The Physics Classroom » Lesson Plans » Algebra Based Physics

Algebra Based Physics

This course consists of 14 units that target topics in Mechanics, Static and Current Electricity, Wave Mechanics, and Ray Optics. There is a wide collection of task Tracker assignments, including Simulations with Concept Checkers, Concept Builders, Minds On Physics missions, customized CalcPad problem sets, and Science Reasoning activities.

The course is well-suited for the on-level junior or senior Physics student. Some schools may refer to this as a College-Prep Physics course. We would not consider it to be a Conceptual Physics course nor an Honors Physics course and certainly not an AP Physics course. Emphasis of the course design is on concepts first with a clear intention to incorporate mathematical problem-solving through the use of algebra (including some right angle trigonometry) and physics formulas that are relevant to the topic. With some modifications, it would also be well-suited for the honors-level, Physics First ninth grade student.

Use the links below to access the Lesson Plans and Pacing Guides for the various units.  Each Lesson Plan includes links to the actual resources as found on the website. The CalcPad assignments are customized assignments that include problems from a variety of our problem sets.

 

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Units

Experiments, Variables, and Relationships

An 8-day unit that acquaints students with the importance of experiments, the use of claim-evidence-reasoning arguments, the concept of variables, the types of variable relationship commonly encountered in a Physics class, and the use of the slope-intercept equation for linear relationships. Relies on several labs and 4 Concept Builders.

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1-Dimensional Kinematics

A 16-day unit that forms the foundation for the study of mechanics. Students learn how to describe motion with words, diagrams, graphs, numbers, and equations. Includes several labs, 7 Concept Builders, 7 Minds On Physics missions, 7 CalcPad problem sets, and 6 Physics Interactive simulations.

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Newton's Laws of Motion

A 13-day unit that provides a strong emphasis upon the relationship between force and motion. Students learn Newton's three laws, types of forces, how to draw a free-body diagram, and how to solve an Fnet =m•a problem. Includes several labs, 6 Concept Builders, 5 Minds On Physics missions, 8 CalcPad problem sets, 4 Physics Interactive simulations, and 1 Science Reasoning activity.

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Vectors and Projectiles

A 12-day unit that establishes a foundational understanding of vector principles associated with direction conventions, head-to-tail addition diagrams, right-angle vector additions, use of SOH CAH TOA to determine a direction, vector components, and component addition. Projectile motion concepts and mathematics are introduced and used. Includes several labs, 5 Concept Builders, 4 Minds On Physics missions, 8 CalcPad problem sets, 4 Physics Interactive simulations, and 2 Concept Checkers.

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Forces in Two Dimensions

An 8-day unit in which students apply principles they learned in the Newton's Laws and Vectors units in order to analyze a variety of situations involving forces that act at angles to the horizontal and vertical. Includes several labs, 3 Concept Builders, 3 Minds On Physics missions, 4 CalcPad problem sets, and 2 Physics Interactive simulations.

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Momentum and Collisions

A 10-day unit that describes the momentum concept and its use in the analysis of explosions and collisions. The impulse-momentum change theorem and the law of conservation of momentum are the two big ideas presented in the unit.  Includes several labs, 5 Concept Builders, 4 Minds On Physics missions, 4 CalcPad problem sets, and 4 Physics Interactive simulations with their accompanying Concept Checkers.

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Work and Energy

A 13-day unit that presents a model of work and energy that proves useful for analyzing and understanding physical situations. Includes several labs, 8 Concept Builders, 6 Minds On Physics missions, 7 CalcPad problem sets, 2 Physics Interactive simulations, a Concept Checker, and 1 Science Reasoning activity.

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Circular and Satellite Motion

A 13-day unit that explores the application of Newton's Laws to the motion in horizontal and vertical circles and the motion of orbiting satellites. The law of universal gravitation and Kepler's three laws of planetary motion are also discussed. Includes several labs, 3 Concept Builders, 8 Minds On Physics missions, 6 CalcPad problem sets, 6 Physics Interactive simulations, and 4 accompanying Concept Checkers.

