Science

At The Ethel Walker School, students learn the fundamental principles of science and the essential skills required to investigate the foundational disciplines of physics, chemistry, and biology. In addition, students are able to go beyond the basic science requirements and explore individual interests through numerous science electives. With this strong foundation, students engage in inquiry-based discovery, researchguided coursework, and student-driven exploration of topics that are engaging and relevant to their lives.

As science educators, we prepare students to think critically and to recognize bias as they explore scientific questions through studentdesigned lab experiments. The rich experience of hands-on labs supports individual creativity and curiosity and allows students to engage in argument-driven inquiry, analyze data,and finally draw conclusions based on observation and experimentation. Students also gain valuable writing and presentation skills and become effective communicators as they present their findings. With the skills and content that they develop, students emerge as lifelong learners and innovators who have the confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and the courage to be resilient as they work to design solutions to these problems. We strive to inspire future scientists as well as citizen scientists and enlightened future voters, mindful of the scientific issues that are locally and globally relevant.

Each student is required to complete three years of science; Physics during 9th grade, Chemistry during 10th grade, and Biology during 11th or 12th grade. The concept of “physics first” provides students with a strong scientific foundation on which Chemistry, Biology, and all science electives are built. Most students at The Ethel Walker School go beyond the graduation requirement and take science courses all four years, and many students take multiple science electives during the 11th and 12th grades.

SCIENCE COURSES

PHYSICS 9 Required for Grade 9 Credit: 1 Physics 9 is a laboratory science course in which students develop skills by conducting experiments, working collaboratively, and solving problems that allow them to understand and describe the physical phenomena of the world around them. Through this course, students will explore the major themes of cause and effect of motion; waves and vibrations; and the conservation laws of energy, momentum, and electrical charge. Each topic will be introduced through a hands-on discovery process in which students investigate scientific trends in the laboratory and discuss their results in class. Students will then formalize their observations through the guided derivation of the quantitative relationships that govern our world, with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding. Through this course, students will build skills in quantitative problem-solving, experimental design, data collection and organization, construction and interpretation of graphs, clear and concise scientific writing, and analysis of scientific error.

HONORS PHYSICS 9 Open to Grade 9 Prerequisite: Departmental approval and concurrent enrollment in Honors Geometry or a higher level math course Credit: 1 Honors Physics 9 explores similar topics as Physics 9, but is faster paced and requires deeper synthesis between content areas and greater depth of analysis. This course has a heavier emphasis on algebraic problem-solving, and the set-up of these problems requires a deep understanding of the underlying physics concepts. Laboratory work is more demanding and allows students to have more independence concerning experimental design. This is a rigorous course with high expectations for student effort and commitment.

CHEMISTRY Open to Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Algebra 1 Credit: 1 Chemistry is a laboratory-based course that allows students to discover basic chemical principles and understand how to use them to make sense of the world around them. The course covers the scientific method, measurement, atomic theory, nomenclature, chemical quantities, chemical reactions, aqueous chemistry, bonding and gas laws. Students learn how to work both collaboratively and individually. Laboratory work emphasizes making careful observations, learning correct measuring and data collection techniques, analyzing data, and discussing errors. Projects each semester enable students to explore how chemistry is relevant to their daily lives.

HONORS CHEMISTRY Open to Grades 10-12 Prerequisites: Honors Physics 9 and concurrent enrollment in Honors Algebra 2 or departmental approval Credit: 1 The Honors Chemistry course covers content similar to the Chemistry course with the addition of stoichiometry and acid-base chemistry. The course is fast paced and requires a sophisticated depth of analysis. As students progress through the year, their work increasingly focuses on the applications of basic concepts and involves complex multistep problem solving. Lab work includes a focus on experimental design and requires more involved error analysis. This is a rigorous course with high expectations for student effort and commitment.

ENGINEERING Open to Grades 10-12 Prerequisite: Departmental approval Credit: .5 This is a semester-long course for students who have demonstrated

passion for overcoming challenges in innovative ways. Through this 100% hands-on, project-based course, students will immerse themselves in the process of engineering – defining a problem and identifying its constraints, brainstorming solutions, creating and evaluating a prototype, iterating to improve their prototype, and communicating their solution. Students will develop confidence and fluidity in this process over the course of the semester. The challenges encountered in this course will focus on different types of engineering, possibly including mechanical, electrical, civil, and environmental engineering. Students will develop skills in group collaboration and will be encouraged to make use of all of their available tools and resources. Students will be evaluated based on in-class engagement, fulfillment of project components, documentation of their unique engineering process, written reflections, and an analysis of their work.

