Scholars Online Natural Science Year II
Natural Science is an integrated two-year high school science course provides the background in earth, life, and physical sciences necessary for success in more intensive college-preparatory courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. We learn the basic principles underlying both physical and life sciences, and how they support specialized areas such as geology, meteorology, astronomy, oceanography, zoology and botany. The core concepts of modern science are presented in their social and historical context, rather than as abstract theories isolated from each other or their historical roots, so that students can see both how the methodology of scientific investigation both shapes and limits theory development, as well as how scientific theories are shaped by social and cultural concerns. Students develop skills to apply experimental methods to observation and mathematical methods to data analysis and presentation.
The second year course surveys scientific developments from the seventeenth century to the current day. Historical topics include
- Lavoisier, Dalton, and early atomic models of matter used to explain chemical reactions
- The discovery of the elements and Mendelyeev's development of the periodic table
- Steno, Werner, early geology and theories of the age and formation of the earth
- Wegner and the theory of continental drift
- Lamarck, Cuvier, Dalton, and the development of theories of evolution
- Mendel and the beginning of genetics
- Watt, Carnot, Joule, Helmholtz, and the beginnings of thermodynamics
- Young's diffraction experiments and the wave nature of light
- Franklin, Volt, Ampere and electricity
- Faraday, Maxwell, and electromagnetic fields
- The Curies, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr, and the breakdown of the atom
- Planck and Einstein: Quantum mechanics and relativity
- The origin of information science and computing technology
- Audubon, Muir, Carson, and the origins of ecology
- Calvin, Krebs and the energy of biology: photosynthesis and cellular respiration
- Crick and Watson: the discovery of DNA
- The new solar system: space telescopes and planetary expeditions
- Annie Cannon and Edwin Hubble: the classification of stars and galaxies
- Hawking and Penrose: the origins of the universe
Scientific topics include
- Scientific Methodology: techniques of observation, experimentation, collecting and interpreting data
- Matter: mass, solids, liquids, and gases, atoms, molecules
- Chemistry: solutions, acids, bases, metals, organic materials
- Energy: motion, heat, light, chemical, and nuclear energy
- Forces: gravity, electricity, magnetism, atomic bonding
- Periodicity: waves, sound, and music
- Life: common principles of cellular structure, and the use and production of energy
- Life: diversity of forms in the five kingdoms
- Life: animal and plant systems
- Astronomy: the planets, comets and asteroids, the sun, other stars, galaxies
- Earth Science: rocks, geological forces, erosion, tectonics
- Weather: currents in air and water, clouds and precipitation, fronts, climate
Meetings: This course meets once a week in a ninety-minute live chat session using the Scholars Online HTML-based chat application (no audio)1 for discussion of material drawn from primarily from extensive website reading on the historical background and substance of modern scientific theories. Exercises and lab assignments will help students learn the practical application of the ideas discussed in class.
We will approach this mass of material through directed web reading, our live chat discussions, and through lab experiences. As we learn about the formation of modern science, we will try to put our concept of science into perspective by addressing these questions:
- What is science? How has our definition of science changed over time?
- What is scientific methodology? How has this methodology developed?
- How have past generations observed nature? How do we observe a natural object or event now?
- How do scientists design and use instruments to discover more detailed information about nature?
- How do we evaluate and organize our knowledge?
- What are hypotheses, models, theories, and physical laws?
- How do we test, accept, or disprove a theory?
- How does the very act of organizing knowledge limit or enhance the way we think about nature and ourselves?
- What are the ethical implications of scientific investigations?
- What are the areas of conflict between current scientific theories and models, and the social, cultural, and religious concerns of the human community?
- What are our responsibilities as stewards of the natural resources of Earth?
Students who satisfactorily complete the class will be prepared to continue high school level studies in astronomy, biology, chemistry, or physics.
Natural Science is designed to be an introductory course and assumes no specific science background. Simultaneous enrollment in, or completion of a general course in world history, is recommended but not required. Natural Science I is recommended but not required for enrollment in Natural Science II.
