2025-2026 School Year

Physical Science Honors GVL (Collett)

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: $465 plus $30 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.

View High School Science Grade Levels and Prerequisites.

Course Credit: 1 CP Science Honors Credit

Required Materials

Required Textbooks:

(set of both items can also be purchased HERE)

Other materials:  

  • 3 ring 1″ binder
  • 5 tabbed dividers labeled with the first 5 modules (each Module number)
  • Notebook  paper
  • Calculator  (example), (example)
  • Colored pencils
  • Geometry Kit

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Additional Projects: Periodic Table Project and Egg Contraption Project
  4. 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 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