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Welcome to the AP Course Audit –Syllabus Development Tutorial. You may use this page to navigate to a specific part of the tutorial by clicking on the appropriate link within the table of contents.
Or play a specific section below
http://www.collegeboard.com/html/
apcourseaudit/courses/physics_1.html
A detailed description of the AP course and exam.
The set of curricular and resource expectations that college faculty nationwide have established for Advanced Placement courses.
Four sample syllabi written by AP teachers.
A list of textbooks that have been reviewed to confirm that they are college-level and meet the Curricular Requirements.
Curricular Requirements
Scoring Components
Evaluation Guidelines
Key Term(s)
Samples of Evidence
Students and teachers have access to college-level resources, including textbooks and reference materials in print or electronic format.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the AP Physics 1 foundational physics principles in the context of the big idea that organize the curriculum framework.
Big ideas: encompass the core scientific principles, theories, and processes of physics that cut across traditional content boundaries and provide students a broad way of thinking about the physical world.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the AP Physics 1 foundational physics principles in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, kinematics is included and connected to Big Idea 3.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of dynamics in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, dynamics is included and connected to Big Ideas 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of gravitation and circular motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, the universal law of gravitation is included and connected to Big Ideas 1, 2, 3, and 4.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of simple harmonic motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, simple harmonic motion is included and connected to
Big Ideas 3 and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of linear momentum in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, linear momentum is included and connected to Big Ideas 3, 4, and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principle of energy in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, energy is included and connected to Big Ideas 3, 4, and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of rotational motion in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, rotational motion is included and connected to Big Ideas 3, 4, and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of electrostatics in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, electrostatics is connected to Big Ideas 1, 3, and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of electric circuits in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, electric circuits is connected to Big Ideas 1 and 5.
The course design provides opportunities for students to develop understanding of the foundational principles of mechanical waves in the context of the big ideas that organize the curriculum framework.
In a list or chart of topics covered, mechanical waves is included and connected to Big Idea 6.
Students have opportunities to apply AP Physics 1 learning objectives connecting across enduring understandings as described in the curriculum framework. These opportunities must occur in addition to those within laboratory investigations.
The syllabus must provide a brief description of at least one assignment or activity outside the laboratory experience designed to apply learning objectives connecting across two or more enduring understandings.
The syllabus must label the learning objectives drawn from at least two enduring understandings.
Enduring understandings: incorporate the core concepts that students should retain from the learning experience.
Learning objectives: Provide clear and detailed articulation of what students should know and be able to do. Learning objectives are numbered to correspond with each of the big ideas, enduring understandings, and essential knowledge. For example: LO 6.A.1.1 indicates the big idea (6), enduring understanding (6.A), and essential knowledge (6.A.1).
Students use (or collect simulated) data on the orbital positions of the Galilean moons of Jupiter to determine the mass of Jupiter. A freely available program from the Project CLEA website can be used to simulate telescopic collection of positions and times, or any number of online ephemeris can provide tables of positions and times.
Learning Objectives:
3.A.1.3: The student is able to analyze experimental data describing the motion of an object and is able to express the results of the analysis using narrative, mathematical, and graphical representations.
3.A.3.1: The student is able to analyze a scenario and make claims (develop arguments, justify assertions) about the forces exerted on an object by other objects for different types of forces or components of forces.
3.A.3.3: The student is able to describe a force as an interaction between two objects and identify both objects for any force.
3.C.1.2: The student is able to use Newton’s law of gravitation to calculate the gravitational force between two objects and use that force in contexts involving orbital motion.
Students plan and execute class demonstration(s) of charging by induction using an electroscope and various conducting and nonconducting objects/materials. Each demonstration is accompanied by student explanation of how and why charge is being transferred (or not) as it is.
Learning Objectives:
1.B.1.1 The student is able to make claims about natural phenomena based on conservation of electric charge.
1.B.1.2 The student is able to make predictions, using the conservation of electric charge, about the sign and relative quantity of net charge of objects or systems after various charging processes, including conservation of charge in simple circuits.
3.C.2.1 The student is able to use Coulomb’s law qualitatively and quantitatively to make predictions about the interaction between two electric point charges.
Students build wind and string instruments out of recycled materials. Instruments must play a 5-note scale. Students compare and contrast the physics involved in the waves produced by their instruments.
Learning Objectives:
6.A.1.1 The student is able to use a visual representation to construct an explanation of the distinction between transverse and longitudinal waves by focusing on the vibration that generates the wave.
6.D.1.1 The student is able to use representations of individual pulses and construct representations to model the interaction of two wave pulses to analyze the superposition of two pulses.
6.D.3.2 The student is able to predict properties of standing waves that result from the addition of incident and reflected waves that are confined to a region and have nodes and antinodes.
The course provides students with opportunities to apply their knowledge of physics principles to real world questions or scenarios (including societal issues or technological innovations) to help them become scientifically literate citizens.
The syllabus must label and provide a brief description of at least one assignment or activity requiring students to apply their knowledge of physics principles to understand real world questions or scenarios.
Real world: application of physics principles, theories, or models to everyday situations, phenomena, or experiences found outside of the classroom.
Real World Activity: Students do a case study, for which they are hired as consultants in a court case involving a car crash. They are asked to analyze the crash data to determine which driver is at fault, and to provide expert testimony with their results.
Real World Application: Students design a car that would protect an egg in a collision and relate the features of the car design to the safety features in an automobile. Descriptions include connections to the physics principles used to inform the design of the car.