Browser Recommendation: I strongly that you use FireFox to attend class and use the Moodle, and avoid Chrome and Microsoft Edge, since Google and Microsoft chose not to implement the MathML standard in their browsers. We depend heavily on this math formatting tool in chat. Additionally, the Moodle is optimized for FireFox; some features are available in FireFox and not in other browsers.
All reading assignments are based on web-accessible materials. There are several reasons for this.
- No current textbook covers all the topics from all the different angles that I want this course to cover. Some texts focus on physical science with inadequate coverage of life science topics, some focus on historical themes without clearly explaining the science involved, and few include hands-on laboratory materials.
- Students today need to learn how to use the web as a research tool, but they also need to learn how to evaluate what they read for factual accuracy, agenda bias, and pedagogical approach. Not all sources (whether text, web, movie, personal presentation or other media) presents information accurately. Every presentation, even where the author is scrupulous about factual matter and tries hard to present unbiased information, is biased by the simple limitation that finite information is restricted: the author must chose what to present, and what not to present. Exposing students to multiple sources helps them learn how to evaluate bias and transcend it to find the truth even in questionable sources. By guiding students through source materials and different perspectives on those materials, we give students the analytic tools they need to discern for themselves whether a source is worth pursuing further.
- Finally, not all presentations are equally useful: different students learn different materials in different ways, and recognizing which presentation methods are most useful is a critical study skill, allowing students to identify and focus on materials presented so they learn best. Exposing students to the wealth of information and the wealth of presentation methods now available helps them develop skills in selecting and pursuing those information sources that best fit their needs.
For those of you who really want a textbook in hand, there are several book resources for optional supplemental reading are listed on the Text page, but they all suffer the limitations I mention above. Optional websites for more detailed exploration of individual topics are also given in each unit.
Labs and Lab Equipment:
Labs are optional. Students completing eighteen labs will receive lab credit. Students must have parental permission to perform labs in order to receive credit. The lab permission form and a list of required equipment and materials is available from the Lab Requirements page.
1I discuss my reasons for sticking to text-based chat in my May 29, 2020 Continuing in the Word blog entry "To Zoom or not to Zoom". The Scholars Online chat software runs on any browser and can handle most presentation forms — check out the Live Chats description page and Sample Chats to see how we include diagrams, equations, and even videos!
Need more information? Further details on this course are available at this site on course procedures and other frequently-asked questions.
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year opens March 1, 2024. Please see the Scholars Online website to review tuition, fees, schedule, and textbooks for the upcoming course year.
To attend pre-session orientation to the Scholars Online Chat and Moodle platforms, be sure to enroll by August 20, 2024.
