Integrated Physical Science

Catalog description

The course will emphasize the nature and skills of science as well as the understanding of major science concepts and principles in these fields. The use of an inquiry based approach throughout the course will enhance the application of these concepts to the teaching of elementary and middle grades students. Upon completion of the course, students will: 1) explain the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science; 2) appropriately use tools and instruments for observing, measuring and manipulating data in scientific activities; 3) demonstrate basic computational and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and following scientific explanations; 4) use the ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological concepts; 5) communicate effectively regarding scientific topics in oral and written form using appropriate scientific terminology; 6) identify fundamental physics concepts related to energy, motion, force, waves, electricity, and magnetic fields as they relate to real work systems; 7) identify fundamental chemistry concepts related to matter, chemical bonds, mixtures, compounds, and chemical reactions as they relate to real world systems. Students who have successfully completed the course will: 1) describe dose-response relationships; 2) describe absorption, distribution, storage, bio transformation and elimination of toxicants; 3) describe the chemo dynamics of contaminants in the environment including fate and transport; 4) perform risk assessment; 5) describe methods to test and regulate hazardous substance.