| The General Physical Science course is a text-referenced discussion
class designed with the purpose of producing students that are broadly
literate in science. Traditionally, physical science courses are
categorized into four areas: physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and space
sciences. It is important to understand that the arbitrary divisions
of specialized knowledge are integrated into a basic overview of the physical
laws that govern our universe. Critical knowledge in the sciences
is needed for individuals to make informed decisions regarding land development,
environmental concerns, resource management, safety, urban development,
medical treatment, legal matters and law enforcement, waste disposal, space
exploration, and other issues.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
A course in general physical science will provide every student
1. An ability to place important public issues in a scientific context.
2. An opportunity to understand the scientific process in problem-solving.
3. A recognition of the importance of experimentation to probe nature
and in problem-solving.
4. An experience in using mathematics to describe nature.
5. An exposure to basic universal laws which describe our physical
environment.
6. An opportunity to develop application of scientific concepts.
7. An appreciation for accounts of discovery and advances in scientific
and technological disciplines that exemplify problem-solving.
A study of physical science introduces important principles such as
1. Science is a human endeavor, is a way of asking the right questions,
is a way of answering questions about the physical universe, is a way of
communicating the regularities in the physical universe, that are often
discovered by observation, in the universal language of mathematics, and
is a methodology in problem-solving.
2. The nature of scientific understanding which includes ways of knowing;
collection, organization, and classification of data or information; discovering
laws, models, and theories; the limits of scientific knowledge; and the
vocabulary and terminology of science.
3. Integrative concepts which includes form and function; causality
and consequence; and dynamic equilibrium.
4. The context of science using historical, cultural, and intellectual
aspects using the discipline of physical science; along with the political,
social, ethical, and economic dimensions of science illustrated using physical
science concepts.
5. Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity predict the behavior of objects
on Earth and in space and that all observers, regardless of their frame
of reference, see the same fundamental laws.
6. The many types of energy are interchangeable and that the total
amount of energy in the physical universe is constant although energy is
going from a more useful form to a less useful form.
7. Electromagnetic radiation involves waves of energy traveling at the
speed of light and that electricity and magnetism are two different aspects
of a electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces in nature.
8. Atoms are the building blocks of all matter and are characterized
by an arrangement of their subatomic particles.
9. Atoms bind together by an interaction of their electrons in a manner
that produces materials whose properties are different from their component
atoms; yet the properties result from the component atoms and the chemical
bonds that hold the atoms together.
10. Nuclear energy involves the conversion of mass into energy and
is the source of energy for the Sun and other stars.
11. The Earth, one of nine planets in one solar system, is constantly
changing due to convection of hot mantle rock, continental plate motion,
and the hydrologic cycle as revealed by its rocks.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The following National Science Education Standards will be addressed:
1. Students should develop through inquiry the ability to do scientific
inquiry.
2. Students should develop through inquiry understanding about scientific
inquiry.
3. Students should develop an understanding of structure of atoms
4. Students should develop an understanding of structure and properties
of matter.
5. Students should develop an understanding of chemical reactions.
6. Students should develop an understanding of motion and forces.
7. Students should develop an understanding of conservation of energy
and entropy.
8. Students should develop an understanding of interactions of energy
and matter.
9. Students should develop an understanding of energy in the earth
system.
10. Students should develop an understanding of geochemical cycles.
11. Students should develop an understanding of origin and change of
the earth system.
12. Students should develop an understanding of origin and change of
the universe.
13. Students should develop abilities regarding technological design.
14. Students should develop an understanding about science and technology.
15. Students should develop an understanding of natural resources.
16. Students should develop an understanding of environmental quality.
17. Students should develop an understanding of natural and human-induced
hazards.
18. Students should develop an understanding of science and technology
in local, national, and global challenges.
19. Students should develop an understanding of science as a human
endeavor.
20. Students should develop an understanding of the nature of scientific
knowledge.
21. Students should develop an understanding of historical perspectives
related to science. |