© 2005 - 2024 This course is offered through Scholars Online, a non-profit organization supporting classical Christian education through online courses. Permission to copy course content (lessons and labs) for personal study is granted to students currently or formerly enrolled in the course through Scholars Online. Reproduction for any other purpose, without the express written consent of the author, is prohibited.
Sayansi ya asili ni kozi ya miaka miwili ya shule ya sekondari ya sayansi ya asili ambayo hutoa msingi katika sayansi ya dunia, maisha, na fizikia muhimu kwa mafanikio katika kozi za kujitayarisha chuo kikuu katika biolojia, kemia, na fizikia. Sisi kujifunza kanuni za msingi msingi wote fizikia na sayansi ya maisha, na jinsi wao kusaidia maeneo maalumu kama vile jiolojia, hali ya hewa, elimu ya nyota, oceanography, zoolojia na botaniki. Mawazo ya msingi ya sayansi ya kisasa yanawasilishwa katika muktadha wao wa kijamii na kihistoria, badala ya kuwa nadharia zisizo na maana zilizotenganishwa kutoka kwa kila mmoja au mizizi yao ya kihistoria, ili wanafunzi waweze kuona jinsi mbinu ya uchunguzi wa kisayansi inavyounda na kupunguza maendeleo ya nadharia, na pia jinsi nadharia za kisayansi zinaundwa na wasiwasi wa kijamii na kitamaduni. Wanafunzi kuendeleza ujuzi wa kutumia mbinu za majaribio kwa uchunguzi na mbinu za hisabati kwa uchambuzi wa data na uwasilishaji. Kozi ya mwaka wa pili inachunguza maendeleo ya kisayansi kutoka karne ya kumi na saba hadi leo. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika makala ya kwanza ya kitabu cha ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy,"" ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy"" na ""The Evolution of the Atomic Energy ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na ""Vit"" na Mazoezi na kazi za maabara zitawasaidia wanafunzi kujifunza jinsi ya kutumia kwa njia inayofaa mawazo yaliyozungumziwa darasani. Tutafikia wingi huu wa vifaa kupitia usomaji wa wavuti ulioelekezwa, majadiliano yetu ya mazungumzo ya moja kwa moja, na kupitia uzoefu wa maabara. Tunapofahamu jinsi sayansi ya kisasa ilivyotengenezwa, tutajaribu kuelewa maana ya sayansi kwa kujibu maswali haya: - Sayansi ni nini? Ufafanuzi wetu wa sayansi umebadilikaje kadiri wakati unavyopita? - Mbinu ya kisayansi ni nini? Mbinu hiyo imebuniwaje? - Vizazi vya zamani vimeitazamaje asili? Tunatazamaje kitu au tukio la asili sasa? - Wanasayansi hutengenezaje na kutumiaje vyombo ili kugundua habari za kina zaidi kuhusu asili? - Tunatathminije na kupanga ujuzi wetu? - Nadharia, mifano, nadharia, na sheria za fizikia ni nini? - Twawezaje kupima, kukubali, au kupinga nadharia? - Jinsi gani kitendo cha kuandaa maarifa kikomo au kuboresha njia ya kufikiri kuhusu asili na sisi wenyewe? - Ni nini athari za kimaadili za uchunguzi wa kisayansi? - Ni maeneo gani ya mgogoro kati ya nadharia na mifano ya kisayansi ya sasa, na wasiwasi wa kijamii, kitamaduni, na kidini wa jamii ya kibinadamu? - Ni nini majukumu yetu kama wasimamizi wa rasilimali za asili za Dunia? Wanafunzi ambao kukamilika kwa kuridhisha darasa itakuwa tayari kuendelea masomo ya shule ya sekondari katika elimu ya nyota, biolojia, kemia, au fizikia. Sayansi ya Asili ni iliyoundwa kuwa kozi ya utangulizi na inachukua hakuna asili maalum ya sayansi. Kujiandikisha wakati huohuo, au kukamilisha kozi ya jumla katika historia ya ulimwengu, inashauriwa lakini haihitajiki. Sayansi ya Asili I inapendekezwa lakini haihitajiki kwa ajili ya uandikishaji katika Sayansi ya Asili II. "Kupitia wavuti ya Google, unaweza kutumia Firefox na Moodle, na kuepuka Chrome na Microsoft Edge, kwani Google na Microsoft walichagua kutotumia kiwango cha MathML kwenye vivinjari vyao.""" Sisi kutegemea sana juu ya hii hesabu kuunda chombo katika mazungumzo. Aidha, Moodle ni optimized kwa FireFox; baadhi ya vipengele zinapatikana katika FireFox na si katika vivinjari vingine. Kazi zote za kusoma zinategemea vifaa vinavyoweza kupatikana kwenye mtandao. Kuna sababu kadhaa za jambo hilo. Hakuna kitabu