Science I
Science I: The Natural World: an interdisciplinary exploration of biology, geology chemistry, and physics
Students will learn to think scientifically and develop their natural curiosity through inquiry, observation, experimentation and modeling. They will develop their logical reasoning skills and oral, written and multimedia communication skills through debates, discussions, oral and written multimedia projects, and group laboratory projects.
In the first unit will explore topics such as: a) the classification of living organisms, b) the characteristics and functions of cells and the organizations of cells in living things, c) genetics and evolution. We will ponder how life on earth evolved and examine the life of microorganism and the various diseases they can cause in animals and plants. Using New York City as our backyard laboratory, we shall take water samples from the Hudson River and Morning Side Park pond among others. We will observe the structure and function of bacteria and virus and their effects on other organisms.
In our second unit, we will ask questions such as: what can be heavy or light, soft or hard? Our investigation of the properties of matter will lead us to atoms and molecules; the basis of states of matter (why are things solid, liquid or gas?), the chemical activity of mixtures, compounds and solutions, and the building blocks of matter: the atomic elements. We’ll establish a sense of the molecular structure of the world, and learn how the structure of atoms affects chemical activity and how this is related to the periodic properties of the elements.
As our thinking evolves we will be able to answer questions, such as, what is energy? Where does our energy come from? Covering the law of conservation of energy, we will learn how energy flows through the environment and how this flow can be disrupted. We will debate the role of energy in society today and the possibilities of future sources of energy will be explored. As a multi-disciplinary science course, we will regularly visit the American Museum of Natural History, New York Botanical Gardens, and the Bronx Zoo.
By analyzing the relationships between heat energy and kinetic energy of atoms and molecules we shall have a platform from which to discuss weather on the planet. You will learn about different methods of heat transfers and compare the measurements of temperature and heat. We will discover how chemical compounds and the physical properties of molecules can cause geological changes on our planet over time. Lastly, we will focus on the natural forces of weathering, erosions and deposition and see these actions “live” in nearby locations.
