• Arrive to class on time.
• Participate in class activities – lecture, discussions, presentations, etc. (no sleeping during class).
• Come to class prepared – textbook, notebook, writing utensil, calculator (scientific), paper, and equation sheets are required every day.
• Have homework completed every day.
• Be respectful of the classroom and everyone in it.
• Follow the rules and code of conduct as set forth in the The Heights School Student/Parent Handbook.

Tests: 40% of the quarter grade
Quizzes: 30% of the quarter grade
Homework: 15% of the quarter grade
Class participation and preparation: 15%

How to be Successful in Physics

Study Tips:

1. A physics textbook cannot be read the way you would read a novel. Begin by pre-reading the chapter; glance at the section headings, charts and tables in order to organize the material in your mind and stimulate your curiosity. This will make it easier to read the chapter and extract more information from it.
2. Be an active (and not merely passive) reader by stopping frequently (at least every paragraph) to consider what you have just read. What is the concept being discussed? Put it in your own words (out loud or by writing it down); in this way you are reprocessing and using the information presented in the text. Place a few key notes in you notebook; make sure these notes include all new terms and illustrative examples.
3. Become a note taker and not a note copier. Simply writing down what is written on the board is passive learning (it’s a start, but is not as effective as it could be). To get the most out of taking lecture notes, do it in a systematic manner. Before class read the textbook material to be covered in lecture. You will then use class time more efficiently because you will learn more from the lecture, and you will be able to take better notes having been introduced to many of the concepts in the text. During lecture do not attempt to write down every word that is said; that approach is futile and unnecessary. Instead, focus on the major ideas.
4. Relate new information to other, related information.
5. Study with a friend in the class and at home! Take turns explaining the material to each other and working together on practice problems. Set up on-going study groups and meet at each other’s home each week. Note: while working together on problems is encouraged, each student should work through every problem ON THEIR OWN before handing in an assignment. In fact, a good way to check your work is to work through problems separately, then compare answers to see if they deviate. This is also a good way to see a different approach to solving a problem, because in physics there is almost always more than one way to solve the problem.
6. There is too much new material in a physics class to be able to learn two weeks’ worth of material the night before an exam! Review your text material and lecture notes daily so that you can avoid cramming at test time. Daily studying and practice helps problem-solving some more naturally.

How Parents Can Help

1. Quiet structured study time. Help your child to establish a study routine by setting up a quiet study area and a consistent quiet study time nightly. The routine will help them practice good study habits for college. Should the study area be their bedroom or a family area, like the dining room? That depends on your household and your child. If your child is self-motivated and can work steadily without supervision, then a quiet desk space in their bedroom would work well. However, if their bedroom is equipped with distractions like a stereo or TV, then this might not be conducive to concentrating on homework and the family area may work better. Phones off and away during homework time is ideal.
2. Work on Physics EVERY night. For your child to stay up-to-date in this course they need to spend some time on physics every night. The ideal would be about 45 minutes per night or approximately six (5) hours per week. This would include textbook reading, lecture review, practice problems, and test preparation. On weeks when they cannot devote that 45 minutes on a weeknight, they should put in extra time on weekends to make up for it. On nights where they have minimal time, your child should at least review the day’s lecture notes.
3. Support Study Groups! Encourage your child to arrange a study group with other students in the class. Each student will have different strengths and weaknesses in this course. In one unit, your child will be the teacher to other students and in a different unit they will be the student. Putting two or more heads together is always a benefit. You never learn something as well as when you have to explain it to someone else. However let me emphasize that, while study groups and cooperative effort are strongly encouraged; on final written work, all students are required to craft their own answers, and must have a completely uniquely worded answer for each question. Students should work through the complete problem on their own before handing in an assignment.
4. Use a Lifeline.  Encourage your child to ask for help.
5. Don’t Panic! Stick with it! Some parts of this course will come more easily than others. Encourage your child to work steadily and not to be discouraged. Success will build as they improve their critical thinking skills and their problem-solving ability through practice. This is based on a college level course (algebra-based Physics) and your sons will be working on more than just learning physics; they are working on skills that they will use to succeed academically for years to come. Your child needs to work hard and work steadily and they will be rewarded in this course.
6. As the author of our textbook likes to say, “Physics is like climbing a mountain; it takes effort, and the rewards are great.”