INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL SCIENCE

The general objectives of this course are for the student to develop laboratory skills, reasoning skills, an understanding of physical science as observed in the lab and communication skills within the context of science. The broad topic of this course is the study of matter leading to the development of the atomic model.

  Our knowledge of physical science is the result of years of experimentation. While no student can experience all of the discoveries that have been made to date, his ability to understand the discoveries made by others rests on his having real experiences himself. The student profits most by making his own observations and drawing his own conclusions. As such, many of the significant conclusions arrived at by the student in his lab work do not appear explicitly in the text. Therefore, the student must "discover" for himself the facts or laws upon which subsequent sections of the text are based.

  At the beginning of this course, some students may feel insecure with this format; it is most likely very different from any other class they’ve yet taken. This is not a course designed around memorizing facts and answers. Rather, it is designed to promote logical progression and creativity of thought. Basic relationships and scientific concepts will become apparent and known through continual usage. The students will learn that nature cannot be "wrong", even when there appears to be more than one answer to the same question. Ultimately, all of our understanding of nature comes only through measurement and interpretation.

  Since observation, measurement and interpretation are the keys to learning science, the student’s own lab notebook will be vital to his success. Each student will keep his own notebook and will write in it practically everything that he sees, hears or says in this class. It is this notebook that will be his main study source for all quizzes and tests, as well as being graded itself.

*** NOTE ***

Parents should be aware that the act of taking notes is a new skill for 9th graders to learn. In that regard, parents are asked to help their sons in developing this new skill by checking over his lab notebook each night. Please follow up with your son to be sure that he is indeed taking notes, first of all, and then be sure to encourage him to READ and THINK ABOUT THE MATERIAL that is in his notebook. He needs to spend 30 MINUTES EACH NIGHT studying over his notebook!!  

9th Graders need to develop good study habits from Day 1. Those students who build the habit of taking good notes and then reading them again each night always do better than those who put off reading their notes until the night before a test. This skill will pay dividends in all classes. MAKE IT A HABIT!!