AP physics as a freshman at Blair?

[Anonymous]

Not at Blair. My dd took AP physics 1 as a sophomore, and it was fine. No prior knowledge is expected and if that's the recommended path, the class will be mostly other Freshman. FYI that in this sequence you take AP Physics 1 INSTEAD of Honors Physics. So if you want to start with Physics (rather than bio or chem) this would be the class to take.

[Anonymous]

Student doesn’t have to take the AP Physics, they could just take Honor Physics or gasp regular physics. The benefits to taking Physics freshman year is the science understanding gained because of the sequencing, not in getting an AP class under your belt or even passing an AP exam.

[Anonymous]

I wonder why they even started tracking kids into the AP class if they were registered for algebra 2 then. Sounds like it hasn’t worked well.

[Anonymous]

Way to burn you DC out early.

[Anonymous]

Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

This post is strange. The poster seems to be referring to the magnet as the 'program' which I have never heard anyone say. Also magnet students do not take Algebra Ii. It is geometry, precalculus or functions. Unless something has changed magnet freshman take magnet physics which is a one semester non AP class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

This post is strange. The poster seems to be referring to the magnet as the 'program' which I have never heard anyone say. Also magnet students do not take Algebra Ii. It is geometry, precalculus or functions. Unless something has changed magnet freshman take magnet physics which is a one semester non AP class.

Presumably the program was CAP. Many CAP students have been in the top math track, which means Algebra 2 in 9th (algebra in 6th is always rare), and 9th grade CAP is a heavy work load.

My youngest is a junior and took honors physics freshman year, sounds like the option of AP started last year. Taking AP in ninth would be rough, my impression was even in honors most students were learning more math in physics than they had retained over the previous years. Not only is precalc when some of the necessary topics for AP are introduced, precalc is also the first year in the high school sequence algebraic manipulation is really emphasized, which is what physics reinforces.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear AP Physics 1 isn't an "easier" course than AP Physics C. Just look at the pass rates. It may "only" be algebra based, but in reality there is very little mathematical problem solving. Instead it is conceptual analysis of complex situations. Students really have to understand the underlying physics concepts in order to do well. AP Physics C is more focused on problem solving, and students who make it to Calculus tend to be more analytical in their thinking and better suited to physics thinking in general.

But back to OP's question - AP Physics 1 pairs well with students who are in Honors Precalculus. They will have already had the trigonometry from Algebra 2, and if the teacher delays circular motion until January, the Honors Precalculus class will have covered the math part in December.

Yes yes yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

This post is strange. The poster seems to be referring to the magnet as the 'program' which I have never heard anyone say. Also magnet students do not take Algebra Ii. It is geometry, precalculus or functions. Unless something has changed magnet freshman take magnet physics which is a one semester non AP class.

Presumably the program was CAP. Many CAP students have been in the top math track, which means Algebra 2 in 9th (algebra in 6th is always rare), and 9th grade CAP is a heavy work load.

My youngest is a junior and took honors physics freshman year, sounds like the option of AP started last year. Taking AP in ninth would be rough, my impression was even in honors most students were learning more math in physics than they had retained over the previous years. Not only is precalc when some of the necessary topics for AP are introduced, precalc is also the first year in the high school sequence algebraic manipulation is really emphasized, which is what physics reinforces.

OK...that makes more sense. I have never heard CAP referred to that way either but it is a different crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

This post is strange. The poster seems to be referring to the magnet as the 'program' which I have never heard anyone say. Also magnet students do not take Algebra Ii. It is geometry, precalculus or functions. Unless something has changed magnet freshman take magnet physics which is a one semester non AP class.

Presumably the program was CAP. Many CAP students have been in the top math track, which means Algebra 2 in 9th (algebra in 6th is always rare), and 9th grade CAP is a heavy work load.

My youngest is a junior and took honors physics freshman year, sounds like the option of AP started last year. Taking AP in ninth would be rough, my impression was even in honors most students were learning more math in physics than they had retained over the previous years. Not only is precalc when some of the necessary topics for AP are introduced, precalc is also the first year in the high school sequence algebraic manipulation is really emphasized, which is what physics reinforces.

OK...that makes more sense. I have never heard CAP referred to that way either but it is a different crowd.

Sounds like an effort to reference the extra workload without limiting the discussion to CAP or even Blair. ‘Magnet’ might be more natural than ‘program’ but somehow that isn’t an inclusive term at Blair. Sure, SMAC kids wouldn’t take AP physics, but SMAC trolls read every Blair thread, so language is key.

[Anonymous]

What's the goal here? If it's to accumulate another AP credential, I'd think twice. I teach college, and our industry often tries to avoid awarding credit for APs wherever we can because it costs colleges tuition dollars every time a kid gets credit for something done in the past or off-campus. Check the AP credit awarded by colleges of your interest for anything below Physics C before you make your decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yo, I'm a student at Blair. I took AP Physics 1 last year, as a freshman. The teachers weren't fully prepared to teach students who didn't have prior experience with physics, which was most of us, and referenced pre-calc constantly, despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of us were only in Honors Algebra 2. I'm a program student, as well, and we already have double the work load of the average student at Blair; I don't recommend taking this class, especially if your child is in a program, as it adds so much stress on top of the work load from the rest of the classes, getting used to a new school, and everything else that comes with it.

How were you only in Algebra 2, shouldn't you have done Algebra in 6th if you are ready to take AP classes.

This post is strange. The poster seems to be referring to the magnet as the 'program' which I have never heard anyone say. Also magnet students do not take Algebra Ii. It is geometry, precalculus or functions. Unless something has changed magnet freshman take magnet physics which is a one semester non AP class.

We are at a non-magnet school and taking Algebra in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at a non-magnet school and taking Algebra in 6th.

From what I’ve heard, MCPS goes back and forth on whether to allow students to take Algebra in 6th. There seem to be quite a few 6th graders in Algebra this coming year, but for current high schoolers, Algebra in 6th would have been very rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are at a non-magnet school and taking Algebra in 6th.

From what I’ve heard, MCPS goes back and forth on whether to allow students to take Algebra in 6th. There seem to be quite a few 6th graders in Algebra this coming year, but for current high schoolers, Algebra in 6th would have been very rare.

This is correct the last trickle of students who were placed in algebra in 6th and stayed ahead of the 2.0 rollout graduated last year. My DC wasn’t on that track, but she had a couple friends who were. Since then it’s only current MS students who where offered this pathway—about a seven year gap. The only other way to be in precalc in 9th would be summer school.