Course Overview
General Science I is a basic intermediate course intended to expose students to the designs and patterns in God’s physical universe. This course expands on the Science 600 course, providing a set of basic scientific skills and a broad survey of the major areas of science. Some of the areas covered in General Science I include the scientific method, overview of the four major areas of science, mathematics in science, astronomy, the atmosphere, natural cycles, weather and climate, human anatomy and physiology, and careers in science.
The course seeks to develop the student’s ability to be aware of and participate in scientific inquiry. The units contain experiments and projects to capitalize on the students’ natural curiosity. The student will explore, observe, and manipulate everyday objects and materials in their environment. Students at this level should show understanding of interrelationships between organisms, recognize patterns in systems, and expand their knowledge of cellular dimensions of living systems. Collectively, this should help students develop and build on their subject-matter knowledge base.
- What is Science: Students will explore the tools and methods of a scientist, the four major areas of science, and look at several careers in science.
- Perceiving Things: Students will learn about the metric system, different types of measurement and methods of presenting data.
- Earth in Space (Part 1): Students will learn about the constellations and the history of astronomy.
- Earth is Space (Part 2): Students will learn the components of the solar system and their movements.
- The Atmosphere: Students will learn about the structure of the atmosphere, and the cycles occurring within it.
- Weather: Students will learn about the causes of weather, how it is measured and forecasted.
- Climate: Students will explore the types of climates around the world and the factors that affect climate.
- The Human Anatomy (Part 1): Students will explore the building blocks of the human body and several of its systems.
- The Human Anatomy (Part 2): Students will learn about other systems in the human body.
- Working in Science: Student will explore different types of scientists and the work they do.
Curriculum Content and Skill Focus
Unit 1: What is Science
- Identify three processes of scientific investigation.
- Describe and apply the steps of the scientific method.
- Describe the characteristics of a scientist.
- List and describe the four major areas of science.
- Explore professional careers in science.
Unit 2: Perceiving Things
- Identify the standard units and advantages of the metric system.
- Identify the units of measurements, take measurements, and use measurements to calculate area and volume.
- Use different types of graphs to present and analyze data.
Unit 3: Earth in Space (Part 1)
- Distinguish between astrology and astronomy.
- Identify and apply the astronomers’ unit of measure for calculating distances in the universe.
- Identify the principal constellations and use star charts to locate constellations.
- Explain the impact of the scientific method on the Transparent Sphere Hypothesis.
- List the early astronomers and their contributions to Heliocentric theory.
- Identify parts of the telescope and distinguish between refracting and reflecting telescopes.
Unit 4: Earth in Space (Part 2)
- Identify the main source of energy for phenomena on the earth’s surface.
- Identify the main components of the solar system.
- Identify the defining characteristics of asteroids and comets.
- Identify the characteristics of the orbit, phases, and rotation of the moon and its effects the tides.
- Distinguish between a solar and lunar eclipse and identify the characteristics of total and partial eclipses.
Unit 5: The Atmosphere
- Identify the components of the atmosphere.
- Describe some of the effects of the sun’s energy on the earth.
- List the steps of the water cycle and explain the importance of water to life.
- Describe the basic processes involved in the carbon-oxygen and nitrogen cycles.
- Explain how all the natural cycles are dependent on one another.
- Describe the kinds of pollutants, how they affect life, and the responsibilities of humans to minimize pollution.
Unit 6: Weather
- Identify the four elements of weather and the main causes of weather conditions.
- Identify the causes of wind and describe the general wind patterns on the earth.
- List weather instruments and their functions and identify the relationship between high and low pressure areas and weather conditions.
- Describe the three types of clouds and the four types of air masses.
- Identify types of fronts and the factors influencing the formation of storms.
- Describe the methods meteorologists use to forecast weather.
Unit 7: Climate
- Compare and contrast weather and climate.
- Describe the four factors contribute to the long-term climate of a region.
- List and describe the five basic climate areas.
- Identify the major climate areas and their defining characteristics.
- Recognize the different climates across the continents.
Unit 8: The Human Anatomy (Part 1)
- Identify the structure and basic functions of the cell.
- Identify the structure and functions of the muscular and skeletal systems.
- Explain the functions of the skin.
- Describe the structure and function of the human nervous system.
- Identify the five senses and the organs associated with each and their function.
Unit 9: The Human Anatomy (Part 2)
- Identify the organs involved in the respiratory system and their functions.
- Identify the organs involved in the circulatory system and their functions.
- Identify the organs involved in the digestive system and their functions.
- Identify the organs involved in the excretory system and their function.
- Identify the organs involved in the endocrine system and their function.
Unit 10: Working in Science
- Discuss the contributions of scientists in various fields in science.
- Review the other units in this course.
Additional Resources.
All of the default activities in this course can be completed with online resources. General Science I also includes extra alternate assignments, experiment/projects and tests for use in enhancing instruction or addressing individual needs.