Posted on: Thursday, November 11, 2004

What high school students should know about science

Advertiser Staff

Here's a brief description of what your high schooler is being taught in science classes and is expected to know by graduation. The goals are intended to help ensure that your child is at the appropriate development level and that Hawai'i's public schools are working toward meeting Hawai'i Content and Performance Standards.

GRADES 9-12

In high school science courses, student understanding is developed primarily through inquiry-based programs and teaching strategy. Scientific inquiry is central to understanding the content and processes of science. Specific activities include investigations (controlled experiments, secondary research, fieldwork, and design/system study); problem-solving activities; and manipulation of concepts and ideas. Hands-on and diversified experiences develop scientific concepts, inquiry skills and habits of mind.

High school students may earn their three science credits required for graduation at any time during grades nine through 12. Approximately half of the time should be spent on laboratory-related activities. As in the intermediate or middle schools, this time includes pre-lab instruction in standards and benchmarks relevant to the laboratory, instruction on safety considerations, hands-on activities and a post-lab segment for analysis and communication of results. Inquiry-based science no is longer divided into separate lecture and laboratory, but involves increased activities that mix the two.

Students typically enroll in physical science or biology in their freshman year depending on their mathematical ability and teacher recommendation. The following table shows three course paths that most students generally follow:

Path 1: Physical science; biology; chemistry, conceptual physics or marine science; environmental science or earth systems science

Path 2: Biology; chemistry; physics; advanced placement chemistry, biology, physics or environmental science

Path 3: Physical science; biology; earth systems science; AP environmental science, chemistry, biology or physics.

Here are brief descriptions of the four science courses taken by most students:

• Physical science is a laboratory course that integrates major theories traditionally learned separately in chemistry, physics and technology. Concepts on changes of matter, mechanics of solids and fluids, heat, sound, light and electricity are developed with the use of technology to illustrate the impact of science on human activities and relations to everyday living.

• Biology is a laboratory course that develops understanding of fundamental life processes; relations between structure and function; and relations between organisms and their biological and physical environments, their environmental adaptations, classification, reproduction, genetics and evolution. Emphasis is on the use of laboratory techniques and procedures to develop inquiry processes and strategies and basic concepts of living matter.

• Chemistry is a laboratory course that features a study of matter and its interactions, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding, gas laws, kinetic theory, chemical equilibrium, solution process, acids and bases, chemical reactions, nuclear chemistry, introductory organic chemistry, and industrial applications.

• Physics is a laboratory course that develops the science of energy, motion and the interactions between the two. Theories that govern the physical world are learned, including energy changes, mechanics, heat phenomena, wave motion, sound, light, magnetism, electricity and nuclear physics.

As schools work toward ensuring that all students meet the range of science standards, the following earth systems science course and/or other earth and space science courses (e.g., marine science, astronomy) will need to become more the norm than an option.

Earth systems science is a laboratory course that focuses on the human physical environment on earth and in space. Processes and phenomena of changes, positions and movements of celestial bodies in space, and recent developments in geology, oceanography, atmospheric science and astronomy are explored. The course emphasizes the unifying concepts and principles from the earth sciences and other science disciplines.

Source: State Department of Education