How To Teach Ap Physics

Ap Chemistry Teacher Tips

Have students practice as many multiple choice and prior free response problems as possible, make all unit tests using similar AP® test questions, and hold students accountable for making attempts at all problems.

-Douglas Arbuckle from Nordonia High School

Grade only what the student has written on the paper. Never interpret, never expand, and dont think about whose paper you are grading. When the graders read the AP® tests, they wont know your students, so you need to grade their papers the same way.

-Frances Monroe from Seminole High School

Strive to create a depth of knowledge in your class by teaching the content through multiple ways. Too often, I have seen AP® Chemistry teachers burn through PowerPoints and Labs in an effort to get through the curriculum in time before the exam. Instead, incorporate a balance of inquiry activities and create opportunities for inquiry in as many labs as possible that are student-centered and allow for students to create a depth of knowledge on complex topics. Though these activities take time and may result in student misconceptions, the learning that follows that creates rich student understanding by having students make meaning from those misconceptions and new knowledge. This not only varies the medium by which students learn but also engages them with a variety of activities that puts them in charge.

-Jason Flesock from The Preuss School UCSD

-Jeremy Daugherty from Argo Community High School

-Amanda J. from Fairhope High

Ap Physics C: Mechanics Exam

The AP Physics C: Mechanics exam is one of the shortest AP exams, clocking in at just one hour and 30 minutes. It comprises two sections: one section of multiple-choice questions and one section of free-response questions.

45 minutes | 35 questions | 50% of score

The first section of the AP Physics C: Mechanics exam contains 35 multiple-choice questions, spans 45 minutes, and accounts for 50% of your total score. The questions are both stand alone and grouped into sets using the same stimulus or data set.

Below is an example of a standalone multiple-choice question:

Answer: D. Source: College Board.

Below is an example of a set of questions based on a single stimulus:

Answer: 10: B, 11: D, 12: D. Source: College Board.

45 minutes | 3 questions | 50% of score

The second part of the exam is the free-response section, which also lasts 45 minutes and accounts for the remaining 50% of your score. There are three free-response questions covering all seven of the scientific practices and youre given 15 minutes to answer each.

Below is an example of a free-response question:

You are expected to bring and use a four-function graphing or scientific calculator on the exam. You should be familiar with your calculator and it is a good idea to bring extra batteries for it. You may not share calculators during the exam, but you may bring up to two calculators. The complete calculator policy and a list of acceptable models is available on the College Board website.

Ap Calculus Teacher Tips

Provide your students with as many different tools as you can before their test. Different things work better for different students, but using all platforms will give your students confidence. My favorites are Albert.io, bozemanscience.com, and Pogil worksheets.

-Shawn Godack from Gettysburg Area High School

Dont give up. Continue to share your passion for math even though it seems as if youre not getting through to your students. Most times we never know what impact we have made on our students. When those rare moments occur, we realize that they actually are listening and learning!

-Suzanne Provenzano from Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School

Overall, teach them how to help themselves and be responsible for their own learning. Encourage them to seek out resources on the web so they are prepared to be independent learners once they enter college. Specific to AP® Calculus, constantly ask students the why of what they are doing and the how do you know of what they are doing. Students are great at memorizing procedures. They struggle with recognizing when to apply them.

-Debra Mallinak from Dobyns-Bennett High School

-John Eckhart from Sylvania Northview High School

Rigor and Relationships! Use released AP® exams and Albert questions as your question bank for exams and assignments. Cite the source and kids will begin to feel prepared as they excel in your class.

-Caleb Kartchner

Learn very well how the test is scored.

-Kathryn R. from Smithson Valley High

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Ap Studio Art Teacher Tips

Inspire, give confidence, and refine. Inspire students to want to take your class and be there, be their voice of confidence when they cannot do it themselves, and help them refine their skills along the way.

-Bob Libby from Perkiomen Valley High School

For students midterm exam, I have students write about their concept for their concentration, how they expect to see it grow or change, and what their final image might look like. The remainder of the exam is spent categorizing and measuring existing works on pages that I keep in a notebook. As images are uploaded, students check off the work in the notebook. Not only does this give students a good idea of where they need to work from the midpoint until the completion but it also lets them keep track of what things have been uploaded.

-Ginger H. from Pickens High

Ap Physics 1 Free Response Questions

The free response section consists of five multi-part questions, which require you to write out your solutions, showing your work. Unlike the multiple-choice section, which is scored by a computer, the free-response section is graded by high school and college teachers. They have guidelines for awarding partial credit, so you may still receive partial points should you not correctly respond to every part of the question.

