Science Department

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

The purpose of Elementary Chemistry and Physics is to give all students an introductory knowledge of chemistry and physics and to offer some insight into the means by which scientific knowledge is acquired. The course is designed for students who may not have had a strong science background prior to coming to Judge Memorial. The course will take a steady pace through the introductory elements of chemistry and physics using the basic skills necessary for students to begin their exploration in science. The method employed in the course is one of student experimentation and guided reasoning on the results of such experimentation. Whenever possible, the student is to learn science in the laboratory in order to make his/her own observations and draw his/her own conclusions.

Indicators of Student Learning

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Using the Scientific Method

• Develop analytical and critical thinking skills.

• Investigate basic chemistry problems.

• Develop laboratory techniques.

• Collect and record data.

• Organize observations made during an experiment and infer a conclusion based on their own data and observations.

• Deduce scientific principles from the results of their own experimentation not from reading about a scientific law in the text.

Communication

• Come to conclusions from their own laboratory experiments.

• Be able to clearly explain their thought processes used in arriving at the conclusions.

• Be able to effectively communicate their results and conclusions to fellow students and teaching staff using written and other electronic presentation modalities.

Technology

• Students will become familiar with the tools and the basic laboratory equipment used in physical science experiments.

• Students will be able to set up the apparatus for an experiment, and manipulate the different parts of the apparatus to collect their data.

• Students will be able to use computer presentation software (media) to effectively communicate their results to fellow students and teaching staff.

Assessment

Upon completion of this course, students will:

• Collect and record their own data by which they can infer a conclusion based upon that observation and data.

• Draw and explain their own results and conclusion from lab experiments

• Set up apparatus for experiments

• Give presentations using computer media software

• Maintain notebook