Course Materials

This course is organized into 5 units and 35 lessons. All required instructional content, worked examples, diagrams, videos, simulations, laboratory and inquiry activities, practice questions, assessments, Exit Cards, and submission instructions are provided through the Canadian International Learning online learning environment.

You are expected to complete the lessons in sequence, work through all examples and practice activities, complete required investigations, and participate actively in all required learning activities.

Course Units

Completing Each Lesson

Each lesson contains instructional material and opportunities for you to develop, practise, assess, and demonstrate your understanding of physics concepts and skills.

For each lesson, you are expected to:

1. Read and work through all lesson content, explanations, diagrams, formulas, worked examples, videos, and learning activities.
2. Complete the Assessment FOR Learning activities to check your understanding. Answers and worked solutions are provided where appropriate so that you can review your thinking and correct misunderstandings.
3. Complete the Assessment AS Learning reflection, self-assessment, error analysis, or self-check activity, where included.
4. Complete the Exit Card – Assessment FOR Learning at the end of the lesson.
5. Complete the required Assessment OF Learning task, which may include problem-solving questions, laboratory investigations, inquiry activities, quizzes, assignments, data analysis, or other demonstrations of learning.
6. Combine your completed Exit Card and Assessment OF Learning task into one PDF file, unless otherwise instructed, and submit it through the appropriate LearnDash assignment submission area.

Your submission should clearly include your name, unit number, and lesson number. All calculations should show sufficient work, appropriate formulas, substitutions, units, directions where required, and answers reported using appropriate significant figures.

Scientific Investigations and Laboratory Activities

Scientific inquiry is an important part of SPH4U. Throughout the course, you will complete investigations that allow you to apply scientific investigation skills while exploring physics concepts.

Investigations may involve:

• making predictions and developing hypotheses;
• identifying variables;
• planning or following experimental procedures;
• collecting and recording qualitative and quantitative data;
• using appropriate measuring instruments or simulations;
• organizing data in tables and graphs;
• analysing patterns and relationships;
• performing calculations;
• evaluating experimental uncertainty and sources of error;
• drawing conclusions supported by evidence; and
• communicating results using appropriate scientific terminology and conventions.

Where specialized laboratory equipment is not available, an appropriate virtual simulation, computer-based investigation, teacher-provided data set, video demonstration, or alternative inquiry activity may be used.

Students must follow all safety instructions provided for laboratory and investigation activities.

Problem Solving and Mathematical Communication

Physics requires you to communicate your mathematical reasoning clearly.

For numerical problems, you are expected to:

• identify known and unknown quantities;
• select an appropriate physics principle or equation;
• draw diagrams, vector diagrams, or free-body diagrams where appropriate;
• show substitutions and calculations;
• use correct SI units;
• include direction for vector quantities where required;
• use an appropriate number of significant figures; and
• clearly state your final answer.

A correct final answer without sufficient supporting work may not provide enough evidence of your understanding.

Discussion Forum Participation

You may be required to participate in Discussion Forum activities throughout the course.

Discussion activities provide opportunities for you to:

• examine applications of physics in everyday life;
• consider connections among science, technology, society, and the environment;
• investigate current or emerging technologies;
• discuss the benefits, limitations, and impacts of technological applications;
• communicate scientific ideas clearly;
• support your conclusions using evidence;
• consider different perspectives on scientific and technological issues; and
• participate respectfully in the online learning community.

Discussion responses should demonstrate understanding of the relevant physics concepts and use appropriate scientific terminology. When required, you may also be asked to respond thoughtfully to another student's contribution.

Student–Teacher Interviews: Observations and Conversations

At the end of each unit, you will participate in a student–teacher interview with your teacher.

These interviews provide important evidence of learning through Observations and Conversations and allow your teacher to confirm your understanding of the unit expectations and the authenticity of your submitted work.

During the interview, you may be asked to:

• explain important physics concepts from the unit;
• explain how you solved a selected numerical problem;
• interpret a graph, diagram, vector representation, or free-body diagram;
• explain the reasoning behind a formula or calculation;
• discuss the results of a laboratory or inquiry activity;
• interpret experimental data;
• explain sources of experimental uncertainty or error;
• describe connections between physics concepts and real-world applications;
• explain how you completed selected course work;
• respond to questions related to the unit expectations;
• reflect on what you have learned; and
• identify areas of strength and areas requiring further practice.

