2009-2010

For my Sophomore year science, I took a biweekly OHG physics course taught by Paola Seidel.  For this class we used the Prentice Hall Conceptual Physics textbook by Paul G. Hewitt.  The class ran through both semesters.  Between each class meeting we had to read and take notes on either two or three chapters. Also, as part of our assignments we all answered the assessment questions at the end of each chapter.  In class, Paola would expand on the concepts we learned from the text and help answer any questions we had about the material. She would also have us, as a group, work through additional problems in class, and send us home with handout materials.  There were often small labs we would complete in class that had relevance to the topic we were currently studying.

By thoroughly reviewing the textbook, completing the assignments, and participating in class, I gained a much better understanding of basic physics. Notable are the following concepts I learned: mechanics, properties of matter, heat (including thermodynamics), sound, light, electricity; and magnetism, atomic, and nuclear physics.