UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE
Grade 7 / General Science
This is a course of integrated sciences. It begins with review of science skills, the scientific method, and laboratory safety measures. It is divided into the following five units: measurement, diversity, interactions, models and systems, and energy.
Berean students will:
• Demonstrate improvement in their understanding of the scientific method.
• Show the ability to use the SI system of measurement.
• Through experimentation and discussion students will discover the diversity of living and non-living matter and their interaction.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic units and systems of life
• Demonstrate knowledge of the source and storage of Earth’s energy including plants as a source of energy.
• Demonstrate the ability to draw scientific diagrams.
• Develop an appreciation of the marvelous design in creation.
Grade 8 / General Science
This course is part II of the seventh grade course of integrated science. It focuses on models and systems of matter and living things, light and electrical energy, interactions through sound, chemical changes, ecological systems, and nutrient cycles in the ecosystem.
Berean students will:
• Demonstrate an understanding of atomic theory and how it can be used to explain chemical formulas.
• Learn about the transport of chemical in plants and animals.
• Experiment and discover reflection and refraction of light, electric currents and their uses.
• Experiment and discover interactions of sound waves and chemical changes caused by various conditions
• Learn about the various components of an ecosystem, transfer of energy and nutrient, and cycles within an ecosystem.
• Develop an appreciation of the marvelous design in creation.
Grade 9 / Biology
This course involves the study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. Various experiments will be performed to aid in understanding the relationship of the physical and chemical phenomena to the function of the human body. The students will develop a finer analysis of causal sequences in the biological sciences, learn how to apply analytical statistics and quantitative relations in biology.
Berean students will:
• Master vocabulary in order to understand physiological concepts.
• Understand the characteristics of various systems of the body and their relationship to the whole organism.
• Articulate the major strengths and weaknesses of evolution vs. creationism on anatomical terms.
• Demonstrate and apply understanding of human anatomy.
• Apply a combination of principles from biological science, physical science, and mathematics to lay the foundation for a better understanding of the body’s function.
• Evaluate difficult issues and their consequences as they relate to organisms and their environment with particular attention to the issues presented by the claims of evolutionary biology.
Grade 10 / Chemistry
This course is a study of chemical facts, formulas, and principles within the scope of chemistry, focusing on how the atomic structure of elements affects properties. Various labs will be performed to aid in the understanding of the characteristics of matter. An ability to facilitate integration between the sciences will be better developed in order to recognize the complexity of God’s design.
Berean students will:
• Master vocabulary in order to understand chemical concepts.
• Understand the fundamental laws to which matter is subject.
• Develop skills in the area of scientific critique and debate.
• Utilize the integrated principles of chemistry and mathematics to explain the relationships among various types of matter for a better understanding of the physical universe.
• Evaluate difficult issues and their consequences as they relate to chemical processes and the environment.
Grade 11 / Physics
This course is an introduction to the main concepts of of physics, which is a broad area of science with intra-disciplinary applications. The aim is to guide the student to see physics as the rules of the physical world and to show how the equations of physics reveal the connections in nature. The focus is on the concepts themselves, their similarities and differences. Many analogies are included with more qualitative explanations than algebraic solutions. The course is divided into mechanics, properties of matter, he
at, sound and light, electricity and magnetism and atomic and nuclear physics.
Berean students will:
• Master vocabulary in order to understand physics concepts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of both practical and theoretical points of physics.
• Continue to develop skills in the area of scientific critique and debate.
• Apply a combination of principles from physical science and mathematics to lay the foundation for a better understanding of the physical universe.
• Evaluate difficult issues and their consequences as they relate to technology and the environment with particular attention to the issues presented by the claims of the EPA, AMA, and NASA.
Grade 12 / Philosophy of Science
This course will focus on the philosophical issues of science and its progression, beginning with Plato and Aristotle through 21st-century thought. Special attention will be given to primary sources contained in The Great Books of the Western World with additional secondary readings from various books, essays and articles. Emphasis will be placed on well-known natural philosophers and scientists, as well as the ideas of lesser known, but important, individuals whose theories are crucial for understanding the development of scientific thought. Throughout the course, students will examine contributions in specific historical contexts, pausing to pay particular attention to social responses to developing theories which assisted in bringing about paradigm shifts.
Berean students will:
• Master vocabulary in order to understand philosophy concepts.
• Demonstrate an understanding of both practical and theoretical points of the philosophy of science.
• Continue to develop skills in the area of scientific critique and debate.
• Trace the historical and philosophical development of natural philosophy and science.
• Evaluate difficult issues and their consequences as they relate to science, technology and the natural world.