The interview also gives you an opportunity to ask questions, clarify concepts, and receive feedback from your teacher.

Evidence of Learning

Your achievement in this course is determined using a variety of evidence collected through Products, Observations, and Conversations.

Products may include problem-solving assignments, laboratory reports, inquiry investigations, quizzes, tests, data-analysis activities, graphs, diagrams, simulations, projects, written explanations, discussion contributions, and other submitted work.

Observations may include evidence demonstrated during investigations, simulations, online learning activities, problem-solving processes, lesson participation, and the application of scientific investigation skills.

Conversations may include student–teacher interviews, oral explanations, discussions, responses to teacher questions, explanations of calculations or laboratory results, and other opportunities to communicate your understanding.

Using different types of evidence allows you to demonstrate your understanding of physics concepts and scientific investigation skills in more than one way.

Assessment FOR Learning

Assessment FOR Learning is used throughout the course to help determine what you understand and what you may need to review.

These activities may include:

• diagnostic questions;
• practice calculations;
• multiple-choice questions;
• concept checks;
• worked problems;
• diagram interpretation;
• prediction activities; and
• practice questions related to laboratory or inquiry work.

Where appropriate, worked answers and explanations are provided so that you can compare your work with the solution, identify errors, and review concepts before completing graded assessment tasks.

Assessment FOR Learning activities are intended to support your learning and prepare you for Assessment OF Learning.

Assessment AS Learning

Assessment AS Learning helps you monitor and reflect on your own progress.

Activities may include:

• self-check questions;
• error analysis;
• reflection questions;
• checklists;
• reviewing worked solutions;
• identifying misconceptions;
• assessing your confidence with particular skills; and
• identifying concepts that require further review.

You are expected to use these activities to make decisions about what you should practise or review before proceeding.

Exit Cards – Assessment FOR Learning

Most lessons conclude with a short Exit Card – Assessment FOR Learning.

Exit Cards provide a quick check of the most important concepts from the lesson and may include:

• one or two multiple-choice questions;
• a short conceptual question; and/or
• a brief reflection on an area that may require further review.

Answers are provided for objective questions where appropriate. Reflection questions do not have a single correct answer.

You are expected to complete the Exit Card before moving to the next lesson and submit it as directed by your teacher.

Assessment OF Learning

Assessment OF Learning activities provide evidence of your achievement of the course expectations and contribute to your course grade.

These activities may include:

• numerical problem-solving assignments;
• quizzes and tests;
• laboratory investigations and reports;
• inquiry activities;
• data-analysis tasks;
• simulations;
• written explanations;
• applications of physics to real-world situations;
• projects; and
• culminating assessment activities.

Assessment OF Learning tasks should represent your own work. Answers to these graded tasks are not provided before submission.

Evidence of Attendance and Participation

Attendance and Participation are worth 10% of your final grade.

Because this course is delivered primarily through an asynchronous online learning environment, attendance and participation are demonstrated through your regular and meaningful engagement with the course, not simply by logging into the learning platform.

Evidence of attendance and participation may include:

• accessing and progressing through required online lessons;
• completing required virtual lessons and learning activities;
• completing practice problems and formative learning activities;
• completing and submitting Exit Cards – Assessment FOR Learning;
• completing and submitting Assessment OF Learning tasks;
• completing required laboratory, simulation, and inquiry activities;
• participating in required Discussion Forum activities;
• attending and participating in the student–teacher interview at the end of each unit;
• completing reflection and self-assessment activities;
• responding to teacher feedback and communication;
• communicating with your teacher when clarification or additional support is required; and
• making consistent progress toward completion of the course.

Simply logging into the course without completing or participating in required learning activities does not, by itself, demonstrate attendance or participation.

Attendance and Participation – 10%

The 10% Attendance and Participation component reflects your ongoing and meaningful engagement with the learning process throughout the course.

Your teacher will consider evidence such as:

• lesson completion;
• Exit Card completion;
• participation in laboratory and inquiry activities;
• Discussion Forum participation;
• student–teacher interviews;
• engagement with formative activities;
• communication with your teacher; and
• consistent progress through the course.

You are responsible for maintaining regular progress, completing required activities and assessments, participating in required investigations, discussions, and interviews, and remaining in communication with your teacher throughout the course.