By Briant McKellips “If I have seen further than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants” - Isaac Newton As prescribed in the D’Evelyn Document by the Founders of our school, the D’Evelyn science program is “content based”—the teacher conveys an essential body of knowledge through various means though primarily by teacher-directed, whole-group instruction that is supplemented with hands-on, “guided inquiry” oriented lab activities. This survey approach is different than increasingly common “open inquiry” secondary programs which attempt to teach critical thinking without what the Founders considered to be sufficient emphasis on the content. Inquiry is fostered in our program but is strategically guided and scaffolded as our students progress through the program. The Founding Document also states, “Science and the scientific method are essential for understanding our world and [our] place in it.” And it charges us to foster an “awareness of the nature and limitations of science, as well as its relationship to, and dependence on, other academic disciplines…” All D’Evelyn science courses emphasize the scientific method, philosophy of science, problem solving skills, graphing and graphical interpretation, critical thinking, drawing appropriate conclusions, laboratory process skills, and procedural safety. As indicated in the D’Evelyn Document, the Founders held that biology, chemistry, and physics are the “three pillars” of science and should comprise core of the science curriculum at D’Evelyn. All of our high school level students are required to take and successfully complete the three pillar courses for graduation. Biology, chemistry, and physics are grade level college preparatory courses that emphasize all of the traditional elements found in such survey courses. Biology is taken in the ninth grade and, for students at grade level in math, chemistry is taken in the tenth grade and physics in the eleventh grade. Our junior high classes are designed to prepare students for these pillar courses via a carefully designed scaffolding of content that introduces the main topics of biology in the life science course and the main topics of chemistry and physics in the physical science course. Seventh grade life science especially emphasizes vocabulary and cell function to familiarize students with the language and basic content of biology. Physical science is also designed to be a foundation building course preparing eighth graders for both chemistry and physics in high school as well as addressing the state earth science standards (the earth science standard emphasis would shift from eighth grade to the sixth grade curriculum over time as the Dennison sixth grade moves to D’Evelyn). We also offer robust Advanced Placement elective science coursework at D’Evelyn. Advanced Placement courses give students the opportunity to explore the material at a much deeper college level and potentially earn college credit. AP Chemistry may be taken by advanced sophomores instead of the regular chemistry course; otherwise, it may be taken as an elective junior or senior year. AP Biology may be taken as an elective during junior year (concurrently with the standard survey physics course) or during senior year (concurrently with another AP science course if desired). AP Physics is the calculus-based Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism course that is required for engineering, physics, and other science majors in college; only seniors may take this elective and only after having taken the standard survey physics course as juniors. All three disciplines have historical pass rates on the AP Exams above 85%. The Science Department loves working with our kids and loves teaching them to become citizens who understand nature, our relationship to it, and our place in this world. It is also our great pleasure to teach and train them to be thoroughly prepared to pursue more science coursework in college should they choose to do so. We have received significant feedback over the years from former students who report that science is “easy” in college, including from many who might not have offered that same assessment while still in high school. Comments are closed.
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April 2023
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