2024-2025 School Year
Physical Science Honors GVL
Course Description
This is designed to be the science course that a student takes before 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.
Summer work, due first day of co-op: Assemble your 3-ringed binder with 6 tabs for the first 6 Modules of the book.
To be successful in this class:
Students must complete the weekly reading assignments, chapter questions, lab reports, and classroom discussions. Homework will require 3-5 hours per week.
Grades: 9th Grade, 8th Grade
Fees: $465 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
- 5 tabbed dividers
- Notebook paper
- Calculator
- Colored pencils
- Composition book
Honors Addendum Summary
In order to complete this course for HONORS SCIENCE credit, a student must cover more information than is done in the COLLEGE PREP version of the same course. The extra work will include covering supplemental material to ensure meeting all of the SC Core Area Standards for physical science, being tested on the additional material, and completing additional work from the following 5 areas.
- Additional Test Questions: Each unit test will include some additional problems/questions at the Honors level, which will require deeper understanding of the concept and/or higher level mathematical skills.
- Additional Writing: Honors students will research a scientist and write a research paper on their findings. Students will also research a topic and give a presentation of their findings.
- Additional Projects: Periodic Table Project and Roller Coaster Project
- Oral Presentations: All honors students will give an oral presentation of their research paper, research project, Periodic table, and Physical Forces Project.
Specific assignments and details for honors work will be provided by the teacher.
Meet LaPaula Williams
Education: Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
Teaching Experience: Public Middle School , Charleston SC, 4 1/2 years -Math and Science teacher, Public Elementary School, Goose Creek, SC- 1st grade at-risk- 2 years, 3rd grade- 2 years, Science to elementary and middle school students for the past 8 years, Homeschooled three of my children through High School and homeschooling my last child presently.
UHC courses taught:
- Physical Science
Began teaching at UHC in 2021