Plan

Click here to access the Course Syllabus.

Click here to access the Parent Curriculum Documents.

Instructional Materials and Methods

Students will receive additional instruction and modified assignments in reference to the extension topics.  They will be responsible for the general physics curriculum as well as mastery of the extension topics.

Through Honors Physics students will be performing:

• Additional/ Modified Labs
• Additional/ Modified Performance Tasks
• Modified Assignments.

Assessment

In Honors Physics, students will have various course/unit assessments.  These include quizzes, labs, homework, performance tasks, and tests that will also assess the extension topics as well as the NC essential standard objectives.  Students will use math as a tool in Physics, so they will be required to show work and solve algebraic calculations.  Physics concepts will also be conceptually interpreted.  Doing the math is not enough; you must understand what your answer means.

All students will be required to complete the NC Final Exam of Physics worth 25% of the overall course grade. The Final Exam will not include honors extensions.