September 4, 2007 (week 1)

AP Physics 12 - We will begin this school year with a very brief review of Kinematics (the study of motion). I'll spend more time on graphs related to motion but expect to fly through this material since it is review from grade 11. We will need to cover alot of new material by the end of April so that we will be prepared for the AP exam in early May.

In preparation for the chapter 2 test in a few weeks you should look at physics problems from at least 3 sources: (i) odd numbered problems in your textbook, (ii) old provincial exam questions and/or old AP exam questions, and (iii) testbank worksheets. You are required to complete a minimum of 25 problems for every chapter (over the years my best students always seem to find the time to complete 50 or even 75 problems per chapter). All AP students should register themselves at AP Central where they will have access to information and old exams in all of their AP subjects.

I also want to get the Physics Clinic up and running and need some of my students to step up to the task of promoting and supporting this tutorial clinic. Everyone is welcome to offer assistance or seek assistance at the Wednesday Physics Clinic held from 3:15 to 4:15 in room A213.

Physics 12 - We will begin this school year with a very brief review of Kinematics (the study of motion). This is chaper 2 of our text by Cutnell & Johnson, 6th ed. Don't expect to spend much time here as this is mostly review from Physics 11. Please see the AP Physics 12 posting for more information about homework and test preparation.

Science 8 - Welcome to Burnaby South! We will begin this course by studying chapter 10 - Water Cycles. In fact, all of the grade 8's at Burnaby South will be starting with this chapter because we are hoping to take you all on a fieldtrip to the Seymour Water Reserviore closer to the end of September. In addition to daily readings from the textbook, we will also read/discuss some case studies created by our very own talented teacher Mr. Lock. Stay tuned for further information.

Physics 11 - How long do you estimate that it would take you to walk or run across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax, a distance of about 6300 km? Terry Fox, (1958-1981) became famous for his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research, running with one prosthetic leg. He is considered one of Canada's greatest heroes of the 20th century and is celebrated internationally every September as people participate in the Terry Fox Run, the world's largest one-day fund raiser for cancer research. In order for us to estimate the time it would take for you to travel across Canada there are a few things that you need to know. They are (i) how fast you can travel, (ii) what is the distance to be travelled, and (iii) what sort of schedule will you try to follow? When you complete your calculations and compare your speed and endurance to Terry Fox's I am sure that you will have a much greater appreciation for the incredible journey that he undertook in his Marathon of Hope.

Thus we begin our course by studying Kinematics, which is the study of motion. Our first activity will be to use the Trundle Wheel (measuring wheel) and stopwatch to measure the distance and time it takes us to complete a lap around the upper science wing. Then we will learn how to calculate average speed, average velocity, and to solve a variety of problems related to uniform motion. Uniform motion means motion that occurs in a straight line with a constant speed.

In preparation for the chapter 3 test in a few weeks you should complete all of the Practice Problems in the chapter, and then you should also do some of the chapter review problems found at the end of the chapter. I require that you do a minimum of 25 problems as your chapter assignment but the best students always find the time to complete 50 or more problems. Physics is like playing a sport in that the more you practice the better you can expect to perform on the test.

Science 9 - Brand new curriculum and textbook for grade 9 science this year. You will begin with the physics section (static electricity).

Science 10 - All of the grade 10 science classes will begin this new school year studying chemistry. Remember that there is a mandatory Science 10 Provincial Exam in June worth 20% of your final mark. Work hard and have a great year!