cha sasa kinachozungumzia mambo yote kutoka pembe zote tofauti ambazo nataka kozi hii ifunue. Baadhi ya maandishi yanazingatia sayansi ya kimwili na chanjo isiyo ya kutosha ya mada za sayansi ya maisha, baadhi yanazingatia mandhari za kihistoria bila kuelezea wazi sayansi inayohusika, na chache ni pamoja na vifaa vya maabara. Wanafunzi wa leo wanahitaji kujifunza jinsi ya kutumia mtandao kama chombo cha utafiti, lakini pia wanahitaji kujifunza jinsi ya kutathmini kile wanachokisoma kwa usahihi wa ukweli, upendeleo wa ajenda, na mbinu ya ufundishaji. Si vyanzo vyote (iwe ni maandishi, mtandao, filamu, maonyesho ya kibinafsi au vyombo vingine vya habari) vinawasilisha habari kwa usahihi. Kila uwasilishaji, hata wakati mwandishi ni makini kuhusu mambo ya kweli na anajaribu sana kuwasilisha habari unbiased, ni biased na kikomo rahisi kwamba habari mwisho ni vikwazo: mwandishi lazima kuchagua nini kuwasilisha na nini si kuwasilisha. Kuonyesha wanafunzi vyanzo vingi husaidia kujifunza jinsi ya kutathmini upendeleo na kuupita ili kupata ukweli hata katika vyanzo vyenye kutiliwa shaka. Kwa kuwaongoza wanafunzi kupitia vyanzo vya habari na mtazamo tofauti juu ya vyanzo hivyo, tunawapa wanafunzi zana za uchambuzi wanazohitaji kujitegemea ikiwa chanzo kinafaa kufuatiliwa zaidi. Hatimaye, si maonyesho yote ni sawa muhimu: wanafunzi tofauti kujifunza vifaa tofauti kwa njia tofauti, na kutambua ambayo mbinu ya uwasilishaji ni muhimu zaidi ni ujuzi wa utafiti muhimu, kuruhusu wanafunzi kutambua na kuzingatia vifaa kuwasilishwa hivyo wao kujifunza bora. Kuonyesha wanafunzi utajiri wa habari na utajiri wa mbinu za uwasilishaji zinazopatikana sasa huwawezesha kuendeleza ujuzi katika kuchagua na kufuatilia vyanzo vya habari vinavyofaa zaidi mahitaji yao. Kwa wale ambao wanataka kitabu cha masomo mkononi, kuna rasilimali kadhaa za vitabu kwa ajili ya kusoma ziada ya hiari zilizoorodheshwa kwenye ukurasa wa maandishi, lakini zote zinakabiliwa na mapungufu niliyotaja hapo juu. Tovuti za hiari kwa ajili ya uchunguzi wa kina zaidi wa mada za mtu binafsi pia hutolewa katika kila kitengo. Maabara na vifaa vya maabara: Maabara ni hiari. Wanafunzi kukamilisha maabara kumi na nane watapata mikopo ya maabara. Wanafunzi lazima wawe na ruhusa ya wazazi kufanya maabara ili kupokea mikopo. Fomu ya ruhusa ya maabara na orodha ya vifaa na vifaa vinavyohitajika inapatikana kutoka kwa ukurasa wa Mahitaji ya Maabara. "Kama unavyoona, mimi ni mmoja wa wale ambao wamefanya kazi kwa njia ya mazungumzo ya maandishi katika ukurasa wangu wa wavuti wa Mei 29, 2020 ""Kuongeza au kutopunguza.""" The Scholars Online mazungumzo ya programu anaendesha kwenye kivinjari yoyote na inaweza kushughulikia aina nyingi za maonyesho <unk> angalia ukurasa wa maelezo ya mazungumzo ya moja kwa moja na sampuli ya mazungumzo ya kuona jinsi sisi ni pamoja na michoro, equations, na hata video! Unahitaji habari zaidi? Maelezo zaidi juu ya kozi hii yanapatikana kwenye tovuti hii juu ya taratibu za kozi na maswali mengine yanayoulizwa mara kwa mara. Kujiandikisha kwa mwaka wa masomo wa 2024-2025 huanza Machi 1, 2024. Tafadhali angalia tovuti ya Scholars Online ili ukaguzi masomo, ada, ratiba, na vitabu kwa ajili ya mwaka ujao kozi. Ili kuhudhuria mwelekeo wa kabla ya kikao kwenye majukwaa ya Scholars Online Chat na Moodle, hakikisha kujiandikisha kabla ya Agosti 20, 2024. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mafunzo ya Kikristo"" ni mpango wa shirika lisilo la faida linalounga mkono elimu ya Kikristo ya kawaida kupitia kozi za mtandaoni." Ridhaa ya kunakili maudhui ya kozi (masomo na maabara) kwa ajili ya utafiti wa kibinafsi hutolewa kwa wanafunzi sasa au zamani waliojiandikisha katika kozi kupitia Scholars Online. Utoaji kwa madhumuni mengine yoyote, bila idhini ya wazi ya maandishi ya mwandishi, ni marufuku.