Physics

2024-2025

Instructor: Ms. Alicia Messenger

Email Address: [email protected]

School Phone Number: 773-534-5010

Course Overview: Physics is the study of the laws of the natural universe. Physics topics covered in
this course include energy models, forces and motion, electricity, energy sources, and the
electromagnetic spectrum. During this course, students will build and use discussion, working in
groups and building independent work habits to achieve mastery in this course. Laboratory work and
final projects will be used to provide students with an opportunity to apply what they have learned
about physics.

Topics Or Units of Study:

1. Energy Models 6. Roller Coaster Design

2. Forces and Motion (Self-Driving Cars)
3. Electromagnetic waves
4. Electric House
5. Physics Experiment Design

Class Expectations:

Norms
● Always be on time
● Be prepared with a fully charged chrome book, necessary materials
● Be respectful when others are speaking
● Be an active participant and learner

Hall Passes
● Students learn best when they are present in class, and should request a pass to leave class for emergencies
only. An official pass provided by a faculty member is required by any student in the hallways or restrooms during
class period or homeroom.
● Students entering the class after the passing period bell will be considered tardy. It is our expectation that
students arrive to every class on time and ready to learn.
● In order to keep the hallway clear for passing periods, no hall passes will be issued the first and last 15 minutes of
the period.

Disney II Electronic Policy

CPS Board Policy states schools are allowed to prohibit the use of cellular phones and other information technology
devices as indicated in the Student Code of Conduct.
Disney II is a cell phone-free learning environment. While we understand that students may bring their devices with them
to school everyday for transportation and communication purposes, cell phones will not be permitted during class time.
This decision was made to maximize student learning and free them from distractions. As a school, we commit to help
students learn about appropriate electronics use.

This is Disney II High School’s Electronics Policy:

● Electronics (cell phones, headphones, smart watches) will be turned in by students at the beginning of the class
period to the classroom’s cell phone locker. Students may also keep their cell phone locked in their locker or
stored inside their backpack (not on your person). Electronics should be silenced.
● Students who enter the school tardy will place their cellphone in the provided school cell phone locker for the
remainder of the day, as they will have missed cell phone turn-in in the classroom.
● Electronics are prohibited in classrooms, restrooms, school offices, hallways during instructional periods and any
other instructional spaces.
● If a student needs to make an emergency phone call, they must request permission from their teacher and go to
the counseling office to make their phone call.
● Students who access their cell phone/headphones during prohibited times will be given one warning to place their
device in the provided classroom locker.
● Students who do not comply will have their device confiscated by security/dean/administration, which will be
returned at the end of the school day
● Students who do not comply with the cell phone policy more than once per week will have their cell phone
confiscated.
● Students may be subject to additional disciplinary actions if their use of electronics disrupts the school's learning
environment. Examples of this include, not limited to: cheating, bullying, harassment, unlawful recording or
photographing, violation of other school policies.
● Students that continue to violate the Disney II Electronics Policy will require an in-person parent
conference with the staff member, student, parent/guardian, and Dean and may be required to hand in
their devices upon entry to the building.

Grading and Assessments

Disney II uses Otus as a learning management platform. Grades are assigned based on a 0-4 point proficiency scale, with
a 3.0 as meeting grade-level standards. Feedback is updated in Otus weekly.

Score What the score means student can do Alignment in Otus

4.0 Complex Content - a performance beyond what a standard requires Extending

3.0 Target Content - the level of learning required for all students Achieving

2.0 Simple content - basic knowledge or skill necessary for mastering the target Progressing
content

1.0 With help, partial success with score 2.0 content and maybe some 3.0 content Emerging

0.0 Even with help, no evidence No Evidence

Disney II is a competency-based education school. Students’ proficiency of measurement topics is assessed for each unit.
There can be between 1-4 different measurement topics for each unit. Students should have at least 12 measurement
topics for the year. While students have opportunities for reassessment, each measurement topic carries equal weight
and might not be assessed again later in the school year.