Real World Investigation: Students will analyze an advertisement and/or product that makes scientific claims. The students write a summary that would answer the following questions: What scientific principles are they using? (What is the scientific basis for this product?) What is correct or incorrect about their claims? Explain. What sources are used? Are those sources scientifically credible? Explain.
Students are provided with the opportunity to spend a minimum of 25 percent of instructional time engaging in hands-on laboratory work with an emphasis on inquiry-based investigations.
The syllabus must include an explicit statement that at least 25 percent of instructional time is spent in laboratory experiences.
(None at this time)
Students are provided the opportunity to engage in inquiry-based laboratory investigations that support the foundational principles and apply all seven science practices defined in the curriculum framework.
The laboratory work used throughout the course includes investigations that support the foundational AP Physics 1 principles.
Key Term(s):
The syllabus briefly describes all of the 17 investigations used throughout the course and provides the corresponding science practices for the description of each investigation. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all of the seven science practices and a majority of the 10 foundational physics principles are addressed. For example, the syllabus includes the following description:
Lab Title: Guided-Inquiry Investigation of Conservation of Angular Momentum
The syllabus provides a list of the 14 labs used during the course and lists the appropriate science practices for each lab. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all seven science practices and a majority of the foundational physics principles are addressed.
For example:
Lab(s): Guided-Inquiry Investigation: Roller Coaster Design
Topic: Conservation of EnergyAll 16 labs used in the course are listed in a table illustrating which science practices are covered and how they are used by teachers and students for each laboratory investigation. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all seven science practices and a majority of the foundational physics principles are addressed. For example:
| Lab Investigation and Description | Science Practice |
|
Rotational Inertia: Students design a data collection strategy to determine the rotational inertia of a cylinder from the slope of a graph of an applied torque versus angular acceleration. The students are able to verify their claims by comparing their evidence with the moment of inertia found directly by measuring the mass and radius of the cylinder. |
1.4 The student can use representations and models to analyze situations or solve problems qualitatively and quantitatively. 2.2 The student can apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe natural phenomena. 4.2 The student can design a plan for collecting data to answer a particular scientific question. 5.1 The student can analyze data to identify patterns or relationships. 6.1 The student can justify claims with evidence. |
The laboratory work used throughout the course includes guided-inquiry laboratory investigations allowing students to apply all seven science practices.
The syllabus briefly describes all of the 17 investigations used throughout the course and provides the corresponding science practices in each investigation description. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all of the seven science practices and a majority of the 10 foundational physics principles are addressed.
Topic: Rotational Motion: Angular Momentum
Lab Title: Guided-Inquiry Investigation of Conservation of Angular Momentum
Lab Description and Science Practices:
The syllabus provides a list of the 14 labs used during the course and lists the appropriate science practices for each lab. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all seven science practices and a majority of the foundational physics principles are addressed.
Lab(s): Guided-Inquiry Investigation: Roller Coaster Design
Topic: Conservation of Energy
All 16 labs used in the course are listed in a table illustrating which Science Practices are covered and how they are used by teachers and students for each laboratory investigation. Throughout all lab experiences in the course, all seven science practices and a majority of the foundational physics principles are addressed.
| Lab Investigation and Description | Science Practice |
|
Rotational Inertia: Students design a data collection strategy to determine the rotational inertia of a cylinder from the slope of a graph of an applied torque versus angular acceleration. The students are able to verify their claims by comparing their evidence with the moment of inertia found directly by measuring the mass and radius of the cylinder. |
1.4 The student can use representations and models to analyze situations or solve problems qualitatively and quantitatively. 2.2 The student can apply mathematical routines to quantities that describe natural phenomena. 4.2 The student can design a plan for collecting data to answer a particular scientific question. 5.1 The student can analyze data to identify patterns or relationships. 6.1 The student can justify claims with evidence. |
The course provides opportunities for students to develop their communication skills by recording evidence of their research of literature or scientific investigations through verbal, written, and graphic presentations.
Components: examples include questions, predictions, explanation of phenomena, data collection, data analysis/graphs, error analysis/sources of uncertainty, statistics and conclusions.
The course provides opportunities for students to develop written and oral scientific argumentation skills.
Scientific argumentation: articulate reasons for making and refuting claims, engage in conversation or critique with a peer, and respond to counter claims.
Physics Reasoning: using foundational physics principles to make or refute claims based on evidence.
Students work in small groups on a project for an egg drop contest. Groups must collaborate to construct the mathematical models and predictions that will inform their overall design. As a group they must decide what to use, how to do it, and how to analyze and interpret the results. Each group will provide a written summary of the models used, predications and assumptions made, final analysis of the project, and present their summary to the class. Each student presentation will respond to peer critique of their investigation and support their claims or justifications with evidence from their investigation.
Students will work in groups to create energy-bar charts to analyze five points identified along a roller-coaster picture. Each student group is given a different roller-coaster design. They will share their energy-bar charts with a neighboring group, then they will critique their charts that depict the conservation of total mechanical energy and the transformation of potential energy as well as kinetic energy at the five different locations.
Students are given a scenario such as: two tubes of different length, open at one end only, are placed in front of a speaker set to a specific low frequency. At this low frequency neither tube resonates. As the frequency increases, one tube resonates. At higher frequencies, it is possible for both tubes to resonate.
Students are asked to work in groups and provide an argument, with supporting diagrams/models and/or equations, to justify what is happening in the scenario above. Each group will share their justifications and the class will provide peer critique of their claims and supporting evidence.
You have made it through all of the Teacher Resources, including the entire syllabus development guide.
Before submitting your syllabus, be sure to review it against the evaluation guidelines for each Curricular Requirement.
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