PHYS 101 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

James Scholar Credit

Eligibility

In order to obtain James Scholars credit in Physics 101, you must:

Please note that the grades on these assignments DO NOT affect your overall 101 grade IN ANY WAY.

James Scholar Assignment

This semester we are offering two tracks for the James Scholar Assignment: (1) Physics History and (2) Current Physics.

Your honors credit will be based on an assignment that involves:

  1. Choosing one of the two tracks and identifying your topic and/or article that is relevant to Physics 101 material.
  2. writing a <1000 word summary of the topic or article with your interpretation that is relevant to Physics 101 material.

Track 1: Physics History

In this first option, you will choose a concept related to Physics 101 and do some research related to the history of that concept. By the end of the semester, you will turn in a >1000 word paper summarizing the history of the concept at the level a high school student can understand, explaining the ideas involved, how they changed over time and why, and who was involved in these ideas. Wikipedia can be a great resource to get started with these topics, but your research should utilize other reputable and citable resources such as the Center for History of Physics, journals like History of Science, Science in Context, and Perspectives on Science, or books like Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.

Some options you may wish to investigate include:

The proposal must identify the topic you wish to cover, summarize how it is of historical interest, and provide at least three resources you plan to use for that topic.

Track 2: Current Physics

In this second option, you will find a recent journal article that contains material related to the concepts covered in Physics 101. By the end of the semester, you will turn in a >1000 word paper summarizing the article at the level a high school student can understand, explaining the ideas involved and identifying how the work in the article connects to Physics 101.

The article must:

The proposal must include a link to or pdf copy of the article and at least one paragraph explaining how it is relevant to Physics 101.

 

Deadlines

Deadline

Where to turn in Project component
College dependent Your College Honors Credit Learning Agreement
5:00pm on March 10, 2023 Gradescope Proposal (web form)
5:00pm on May 3, 2023 Gradescope Final Paper (document upload)

All three components must be completed at a satisfactory level to receive James Scholar credit. You will receive feedback on your proposal within two weeks of the deadline; if your instructor has concerns about your proposal you must resolve them before submitting your final paper in order to get credit.

You will need to add yourself to the Physics 101 James Scholar Gradescope course using Entry Code

Evaluation

Rubric information coming soon.

Paperwork

If you are already a James Scholar, you should complete an Honors Credit Learning Agreement form, get it signed, and submit it to your college office.

How do I get the form signed?