Integrated Physical Science

There are three main areas of focus for Integrated Physical Science: 1) Science Process (observation and inference, measurement, data and graphing, cause and effect, and  experimental design); 2) Energy (forms of energy - chemical, mechanical, electromagnetic, nuclear, and thermal, the first and second Laws of Thermodynamics, energy conversion, charge imbalance, current and circuits, magnets); and 3) Matter (classes of matter, physical and chemical properties, mixture separation, models of matter, atomic structure, patterns in the periodic table, chemical bonding, and chemical reactions).

School Competencies
  • Interpretation (Problem Solving & Analysis - Foundational)
  • Logical Processing (Problem Solving & Analysis - Foundational)
  • Viable Technological Usage (Problem Solving & Analysis - Foundational)
  • Scientific Experimental Design (Problem Solving & Analysis - Advanced)
Course Competencies
  • Given a ‘cause and effect’ question, students will design and safely conduct an experiment, collect the data, graph the data, and make conclusions based on the graph.
  • Given a device or process, students will explain the energy changes and conversions that take place within it and relate these energy changes to the 1st and 2nd Laws of Thermodynamics.
  • Given mechanical device or process, students will explain the conversions that take place between potential and kinetic energy.
  • Students will also explain waves as a method of transferring energy without transferring matter.
  • Given a device or process, students will describe and explain the behavior of electrons and will use their knowledge of this behavior to explain electrical and magnetic phenomena in terms of energy concepts.
  • Given specific examples of chemical reactions, students will describe the energy changes that take place and represent the energy changes in the form of a qualitative energy change graph.
  • Given a sample of some matter, students will determine the type and phase of matter as well as identify its composition by determining its chemical and physical properties. 
  • Given a mixture of substances, students will use the different physical properties of the components of the mixture to separate those components from each other.
  • Given a periodic table as a reference, students will be able to determine specific characteristics an element has based on its location on the periodic table. Students will also be able to identify patterns and making inferences about the properties of other elements in the same group based on their location on the periodic table.
  • Scientific Process 
  • Metric Units and Instruments
  • Energy types and thermodynamics
  • Given a periodic table as a reference, students will: determine the formula and name for binary ionic compounds,  determine the formula and draw the structure of simple covalent compounds, use a molecular model kit to build a model of a simple covalent compound.
  • Given a chemical equation, students will: balance the equation, identify the type of reaction, predict the products for simple chemical reactions.
Credits

1

Grades

9