Introduction
This course develops students' understanding of the basic concepts of physics. Students will explore kinematics, with an emphasis on linear motion; different kinds of forces; energy transformations; the properties of mechanical waves and sound; and electricity and magnetism. They will enhance their scientific investigation skills as they test laws of physics. In addition, they will analyse the interrelationships between physics and technology, and consider the impact of technological applications of physics on society and the environment.
An OSSD credit course
This course has been developed based on the following Ontario Ministry of Education documents:
- Science, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, 2008 (Revised)
- Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools (2010)
Curriculum Expectations
| A Scientific Investigation Skills and Career Exploration | |
| A1 | demonstrate scientific investigation skills (related to both inquiry and research) in the four areas of skills (initiating and planning, performing and recording, analysing and interpreting, and communicating); |
| A2 | identify and describe careers related to the fields of science under study, and describe the contributions of scientists, including Canadians, to those fields. |
| B Kinematics | |
| B1 | analyse technologies that apply concepts related to kinematics, and assess the technologies' social and environmental impact; |
| B2 | investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, uniform and non-uniform linear motion, and solve related problems; |
| B3 | demonstrate an understanding of uniform and non-uniform linear motion, in one and two dimensions. |
| C Forces | |
| C1 | analyse and propose improvements to technologies that apply concepts related to dynamics and Newton's laws, and assess the technologies' social and environmental impact; |
| C2 | investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, net force, acceleration, and mass, and solve related problems; |
| C3 | demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between changes in velocity and unbalanced forces in one dimension. |
| D Energy and Society | |
| D1 | analyse technologies that apply principles of and concepts related to energy transformations, and assess the technologies' social and environmental impact; |
| D2 | investigate energy transformations and the law of conservation of energy, and solve related problems; |
| D3 | demonstrate an understanding of work, efficiency, power, gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, nuclear energy, and thermal energy and its transfer (heat). |
| E Waves and Sound | |
| E1 | analyse how mechanical waves and sound affect technology, structures, society, and the environment, and assess ways of reducing their negative effects; |
| E2 | investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, the properties of mechanical waves and sound, and solve related problems; |
| E3 | demonstrate an understanding of the properties of mechanical waves and sound and of the principles underlying their production, transmission, interaction, and reception. |
| F Electricity and Magnetism | |
| F1 | analyse the social, economic, and environmental impact of electrical energy production and technologies related to electromagnetism, and propose ways to improve the sustainability of electrical energy production; |
| F2 | investigate, in qualitative and quantitative terms, magnetic fields and electric circuits, and solve related problems; |
| F3 | demonstrate an understanding of the properties of magnetic fields, the principles of current and electron flow, and the operation of selected technologies that use these properties and principles to produce and transmit electrical energy. |
How you are assessed in this course
At Agile Preparatory Academy, tests and assignments are carefully crafted to promote understanding of course content and help students achieve academic success. This success translates to high grades achieved by our students, which reflect a thorough understanding of concepts covered in the course as well as meeting and exceeding curriculum expectations.
Assessment FOR / AS / OF learning
Our teachers champion the idea that the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Our teachers monitor student progression through the course and provide reflection and feedback that guides students towards improvement. The assessment and evaluation strategies of our school follow the Ministry of Education's policies and curriculum requirements. Our teachers use the following types of assessments to improve student learning:
Assessment for learning – These assessments include practice questions which do not contribute significantly (or at all) to the final grade. These assessments give students opportunities to practice their skills and test their knowledge prior to attempting assessments that affect their final grade. It also gives students and teachers opportunities to identify gaps in understanding and discover concepts that have been misunderstood. Here, our teacher gives students descriptive feedback and coaching for improvement.
Assessment as learning – These assessments include self reflections. The purpose of these assessments is to help students develop their capacity to be independent and autonomous learners who are able to set their own goals, monitor their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their thinking and learning. These tasks allow students to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses and allow them to advocate for their own learning.
Assessment of learning – These assessments contribute to the final mark of the course. Our teachers ensure that these assessments are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to give multiple opportunities to our students to demonstrate the full range of their learning. It allows our teachers to judge the quality of student learning with respect to curriculum expectations and assign a percentage grade to represent that quality. These assessments are designed to be fair, transparent, and equitable for of our students.
The Final Grade
The overall grade of the course is composed of:
- 70% from course work
- 30% from final evaluation
Most of the overall grade, 70%, is based on course work done prior to the final evaluation. This portion of the grade reflects the student's most consistent level of achievement in the course, with special consideration given to more recent evidence of achievement. Here, our teachers gather evidence of learning from assignments, projects, presentations, and tests throughout the course (Assessment of Learning), giving students multiple opportunities to perform well.
The balance, only 30% of the overall grade, is gathered from final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.
The OSSD credit
A credit is granted and recorded when the final percentage mark in this course is 50 per cent or higher.
Agile Prep Academy is a high school through which a student can earn credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) high school diploma. We are in compliance with Ontario Ministry of Education policies, and are assessed and authorized by the Ministry to grant the OSSD diploma as well as OSSD credits.
Our courses are taught online, which allows our students to meet and exceed the online credit requirements needed for graduation. For further high school graduation requirements, including the Online learning graduation requirement, please visit the Ministry’s website.