The aim of science education in the Atlantic provinces is to develop scientific literacy. Scientific literacy is an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes, skills, and knowledge students need to develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities; to become lifelong learners; and to maintain a sense of wonder about the world around them. To develop scientific literacy, students require diverse learning experiences which provide opportunity to explore, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, appreciate, and understand the interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the environment that will affect their personal lives, their careers, and their futures.
CDLI’s Physics program offers the following eLearning courses
- Physics 2204
- Physics 3204
Physics 2204
Physics 2204 builds on many of the physics concepts of Science 1206. Students will study topics such as kinematics, dynamics, work, energy and waves. The assumption is that any student enrolled in Physics 2204 has a good understanding of the physics components of Science 1206. Students entering Physics 2204 should have good mathematics skills in particular as it relates to formula manipulation and solving equations. Students should have access to a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator that can perform trigonometric operations and scientific notation calculations.
Prerequisites
Science 1206
Overview of Class Delivery Structure
To be successful in Physics 2204 it is essential that students be responsible learners and for students to maintain constant communication with their e-teacher.
Materials and Resources
- Graphing calculator or scientific calculator
- Text: Physics: Concepts and Connections
Evaluation
Students are expected to work independently on practice problems, online assignments and laboratory activities. A student will typically be evaluated using assessment items such as:
- Online Assignments – These are typically multiple choice questions that students answer in a timed setting. Once completed, the assignment is automatically graded and students are given their grade. Feedback on each question is also provided to the students.
- Practice Sets – A typical practice set is a set of questions that are associated with a given concept that students are asked to complete and to submit.
- Unit Tests – There are typically eight tests that are given both midway and at the end of each of the four units of the course.
- Laboratories – The investigations involved here are both a combination of (i) hands-on activities where students have to physically set up the equipment and conduct measurements and also (ii) online simulations where students are asked to view videos, animations, etc. and answer questions based on what they observed.
- Mid-term Exam – A cumulative assessment that is typically given sometime in late January and contains content from the beginning of the year to the current content section of the course.
- Final Exam – A cumulative assessment typically given by all districts of the province that contains all content for the entire year.
Supervision of formal assessment writing such as unit tests, mid-term exams and final exams is required at the school level.
The use of video conferencing technology such as Polycom can be useful in facilitating demonstrations and laboratory activities. CDLI provides each school with the appropriate technology for conducting these laboratory investigations. Other online resources such as E-Live, Multimedia Learning Objects and eLearning content are also accessible to students.
While physics is not a requirement for graduation, the physics courses can be used to satisfy the science requirements for high school graduation. Students that wish to enter into the physical science careers such as engineering, meteorology, aeronautical science, environmental science, geology, oceanography and nanotechnology are strongly advised to enrol in physics while in high school.
Required
Yes
Physics 3204
Physics 3204 is a continuation of physical concepts studied in Physics 2204. Students enrolled in Physics 3204 should have a good understanding of the physics concepts of Physics 2204. Students should be comfortable with the mathematical manipulation of formulae and should have experience solving mathematics equations of the first and second degree. Students should have access to a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator that can perform trigonometric operations and scientific notation calculations.
Prerequisites
Physics 2204
Overview of Class Delivery Structure
To be successful in Physics 3204 it is essential that students be responsible learners and for students to maintain constant communication with their e-teacher.
Materials and Resources
- Graphing calculator or scientific calculator
- Text: Physics: Concepts and Connections
Evaluation
Students are expected to work independently on practice problems, online assignments and laboratory activities. A student will typically be evaluated using assessment items such as:
- Online Assignments – These are typically multiple choice questions that students answer in a timed setting. Once completed, the assignment is automatically graded and students are given their grade. Feedback on each question is also provided to the students.
- Practice Sets – A typical practice set is a set of questions that are associated with a given concept that students are asked to complete and submit.
- Unit Tests – There are typically nine tests that are given at the end of each major topic of the course.
- Laboratories – The investigations involved here are both a combination of (i) hands-on activities where students have to physically set up the equipment and conduct measurements and also (ii) online simulations where students are asked to view videos, animations, etc. and answer questions based on what they observed.
- Mid-term Exam – A cumulative assessment that is typically given sometime in late January and contains content from the beginning of the year to the current content section of the course.
- Final Exam – A cumulative assessment issued by the Department of Education that contains all content for the entire year.
The use of video conferencing technology such as Polycom can be useful in facilitating demonstrations and laboratory activities. Many of the laboratory investigations have been rewritten so that the equipment necessary to complete the investigations is relatively easily accessible. Online resources such as E-Live, Multimedia Learning Objects and eLearning content are also accessible to students.
While physics is not a requirement for graduation, the physics courses can be used to satisfy the science requirements for high school graduation. Students that wish to enter into the physical science careers such as engineering, meteorology, aeronautical science, environmental science, geology, oceanography and nanotechnology are strongly advised to enrol in physics while in high school.
Required
Yes