[Phys-L] Re: Science curriculum sequence: Grades 6 - 12

[John Denker <jsd@AV8N.COM>]

Rextivius wrote:
> My district is considering changing the sequence of science
> courses in grades 6-12. I am trying to get a survey of
> successful curricula including course levels or tracks, pre-
> and co-requisites for specific courses, and grade level
> sequences. In our high school presently, we only require 3
> years of science. Freshmen take physical science; sophomores
> take biology; juniors take chemistry. Physics and AP courses
> are elective and usually reserved for seniors. I am afraid
> this progression of coursework does not permit all interested
> students to take advanced science courses. In addition, we are
> anticipating Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA)
> in the next few years and need to think about aligning with
> Pennsylvania standards.

I'm going to ignore the 6,7,8 part of the question and
address only the high-school part of the question.

First of all, as to the sequencing of chemistry relative to
biology relative to physics:  it doesn't matter.  There is
a lot of yelling and breast-beating on this topic, but it
all adds up to nothing.  Think about it:  What do the kids
learn in high-school physics that makes any difference to
high-school chemistry, or vice versa?  (Maybe if students
were up-to-speed on college-junior-level physics it would
help with high-school chemistry ... but that's not what
we're talking about here.)  I've never seen a HS chemistry
text that assumed any knowledge of physics, or vice versa.

As for freshman physical science, it's hard to have a discussion
about that, because the standards for that differ wildly from
place to place.
  -- In some places, it's a serious course, where kids are
   expected to learn stuff.
  -- In other places, it's little more than study-hall, (aka
   babysitting the students for an hour).  In such cases IMHO
   the kids would be better off taking class in pottery or
   music or gardening or almost anything instead.

(If you really want to have a discussion of "physical science",
perhaps a few sentences of explanation about the level and
purpose of the present course might help.)

As somebody who's seen a lot of transcripts, I can tell you
that having freshman "physical science" on a HS transcript
means virtually nothing ... it might as well not be there,
because we transcript-readers have no way of knowing what
it represents.

In contrast, the absence of a physics course on the HS
transcript will attract attention ... unfavorable attention.


Returning to the sequencing issue:  News flash:  17-year-old
kids are a lot more grown up than 13-year-old kids.  So
whatever gets taught later can be taught at a higher level.

Another bulletin from the keen-grasp-of-the-obvious department:
There is a lot of variation from kid to kid.


Combining all these thoughts, one possible plan would be to
have some sort of spiral, such as the following six-semester
sequence:
   -- Chemistry A
   -- Physics A
   -- Biology A
   -- Chemistry B
   -- Physics B
   -- Biology B

... and I repeat that the details of the ordering are not
important.

On top of that, it would make a certain amount of sense (even
if it isn't politically correct) to
   a) have some students start that sequence as freshmen, so
    they can take AP second-year physics OR chemistry OR biology
    as a senior-year elective, and meanwhile
   b) have some students who aren't quite as ready take physical
    science or basketweaving or whatever in their freshman year,
    and start the real science spiral as sophomores, with less
    opportunity for senior-year electives.

======================

Also to address a point that may or may not be in bounds: in
a lot of places, the HS _math_ program has been going to the
dogs.  Fixing this would be something to be proud of.  I am
specifically referring to the trendy tendency to completely
gut high-school geometry.  Hint:  geometry isn't about finding
the area of a parallelogram.  When was the last time bought a
parallelogram-shaped piece of fabric/lumber/whatever and paid
on a per-area basis?  HS geometry is about learning to think
logically, and in particular learning to do proofs.
_______________________________________________
Phys-L mailing list
Phys-L@electron.physics.buffalo.edu
https://www.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l