Timothy D. Usher, Ph.D.
Office: PS-115
Telephone: 880-5410
E-mail: tusher@csusb.edu
Physics Office: PS-119, Telephone: 880-5397
Physics web site http://physics.csusb.edu
Office Hours: Wednesday 9:00am-noon, 8pm-9pm and by appointment.
Laboratory manuals will be supplied at your first lab session. The cost of the manual is covered by your lab fee.
Recommended Book: Physics for Every Kid by Janice Van Cleave
Other available materials: Books: The following three books, as well as a wealth of other materials, are available through the American Association of Physics Teachers (301) 209-3300; String and Sticky Tape Experiments by R.D. Edge, A Demonstration Handbook for Physics by G. D. Freier and F.J. Anderson and A Potpourri of Physics Teaching Ideas by Donna A. Berry. Journals: The Physics Teacher and American Journal of Physics. The CSUSB library has both of these journals. Other: Tops Learning Systems (commercial) Fax: (503) 266-5200
Videos: Mechanical Universe (AV center in basement of library)
Computer software and web access: PS 104. As a CSUSB student, you are entitled to a computer account with e-mail address as well as other similar benefit. Check in the Awedge@ wing of the library.
"Information Superhighway": The computers in PS 104 provide easy access to the "information superhighway" by simply clicking on the Mosaic or Netscape icon. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. There are a lot of resources available out there such as; access to, NASA, Argon National Labs, Lawrence Berkeley, Jet Propulsion Lab, San Francisco Exploritorium, etc. Many of the national labs have partnership programs specifically targeted towards elementary and middle schools. They are very eager to have teachers participate in these programs.
Library Reserved Reading: Most of the materials listed as "Other available materials, and more, are on reserved reading.
Prerequisite: One college level course in chemistry or earth science.
Corequisite: Physics 304 Lecture
 

Note: An F in laboratory results in an automatic F in class!!!!

EXPERIMENTS
Measurement
Variables
Inclined Planes
Levers and Pulleys
Waves (PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE)
Sound
Basic Electric Circuits
Electromagnetism
Optics
PROJECTS

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU ATTEND EACH AND EVERY LABORATORY !!!!!

If you do not attend a laboratory you can not hand in a laboratory report and you will receive a 0 for that report. A total of three or more missed laboratory reports results in an F for the lab regardless of the average and an F in laboratory results in an F for the overall course!!

YOU MUST HAVE ME INITIAL YOUR DATA SHEET BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE LAB!!

If you miss a lab, or anticipate missing a laboratory, it may be possible for you attend one of the other sections. The schedule is posted outside the main physics office, PS 119. The labs run from Thursday to Wednesday. Please do not abuse this privilege! The laboratory equipment is taken down each week so there are no make-up labs after the equipment has been taken down! You will be allowed to drop the lowest lab grade.

The laboratory report will consist primarily of the worksheet at the end of each experiment. Occasionally you will need to attach additional work such as graphs. The lab report is due the following week at the beginning of the next lab meeting. The grading of a laboratory report is necessarily subjective in part. The following main criteria are used: 1) Did the student do all of the required parts of the lab? 2) Does the student clearly communicate a clear understanding of the subject? 3) Were the results of the experiment in keeping with what is to be expected? If not why not? You will not be graded on your percent error or percent difference. If however, it is off drastically you should be able to offer a good solid reason why (not an excuse). The following criteria are also used in determining the grade. 1) A clear, concise presentation of the data, calculations, results, discussions, observations, and conclusions. 2) Reasonable care with significant figures and accuracy. 3) Correct grammar and spelling. 4) Well-constructed data tables and graphs.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

- SAFETY FIRST!! Always be very careful. If you are unsure, ASK!
- Keep this handout!
- Honesty is expected. Dishonesty will be dealt with harshly. Anyone caught cheating will receive a failing grade for the course!
- Be sure to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one left unasked.
- Thoroughly read each lab before coming to lab! Some labs will requre graph paper. A simple calculator with the following functions will be of use: sin, cos, and square root.
- It is important to be on time. Critical instructions are given at the beginning of each lab!!!
- I strongly urge you to keep a lab notebook in which you keep a sort of a laboratory diary. You will work with a lab partner. It is expected that each person contribute equally. I will check to see that this is the case. Of course your data will be the same. I suggest that you check each other's calculations and discuss the questions posed in the lab manual. You will turn in separate lab reports. The lab reports must not be virtual duplicates. If this happens both reports may receive a zero.
- I strongly recommend that you complete each lab during the lab period for a number of reasons. 1) I am readily available to consult with you. A student who rushes through a lab and then spends the rest of the week in my office trying to figure out what she/he did does not make a good impression of themselves. (I am still glad to help though.) 2) The longer you wait to write-up the lab the more difficult it is to write-up. 3) The laboratory equipment is moved around, changed or even put away after you leave, making it impossible for you to finish the lab if you forgot to make one small measurement. 4) You should at least calculate a final answer and check to see if it makes sense before leaving. Remember that you must have me initial your data sheet before you leave anyway. If, after all this good advice you still wish to finish at home, the labs will be due at the BEGINNING of the following lab meeting! A late lab (one that is not turned in at the beginning of the meeting) will have 10 points deducted from it. A lab that is over one week late may not be accepted at all!!!!
- Save all of your returned lab reports.
- We are all human and deserve to be treated as such, so, if you have any problems please see me about them.
- If you have a concern about your grades be sure to speak with me before taking any drastic measures.
- Don't let me scare you with all these rules and regulations. The laboratory is intended to be a very enjoyable experience. The atmosphere is much more relaxed than in a classroom. In fact, I feel that the laboratory experience most closely resembles what Physics is supposed to be. One seeks understanding from Nature itself.
- Be sure to see me if you have any problems. We are all human and deserve to be treated as such.
- If you have a concern about your grades be sure to speak with me before taking any drastic measures.

During the fifth week you will submit a one-page proposal for a project. The project will be a presentation to the rest of the class and myself on the last lab day. The presentation will last from 10 to 15 minutes. Up to four people can collaborate on the same project. In addition to the presentation you will summit a one-page description of the project and provide enough handouts for everyone else.

Typically the projects are demonstrations or laboratory experiments suitable for K-6 students. The projects do not have to be original. You can use ideas obtained from resources such as books, web sites, practicing teachers or any other source. You must, of course, properly cite any sources you use. No two groups can duplicate the same project!

The projects will be graded on physics content, understanding of the concept(s) involved, clarity and quality of presentation, and potential appeal to K-6 students.

I have seen such good projects in the past that it seemed like a shame to "waste" them on adults. So, I decided to add a new twist this year. If you like, you may present your project to a group of kids, have someone video the event and present the video to the class. The video must be edited to last no more than 15 minutes. You still have to submit a description to me and handouts for your fellow classmates. If you have contacts with local schools you can ask teachers to "borrow" their students for this. Other sources include museums, after school programs, and church groups. If you decide to do it this way, you must make extra certain that the demonstrations/activities are very safe! In grading, the final project will carry the same weight as a lab report.