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Boulder Valley School District Course Outline

Course Name: Physical Science

Designated Grade Levels: 9

Prerequisite/Recommendation: None

Teacher: Claudia VanWie

 Course Code: S10

Course Duration: Year

Fees, Supplies: $5.00

Credits: 10

Course Overview: Physical science is an inquiry-oriented course about principles and concepts concerning the physical world. The course emphasizes the study and proper use of fundamental science tools including the metric system, periodic table, and graphing techniques. Frequent laboratory activities introduce and reinforce concepts and principles.

Throughout this course, strong emphasis is placed on Boulder Valley School District Science Standard 1: Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and are able to design, conduct, communicate about, and evaluate such investigation.

Most of the content for physical science addresses Standard 2: Students know and understand common physical and chemical properties, forms of matter and energy, and the laws that define their interactions.

Course Content/Student Objectives: During first semester we focus on an introduction to chemistry and during the second semester we focus on an introduction to physics. We cover the following topics:

  • Use of the metric system and conversions
  • Volume and mass
  • Mass changes in closed systems
  • Characteristic properties of matter
  • Solubility
  • The separation of mixtures
  • Compounds and elements
  • The atomic model of matter
  • Chemical bonding and reactions
  • The periodic table
  
  • Motion
  • Forces
  • Work, power, simple machines
  • Waves
  • Sound
  • Light and the electromagnetic spectrum
  • Energy
  • Electric charges and currents
  • Magnetism and electromagnetism

 

Learning Materials or Resources that may be used:

Texts: Introductory Physical Science by Haber-Schaim et al. and Conceptual Physical Science by Hewitt et al.

Various physical science sites on the web

Teacher comments: There will be a written final at the end of each semester. The exams will assess understanding of science process as well as content or factual knowledge.