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Physics

Course Description

This course enables students to deepen their understanding of physics concepts and theories. Students will continue their exploration of energy transformations and the forces that affect motion, and will investigate electrical, gravitational, and magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation. Students will also explore the wave nature of light, quantum mechanics, and special relativity. They will further develop their scientific investigation skills, learning, for example, how to analyze, qualitatively and quantitatively, data related to a variety of physics concepts and principles. Students will also consider the impact of technological applications of physics on society and the environment.

 Final Mark Calculation

Calculation of the Term Mark will be based upon the Categories of the Achievement Chart. This chart is meant to assist teachers in planning instruction and learning activities for the achievement of the curriculum expectations. It is also used in designing assessment and evaluation tools and in providing feedback to students. Each mathematical topic will contain each category in the chart due to the integrated nature of the discipline in mathematics. Final marks will be calculated as follows:

Missed and Late Assignments Policy

Our school will make it clear to the students and parents/guardians early in the school year that they are responsible for providing evidence of their achievement of the overall expectations within the time frame specified by the teacher and in a form approved by the teacher. Students must understand that there will be consequences for not completing assignments for evaluation or for submitting those assignments late. Where in the teacher’s professional judgment it is appropriate to do so, a number of strategies will be used to encourage the student to modify his/her behaviour. Some of these may include:

  • Asking the student to clarify the reason for not completing the assignment taking into consideration legitimate reasons for missed deadlines.

  • Helping students develop better time management skills.

  • Maintaining ongoing communication with students and/or parents about due dates and late assignments, and scheduling conferences with parents if the problem persists.

  • Setting up a student contract

  • Reviewing the need for extra support for English Language learners.

  • Providing alternative assignments or tests/exams where, in the teacher’s professional judgment, it is reasonable and appropriate to do so.

  • Deducting marks for late assignments, up to and including the full value of the assignment.

Students and parent/guardians will be informed in a timely fashion via phone call, face to face conference, e-mail and if need be a formal letter about the importance of submitting assignments for evaluation when they are due and about the consequences for students who submit assignments late or fail to submit assignments. If the above measures have been put into place and the behavior of the student has not provided sufficient evidence, then 0 will be inserted as the mark for the missed assignment.

Plagiarism/Cheating

Any incident of plagiarism or cheating will result in a resubmission/rewrite of that particular assignment/test at the end of the course on the student’s own time and at his/her own expense to pay for the creation and marking of a new assessment. This incident will be documented in the office. A second incident of plagiarism or cheating in any course will result in a mark of zero for that assignment. For example, if you cheat on a math test and then plagiarize an English essay,

you will receive a zero on the essay.

Consideration of Program Planning

Teachers who are planning a program in mathematics must take into account considerations in a number of important areas described below.

Whenever necessary accommodations will be made for students with learning differences to allow them to satisfactorily complete their course work by giving them opportunities to learn in a variety of ways – individually, cooperatively, independently, with teacher direction, through investigation involving hands-on experience, and through examples followed by practice. Specifically, math students are required to learn concepts, acquire procedures and skills, and apply processes with the aid of the instructional and learning strategies best suited to the particular type of learning.

The role of information and communication technology in the curriculum – using technology helps the students make more powerful learners by giving them means such as use of visual and interactive methods to explore the concepts and develop their logical and analytical skills. Highly interactive web-based tools include simulations, multimedia resources, databases, tutoring sites that give access to valuable learning data modules. By offering web-based practices and testing allow the teacher to provide almost instant and descriptive feedback to improve learning.

English as a second language - a variety of types of accommodations may be used to support English language learners as they develop mathematical knowledge and skills including the following: 

Accommodations related to instructional strategies, such as

  • extensive use of visual cues

  • use of graphic organizers

  • strategic use of students’ first language

  • allowance of extra time

  • pre-teaching of key words

  • simplification/repetition of instructions as needed

  • simultaneous use of oral and written instructions

Accommodations related to learning strategies, such as

  • extensive use of visual materials

  • use of adapted texts and bilingual dictionaries

  • use of technology

Accommodations related to assessment strategies, such as

  • allowance of extra time

  • use of simplified language and instructions

Career education in mathematics – Teachers can promote students’ awareness of careers involving mathematics by exploring applications of concepts and providing opportunities for career-related project work. Such activities allow students the opportunity to investigate mathematics-related careers compatible with their interests, aspirations, and abilities.

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