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Static Electricity

A 13-day unit in which students learn how objects become charged and the effect of that charges on other objects in the surrounding region. Methods of charging, Coulomb's Law, and the electric field concept form the foundation of the unit. Includes several labs, 8 Concept Builders, 7 Minds On Physics missions, 3 CalcPad problem sets, 3 Physics Interactive simulations, and 2 accompanying Concept Checkers.

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Electric Circuits

A 14-day unit that explores what causes charge to flow in circuits and what affects the rate at which it flows. There is an emphasis on series and parallel circuit concepts and mathematics. Includes several labs, 8 Concept Builders, 7 Minds On Physics missions, 5 CalcPad problem sets, 5 Physics Interactive simulations, and 3 accompanying Concept Checkers.

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Vibrations, Waves and Sound

A 17-day unit that begins with the idea of vibrating object, transitions to a discussion of wave motion and all that it entails, and then applies wave principles to an understanding of sound waves and music. Includes several labs, 11 Concept Builders, 8 Minds On Physics missions, 7 CalcPad problem sets, 3 Physics Interactive simulations, 3 accompanying Concept Checkers, and 1 Science Reasoning activity.

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Light Waves and Color

A 10-day unit that investigates the dual nature of light, the wavelike behaviors of light, the electromagnetic and visible light spectrum, and color perception. Includes several labs, 4 Concept Builders, 6 Minds On Physics missions, 5 Physics Interactive simulations, 3 accompanying Concept Checkers, and 3 Science Reasoning activities.

Also View: Activities organized by Learning Outcomes
 
 

Reflection and Mirrors

An 11-day unit that explores basic reflection and image formation principles and applies them to plane mirrors, concave mirrors, and convex mirrors. Includes several labs, 3 Concept Builders, 5 Minds On Physics missions, 2 CalcPad problem sets, 5 Physics Interactive simulations, and 2 accompanying Concept Checkers.

Also View: Activities organized by Learning Outcomes
 
 

Refraction and Lenses

A 12-day unit that investigates the refraction of light at a boundary between two transparent materials, total internal reflection and the critical angle, and the refraction of light and formation of images by converging and diverging lenses. Includes several labs, 3 Concept Builders, 8 Minds On Physics missions, 2 Physics Interactive simulations, 2 accompanying Concept Checkers, and 4 Calculator Pad problem sets.

Also View: Activities organized by Learning Outcomes






Physics teachers may find the following for-sale tools as useful supplements to our Lesson Plan and Pacing Guide section:

 

  1. Task Tracker Subscription (annual purchase)
    A subscription allows teachers to set up classes, add students, customize online assignments, view student progress/scores, and export student scores. Task Tracker accounts allow your students to begin assignments in class or at school and to finish them at home. View our Seat and Cost Calculator for pricing details.
     
  2. The Solutions Guide
    We publish a free curriculum with >200 ready-to-use Think Sheets for developing physics concepts. The Solutions Guide is a download containing the source documents, PDFs of source documents, and answers/solutions in MS Word and PDF format. An expanded license agreement is included with the purchase. (Cost: $25 download)
     
  3. Teacher Presentation Pack
    This is a large collection of downloadable content packed with nearly 190 Microsoft PowerPoint slide decks, the corresponding Lesson Notes (as PDF and fully-modifiable MS Word format), about 170 animations (in .gif, .png, and .mp4 file formats), a countless number of ready-to-use images (including the original source documents that would allow for easy modification of those images), and a license that allows teachers to modify and use all the content with their classes on password-protected sites (such as course management systems).  (Cost: $40 download)
     
  4. Question Bank
    We distribute a Question Bank that includes more than 9300 questions neatly organized according to topic. The Question Bank is the perfect tool for busy teachers or new teachers. Even if you don't use the website with your classes, the Question Bank will assist you in quickly putting together quizzes, tests and other documents with high-quality questions that target student's conceptions of physics principles. And if you do use The Physics Classroom website, the Question Bank is the perfect complement to the materials found at the website. (Cost: $25 download)