Overall proficiency scores will be converted to letter grades in Aspen at each reporting period (i.e., progress reports and
end of each quarter). Grades will be updated as proficiency levels change over the course of the year.

Students and parents can access Otus at https://my.otus.com/login

Missing Work
Work is graded based on proficiency. Missing work is due no later than 2 weeks before a reporting deadline in order to
provide enough time for feedback.

Missing assessments that are outstanding at the end of each quarter will be turned into a proficiency level of a 0.0 which
will negatively impact grades.

Academic Integrity
Misrepresenting another person’s work as your own or allowing your work to be used by another student is plagiarism or
cheating.

We encourage help from family, friends, tutors, our own staff, etc. However, when an assignment is scored, we expect the
work to be the student’s alone so that the score is meaningful. Scored assignments and assessments are important
because they give us information about student progress and the effectiveness of instruction.

All scored assignments and assessments are to be the student’s original work.

Students will:
● complete assignments and/or assessments alone;
● not copy or redistribute any part of the assignments and/or assessments in any way – electronically, verbally, or
on paper;
● take the assessments without any aids – meaning you may not use textbooks, references, or other materials
(printed or electronic) unless instructed otherwise
● not log in to a second course or open course related materials on another browser on another computer; and
● not confer with others (students, family members, teachers, or acquaintances) either in person or through
electronic communication, during assessments.
● not give or receive help or assistance while working on quizzes, tests, exams, or graded assignments.

A note on “AI:” CPS has created an AI Guidebook. Please note that “While responsible GenAI use can assist in learning,
students should submit work that is fundamentally their own. Students should clearly identify any AI-generated content
that they have used in their assignments. Students are required to cite the use of GenAI in their academic work and
specify how they used it.”

In the event that cheating/plagiarism is suspected, the teacher involved will:

● Discuss the incident with the student;
● Notify the parents/guardian, department chairperson, dean, and administrator.
● Students caught cheating and/or plagiarizing will receive appropriate consequences upto and including a
possible grade reduction that may result in a failing grade for the affected class.

Consequences for failure to meet the Academic Integrity Policy are as follows:

1st OFFENSE: The student will be counseled at school level with parent/guardian. The student will be given a
second chance to complete the assignment and/or an alternative assignment.
2nd OFFENSE: The student will be counseled at school level with parent/guardian. Consequence will result. An
alternative assignment will be given.
3rd OFFENSE: The student will be counseled at school level with parent/guardian. Consequences will result. The
student will be given a zero on assignment.
Lab Safety Rules- Room 414

Common Sense and Actions in the Lab: use of common sense will prevent most accidents in the lab AND
give you better results due to reduced mistakes and contamination!
1) Always wear goggles for lab activities it is necessary for. (Ms. Messenger will let you which activities
need goggles)
2) Always clean up spills and used glassware.
3) Never leave glassware in the sinks and be VERY careful of water pressure when cleaning out beakers,
etc.
4) Never pour unused chemicals back into the stock solution. This increases contamination and can ruin
everyone’s lab results.
5) Never pour unused substances down the sink unless you have been instructed that it is safe to do so.
This may ruin the lab classroom plumbing or clog drainage in lab sinks.
6) ALMOST NEVER use paper towels OR Kleenex for drying/cleaning glassware. Use cleaning brushes
and let them air dry on a drying rack located in class.
7) Accidents happen. If something breaks, let Ms. Messenger know. Some science items have their own
procedure for cleanup.
8) Return classroom items to where they came from when you are finished using them. It is important to
make sure everything is accounted for, and usable for future classes/class periods.

First Aid in the Laboratory:

REPORT ALL ACCIDENTS, INJURIES, AND SPILLS TO YOUR TEACHER IMMEDIATELY.

YOU MUST KNOW: safe laboratory techniques; where and how to report an accident, injury or spill; location
of first aid equipment, fire alarm, phone, school nurse’s office evacuation procedure.