Physical Science

Description: This is a rigorous introductory physical science class that employs a mastery-oriented approach designed for motivated students with strong reading skills. Students will explore the physical world and master the basic laws of physics and chemistry. Topics covered are matter and atoms, sources and conservation of energy, order and design, forces and fields, substances, theories and truth, measurements and units, properties and substances, force and motion, compounds and chemical reactions, waves, sound, and light, electricity, and magnetism and electromagnetism. This class will lay a strong foundation for future high school science courses. Students will be assessed through weekly quizzes and exercises, class participation, exams, and experiments.

Labs: This class has 7 required labs using low-cost household items. More information and a detailed list will be provided to students.

Grade Level: 7-8 (ages 12-14) (7th graders must be strong readers)

Prerequisites: Mastery of 6th grade math, including decimals and fractions, is required for this course.

Required Materials: Physical Science, 3rd edition by John D. Mays (Memoria Press also sells a digital resource to accompany the textbook, but that is not required for this online course). All experiments performed by students in this class are modified from the textbook to reduce cost. They are performed by an instructor in a pre-recorded video that students can watch and then perform themselves. Students will also need a USB headset microphone (built-in microphones will also work).