Course Description
Our primary goal within the science department at GLHS is that you understand the nature of science, how it affects you, and how you can apply it to your everyday experiences. Can you make reasonable decisions about vital issues that require scientific knowledge?
We will not just memorize a lot of facts or simply plug and chug equations but we will experience science as a PROCESS: how we observe the world, ask questions, seek answers to them, and communicate what we find. We will therefore use many forms of learning: class discussions, problem solving, lab investigations, readings, writing, presentations, and projects.
Our primary goal within the science department at GLHS is that you understand the nature of science, how it affects you, and how you can apply it to your everyday experiences. Can you make reasonable decisions about vital issues that require scientific knowledge?
We will not just memorize a lot of facts or simply plug and chug equations but we will experience science as a PROCESS: how we observe the world, ask questions, seek answers to them, and communicate what we find. We will therefore use many forms of learning: class discussions, problem solving, lab investigations, readings, writing, presentations, and projects.
How we learn: Instruction is guided by the teacher and DRIVEN by the students
In Conceptual Physics here at Grand Ledge High School, we practice an "I, We, You" instructional technique. This approach is heavily focused on classroom participation, discussions, demonstrations, inquiry experiences and problems sets in which students can develop their own understanding of the physical world around them. The instructional material is presented to the students so that they may learn in an environment where we can have conversions, ask questions and develop understanding on an individual level.
This class is driven by a cycle of instruction throughout each unit. For each unit, students will receive a packet containing notes, handouts, practice problems and a study guide before each unit. In order to be successful students must attend class be have an "active" role. Students are highly encouraged to participate each class period during instruction to make each class period meaningful.
Basic instructional cycle for each unit...
1. Demonstration - Students will observe a natural phenomena and develop questions to answer.
2. Key Question - What are we trying to understand, explain, answer and support?
3. Develop Understanding (I) - Students will complete guided notes and identifying equations/relationships.
4. Guided Practice (We) - Teacher will guide students through practice problems and examples.
5. Independent Practice (You) - Students will apply knowledge by completing "Problem sets" for each unit.
Inquiry labs
As a new lesson is introduced we will start with questioning a phenomena that we have just demonstrated or witnessed in the classroom. Students will be asked to gather their observations, come up with measurable variables, develop research questions and procedures to conduct a lab experiment or solve problem sets.
Procedures will be developed and students will conduct their experiments and collect their data with respect to their independent and dependent variables. After data collection, students will develop conclusions from graphical representations of their data to arrive at a conclusion. Once this conclusion is developed, we as their teacher relate what they have "discovered" to the natural law of physics.
This class is driven by a cycle of instruction throughout each unit. For each unit, students will receive a packet containing notes, handouts, practice problems and a study guide before each unit. In order to be successful students must attend class be have an "active" role. Students are highly encouraged to participate each class period during instruction to make each class period meaningful.
Basic instructional cycle for each unit...
1. Demonstration - Students will observe a natural phenomena and develop questions to answer.
2. Key Question - What are we trying to understand, explain, answer and support?
3. Develop Understanding (I) - Students will complete guided notes and identifying equations/relationships.
4. Guided Practice (We) - Teacher will guide students through practice problems and examples.
5. Independent Practice (You) - Students will apply knowledge by completing "Problem sets" for each unit.
Inquiry labs
As a new lesson is introduced we will start with questioning a phenomena that we have just demonstrated or witnessed in the classroom. Students will be asked to gather their observations, come up with measurable variables, develop research questions and procedures to conduct a lab experiment or solve problem sets.
Procedures will be developed and students will conduct their experiments and collect their data with respect to their independent and dependent variables. After data collection, students will develop conclusions from graphical representations of their data to arrive at a conclusion. Once this conclusion is developed, we as their teacher relate what they have "discovered" to the natural law of physics.