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Increase Your Chances Of Success

While there is no AP certification for teachers, you can undergo continuous training to hone your AP teaching skills. Depending on your preferences, you can sign up for private or public workshops, as well as subject-specific AP workshops. Another option is the Summer Institute, which provides more than 30 hours of training and actionable strategies.

If you’re not an AP teacher yet, you may attend public workshops. These educational events are open to anyone interested in the AP program. Think of it as an opportunity to learn about the requirements of AP courses and prepare yourself for the AP Course Audit. Private workshops, on the other hand, have specific eligibility criteria determined by the host, which can be a school or district.

Be aware that each state has its own requirements for AP teachers. For example, those living in Arkansas must attend an AP Summer Institute at least once every five years and meet the state’s teacher licensure requirements, according to the Education Commission of the States.

Aspiring AP teachers can further increase their chances of success by taking training courses provided by third parties. UCLA, for instance, offers an online course for those interested in teaching AP Biology. Even though you wonât get an AP Biology certification, you can learn how to design a course in this field and create an inspiring classroom experience.

References

The Ultimate List Of Ap Teacher Teaching Tips

• The Albert Team

There are many good online resources:Whether youre a first-year AP® teacher or a 23-year AP® veteran, there are always new things to learn when it comes to teaching. We surveyed many AP® teachers and compiled the tips teachers had to give to other AP® teachers. Here are the 150+ responses of AP® teacher teaching tips!

What We Review

• ACT® Teacher Tips

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Ap English Language Teacher Tips

In prose analysis, start with a sentence and then go on to the bigger picture. If they can explain how a sentenceits structure, content, and devicesdevelops into the larger argument, they can explain anything in the prose analysis.

-Paul Piatkowski from North Davidson High School

Aside from the normal content covered in class , I advise teachers to continually bring history and current events both national and worldwide into class discussions. Expect students to know what is going on around them and the impact those seemingly boring things have on their world. I also try to show them how much the prompts and their essays are enhanced by an understanding of what has happened and what is happening in the country and world. In a time where our culture seems to be more ego-centric, it is crucial that we help our students literally and figuratively move their eyes from their screens and look around. The world looks much different in real life. They just need to be reminded of that daily.

-Tami Brown from Sioux Falls Washington High School

Never stop teaching the foundations of your subject. Students will teach themselves if they have the foundation skills.

-David Barr from Glacier High School

Allow students to peer review their colleagues essays. This requires them to not only be familiar with the scoring guide, but also exposes them to multiple perspectives and approaches to an argument.

-Anna Lang from Beecher High School

-Joseph Vasquez from Rosemead High

Ap Certification For Teachers

Any school offering AP classes must first have these courses reviewed and authorized by the College Board. Once approved, the courses are listed on the AP Course Ledger. There are nearly 40 AP courses and exams in several areas of study, including biology, computer science, statistics, psychology and more, reports the College Board. As a teacher, you need to hold a bachelor’s degree in the area you teach or a related field.

Next, it’s necessary to complete the AP Course Audit to have your courses certified and gain access to confidential practice exams and AP classroom resources. If, say, you want to teach AP Biology courses, you can prepare for this test by attending in-person and online workshops offered by the College Board.

Although you cannot obtain an AP Biology certification, you’ll have higher chances of getting your course approved. Only courses authorized through the AP program can use the “AP” designation on student transcripts. The AP Course Audit confirms your awareness of course scope and grants you access to the teaching resources needed to help your students succeed.

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Resources For Ap Physics 1

I recently returned to teaching AP Physics 1 after five years off. Quite a bit has changed regarding what the college board provides, and I wanted to switch all my curriculum to be fully Gsuite compatible. Below are some resources for first-time and veteran AP Physics 1 teachers. Drop us a comment using if you have a resource we should include.

The first resource we organized was the College Boards AP Physics 1 Student Workbook. The links below organize the workbook into individual PDF files and Google Slides by topic thanks to Erin Mucc. Just sign in and Open to have all the files added to your Google Drive.

AP Physics 1 Workbook Topics for 2022

About The Ap Physics C: Mechanics Course

The AP Physics C curriculum is divided into two separate courses and exams. AP Physics C: Mechanics is most often taken first, while AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism is usually taken afterwards, since a significant amount of its content builds on the material from the Mechanics course.

