IPS (INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE) CURRICULUM GUIDE UNIT 1. SCIENCE SKILLS
2. PROPERTIES OF MATTER
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS*
What are the major branches of natural science and how do they overlap? What is the relationship between science and technology? What are the main ideas of physical science? What is the goal of a scientific method? What units do scientists use for their measurements? How do scientists organize and communicate their data?
11.A.4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e
How do mixtures differ from pure substances? What is the main difference among solutions, suspensions and colloids? What are some examples of physical properties? When can chemical properties be observed? What is the difference between chemical and physical changes?
12.C.5b
*Illinois state learning standards for science referred to are found in appendix 1.
(text for this class = Physical Science: Concepts in Action Michael Wysession, Davis Frank, Sophia Yancopoulos 2004 Pearson Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River NJ) Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.2 Lab activities: Identifying properties of elements
UNIT
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS 12.C.4a
DELIVERY
3. STATES OF MATTER
How can kinetic theory and forces of attraction be used to explain the behavior of gases, liquids, and solids? What factors affect gas pressure? How are the temperature, volume and pressure of a gas related? What are six common phase changes?
What was Dalton's theory of the 12.C.4b structure of matter? What are three subatomic particles? How are atoms of different elements similar/different? What model do scientists use to describe how electrons behave in atoms?
How did Mendeleev organize the 12.C.5b elements in his periodic table? How is the modern periodic table organized? What categories are used to classify elements on the periodic table? Why do elements in a group have similar properties?
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.5 Videos
UNIT
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS
DELIVERY
6. CHEMICAL BONDS
When is an atom unlikely to react? How does the structure of an ionic compound affect its properties? How are atoms held together in a covalent bond? What happens when atoms don't share electrons equally? What information do the name and formula of a compound provide?
What is the law of conservation of mass? Why do chemists use "the mole"? What are the general types of chemical reactions? What happens to chemical bonds during chemical reactions? What happens to energy during a chemical reaction? What factors cause reaction rates to change?
12.C.5a
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.7 Lab activities: Identifying a type of reaction
8. MOTION
What information is needed to 12.D.4a describe motion completely? How are distance and displacement different? How are speed and velocity different? How can changes in velocity be described? What is instantaneous acceleration?
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.11 Lab activities: Investigating the velocity of a sinking marble
UNIT
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS
DELIVERY
9. FORCES AND MOTION
How do forces affect the motion of an object? What are the main types of friction? Why does a projectile follow a curved path? How did Newton describe forces and motions which result? What is Newton's law of universal gravitation?
12.D.4b
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.12 Demonstrations: Newton's cradle Lab activities: Investigating a balloon jet
10. WORK, POWER AND MACHINES
When does a force do work? How are work and power related? How do machines make work easier? Why is the efficiency of a machine always less than 100 percent? What are the six types of simple machines?
12.D.4b
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.14 Activities: Friction Comparing lever arms
11. ENERGY
How are energy and work related? 12.E.4a What are the major forms of energy? Can energy be converted from one form to another? What is law of conservation of energy? What are the major nonrenewable and renewable sources of energy? How can energy resources be conserved?
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.15 Activities: Exploring energy conversion World energy use
UNIT
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS
DELIVERY
12. EARTH'S INTERIOR
What are the characteristics of Earth's principal layers? What is a mineral? What are some important properties of minerals? What are the three major groups of rocks? How can one type of rock change into another? What are plate tectonics and continental drift? Why do tectonic plates move? What causes earthquakes? Where do most earthquakes occur? How do volcanoes form? Where are volcanoes found?
12.E.4b 12.F.4a
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.22 DVD: Supervolcanos, Earthquake
13. WEATHER AND CLIMATE
What is Earth's atmosphere composed of? How does the atmosphere affect conditions on Earth? What are the characteristics of the major layers of the atmosphere? What two ways in which Earth moves? What causes the seasons? What causes winds? What happens to the energy Earth receives from the sun? How do clouds form? How do air masses form? What are four types of fronts?
12.E.4a 12.E.5
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.24 Activities: Tracking the weather
UNIT
CONCEPTS/QUESTIONS
ILLINOIS LEARNING STANDARDS
DELIVERY
14. SOLAR SYSTEM
What are some of the models of the solar system? What keeps the planets in orbit around the sun? How did the moon form? What is the role of the moon in causing tides on Earth? What causes phases of the moon? How are the inner planets similar? What are the characteristics of each of the four inner planets? What are the characteristics of each of the five outer planets? What is the nebular theory? How does the nebular theory explain the composition and size of the planets?
12.F.4a
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.25 Activities: Why the sun seems to move Modeling the solar system
15. EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE
What is the source of the sun's energy? How are stars categorized? What elements are found in stars? How do stars form? What happens to a star when it runs out of fuel? How are stars distributed in space? What are the characteristics of each type of star cluster? What are the types of galaxies? How do astronomers know the universe is expanding? What is the big bang theory and what evidence supports it?
12.F.4b 12.F.5a, 5b
Lecture Classroom discussions Student readings: text ch.26 Activates: How bright a light really is Hubble's constant Videos
