Natural Science II - Intensive

This is the second year of a two-year high school science course that provides the background in earth, life, and physical sciences necessary for success in more intensive college-preparatory courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. The core concepts of modern science are presented in their social and historical context, rather than as abstract theories isolated from each other or their historical roots. We will discover the basic principles underlying both the physical and life sciences, including atomic theory, chemical reactions, motion, energy, electricity and magnetism, classification of living things, ecology, evolution, and cellular biology, along with overviews of the sciences of geology, meteorology, astonomy, oceanography, zoology and botany as we move through the history of scientific ideas from the ancient world to our own time. Students will learn to apply and recognize the limitations and advantages of scientific methodology, experimental and observational methods, and to mathematical methods for data analysis, and to appreciate not only the interrelations between different areas of scientific knowledge, but how the methods of critical analysis of observations developed, and how social forces shaped modern science. The second year covers advances made during the 19th-21st centuries.

Prerequisites

Natural Science I or permission of the instructor.

Recommended background

General knowledge of western civilization since the Renaissance is assumed. Prior coursework should include introduction to concepts of natural law, scientific theory, scientific methodology (experiments), and fundamental theories of weather, planetary system astronomy, matter (density, mass, weight), optics (reflection and refraction), classification systems in biology, survey of human anatomy and physiology, and Newtonian (classical) mechanics covered in Natural Science I.

Teacher's notes:

This intensive summer course covers all the material of the regular academic year course. It is intended for highly motivated students who need to continue with a focussed course in astronomy, biology, chemistry, or physics in the following year in order to meet their curriculum science goals before high school graduation. CLASSES DO NOT MEET THE WEEK CONTAINING 4 July.

Textbooks and Materials

There are no textbook or materials currently required for this course.

Check instructor‘s notes above for additional information, or contact the instructor.