When considering which AP Physics track you should pursue, be sure to consider your classes in the context of your intended college path. Physics 1 and 2 are suited for students intending to pursue life sciences, pre-medicine, and some applied sciences, as well as other fields not directly related to science. Physics C, however, is especially appropriate for students planning to specialize or major in the physical sciences or pursue a career in engineering. The AP Physics C: Mechanics class is equivalent to one semester of an introductory, calculus-based college physics course and will put aspiring engineers or physicists on track toward their goals.

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Use The Ap Course Audit Site

The AP Course Audit is the required course authorization process that provides teachers and administrators with guidelines and requirements for offering AP courses.

Once you enroll in the AP Course Audit you can add your course, submit your AP Course Audit form, and have your administrator approve it. This enables access to all AP resources, including those in AP Classroom, to inform your course planning.

Among the resources you might want to check out immediately are the Syllabus Development Guide, available in your AP Course Audit account in the Resources section, and the sample syllabi. You can base your class on one or more of the syllabi and you will also find a list of recommended textbooks.

Read The 6 Strategies Andreas Used To Help His Student Better Understand Ap Physics Engage With The Science Practices Using Real Phenomena And Increase His Class Ap Physics Test Pass Rate

Andreas Damianides is a high school Physics and AP Physics teacher at St. Charles CUSD 303 in Illinois. He also develops curriculum and assessments aligned to Next Generation Science Standards .

Teaching AP Physics can be a daunting task, even for the most experienced teachers. As someone who has been teaching this class for close to a decade, I have found some useful approaches that have been particularly effective in increasing AP Physics scores, but more importantly have improved students’ conceptual understanding of important physics concepts. These strategies took my class from a more equation and calculation based course to a course designed around understanding mathematical relationships and scientific concepts. After shifting my teaching approach, my class’s pass rate improved by ~25% and is significantly above the global average.

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Ap Physics 1 Sections & Question Types

The AP Physics 1 exam is three hours long and consists of two sections: a multiple-choice section and a free-response section.

Encourage Students To Make Meaning From Weird Graphs

One thing that students immediately struggle with is how to make meaning out of graphs. To help students make the connection between what is on the graph and the analytical factors, I will use the same data and graph different functions to help students make the connection.

For example, this Pivot Interactives activity that asks students to analyze the period of a harmonic oscillator and derive the spring constant. When my students complete this task, I have some students that graph period vs. âm, 4Ï^2m vs. T^2, or any number of options. Whatâs most important is that students are able to connect the equation for the period of a spring to the expressions they have chosen to graph. In the first example, the slope of the graph will be a function that needs to be manipulated to find the spring constant, but the second example has graphed values that provide the spring constant exactly as the slope. Using phenomena and the graphing tools in Pivot Interactives, this helps them see that both strategies give the same value in different ways!

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What You Can Learn

• Understand the benefits and challenges of an AP® Physics I course
• Learn about the AP® program, timing, and scheduling decisions that must be made when offering the course
• Get tips on establishing a classroom experience that inspires students to do their best work
• Learn strategies for teaching and testing AP®-quality, multiple-choice questions, and free-response essays
• Create your own syllabus for a two-semester AP® Physics I course
• Get recommendations on curriculum and book selection, source books, audiovisuals, and web-based learning opportunities

Tips Ive Learned Along The Way

* AP® is a trademark registered and/or owned by the College Board which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this site.

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Ap Physics Teacher Tips

Complete all released International Practice Exams before teaching AP® Physics. Attempt to answer the questions within the time period alotted to the students. That will give you a true sense of the difficulty of the material and the time pressure felt by students during these exams.

-Patrick Diehl from Hong Kong International School

Teaching AP® Physics wont lead to being loved by your students because it may be the first time they struggle. But you must teach it the right way without watering the subject down. In the end, your students will appreciate that you made them work at something challenging. They will appreciate your effort when they continue in college.

-Anthony Silvestri from Morris Hills Regional in Rockaway, NJ.

I have to offer a lab for rotational inertia which includes bill of material for making your own turntables. Mine uses Vernier Labquest, but the lab can easily be adapted for other measurement methods.

-Dave T. from Lynbrook HS

Ive been recording each of my classes every day since 2001. At first, it was to VHS, then DVD and now stored on a server online. I upload these daily videos for students who are absent, have special needs or just want to review. There is a calendar file with links from the dates to the server video storage with their gmail and password.

I also take daily pictures of class notes and post them daily as PDFs on my website. My AP® students also do this and post them to their class Facebook page to share with each other.