2024-2025 School Year

Physical Science CP GVL (Section C)

Students must have approval from the High School Learning Differences Administrator, or Suzanne Brown, Executive Director, to enroll in this class.

Course Description

This course is designed to be the last science course the student takes before high school biology. The text discusses atomic structure, periodic table, chemical bonds, reactions and energy, motion, forces, energy, waves and sound, light, electricity and magnetism, and Earth’s structure, weathering, and atmosphere. Students are given daily reading assignments and take all tests at home. The class time consists of lectures and lab experiments. Students also will be taught to write a scientific lab report to document the experiments done in class.

To be successful in this class:

Students must complete the weekly module assignments, lab reports, work in groups and independently, safely handle lab experiments, and participate in classroom discussions.  Students must be able to complete assignments at home and/or outside of class time by the given due date. Students can expect to work on homework 3-5 hours a week.

Grades: 9th Grade, 8th Grade

Fees: $450 (smaller class size) plus $20 lab fee

Prerequisites:

Students should be taking, or have already taken, Algebra I. Students should be able to type and use a computer to complete lab write-ups and papers.

Course Credit: 1 science elective

Required Materials

Textbooks:

  • Exploring Creation with Physical Science Textbook (3rd Edition) Vicki Dincher, Apologia
  • Solutions and Tests for Exploring Creation with Physical Science

Other materials:  

  • 3 ring 1 ½ “ binder
  • 7 tabbed dividers labeled with the first 7 modules (each Module number)
  • Notebook  paper
  • Calculator  (example), (example)
  • Colored pencils
  • Geometry Kit

Meet Carolyn Collett

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and Technology Education from Virginia Tech

Certifications: SC certified Industrial Technology Education

Teaching experience: eight years in the public school setting

UHC courses taught:

  • Middle School Engineering
  • Middle School Intro to Physics
  • High School Physical Science
  • High School Engineering 1
  • High School Engineering 2
  • 6th grade Ecology
  • Google Apps
  • Lego WEDO robotics 2nd-5th grade

Began teaching at UHC in 2007