ADVANCED CHEMISTRY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisite: Completion of Honors Chemistry and departmental approval Credit: 1 The Advanced Chemistry course is our most challenging chemistry course and parallels a college level introductory chemistry class. Building on the foundation of Honors Chemistry, this course emphasizes the advanced topics of equilibrium, kinetics and thermodynamics. Students must be prepared for a significant commitment in both time and level of challenge. To allow for the completion of college-level laboratory experiments, the course meets for additional 80 minute block each week. This course fully prepares interested students for the Chemistry Advanced Placement Test in the spring.

BIOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Chemistry Credit: 1 The Biology course surveys the field of biology from biochemistry, cells and genetics to evolution, microbiology, and ecology. Many of the most

important topics in biology rely heavily on an understanding of the fundamental concepts from physics and chemistry which is why this course is offered after the completion of these other disciplines. Generous amounts of laboratory work allow students to develop laboratory skills that include experimental design, data collection and analysis, and proficiency with laboratory equipment. Students will work collaboratively and independently as they learn to research numerous biological topics and engage in argument driven inquiry. Through fieldwork, students will become familiar with the woodlands and ponds that surround The Ethel Walker School and will come to appreciate the biodiversity of life that exists in our community.

HONORS BIOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Honors Chemistry and/or departmental approval Credit: 1 The Honors Biology course is designed to give students an overview of the biological sciences such as biochemistry, cellular biology, genetics, evolution, microbial biology, human anatomy and physiology, plants, animals, and ecology. The Honors Biology course utilizes a more indepth textbook, proceeds at a faster pace than the Biology course, and requires students to integrate multiple chapters at one time in their analysis of the material. In addition, students will develop laboratory skills that include experimental design, data collection and analysis, proficiency with laboratory equipment, and error analysis through numerous inquiry-based labs throughout the year. Laboratory work in this course is more demanding and allows students to have more independence involving laboratory design.

ADVANCED BIOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Completion of Honors Chemistry and departmental approval Credit: 1 The Advanced Biology course is our most challenging biology course

and parallels a college level introductory biology class. This course requires strong critical thinking skills and the ability to apply biological concepts to new situations and real world problems. The class is designed to cover numerous biology topics in an in-depth and hands-on manner using many forms of instruction that include lecture, flipped classroom, problem-based learning, inquiry based labs, case studies, and field work. This course is for highly motivated students who have a genuine interest in biology, are capable of self-directed and self-paced work, and possess the ability to collaborate with classmates on many different labs and projects. To allow for the completion of college-level laboratory experiments, the course meets for an additional 80 minute block each week. The Advanced Biology course will revolve around the four Big Ideas of Evolution, Energy, Information, and Interactions. Students may choose to take the Advanced Placement Test in the spring.

HONORS RESEARCH SEMINAR: FROM MICROBES TO MOLECULES Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Completion of Chemistry and Biology and departmental approval (Possible concurrent enrollment with Honors or Advanced Biology) Credit: 1 This course will be run in partnership with the Small World Initiative (SWI) and the Tiny Earth Network (TEN), two innovative programs that encourage students to pursue careers in science while addressing a worldwide health threat – the diminishing supply of effective antibiotics. This course centers around an introductory biochemistry course in which students conduct original hands-on field and laboratory research in the hunt for new antibiotics. Through a series of student-driven experiments, students will collect soil samples, isolate diverse bacteria, test their bacteria against clinically-relevant microorganisms, and characterize those showing inhibitory activity. This is particularly relevant since over two thirds of antibiotics originate from soil bacteria or fungi. SWI and TEN’s approach provides a unique platform to crowdsource medical breakthroughs by tapping into the intellectual power of many people concurrently addressing a global challenge and advances promising candidates into the drug development pipeline.

PHYSICS 11-12 Open to Grades 11-12 Credit: 1 Physics 11-12 is designed for students who enter Walker’s after ninth grade and who have not yet taken Physics. This is a laboratory science course in which students develop skills in conducting experiments, working collaboratively, and solving problems that allow them to understand and describe the physical phenomena of the world around them. Through this course, students will explore major themes of causes and effects of motion; waves and vibrations; and the conservation laws of energy, momentum, and electrical charge. Each topic will be introduced through a hands-on discovery process in which students investigate scientific trends in the laboratory and discuss their results in class. Students will then formalize their observations through the guided derivation of the quantitative relationships that govern our world, with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding. Through this course, students will build skills in quantitative problem-solving, experimental design, data collection and organization, construction and interpretation of graphs, clear and concise scientific writing, and analysis of scientific error. Students are expected to be proficient in both algebra and basic trigonometry.

HONORS PHYSICS 11-12 Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Chemistry, Honors Math placement and departmental approval Credit: 1 Honors Physics 11-12 is designed for students who enter Walker’s after ninth grade and who have not yet taken Physics. Honors Physics 11-12 explores similar topics as Physics 11-12, but this course goes much further into each topic than the regular-level course. It is also much faster paced and requires deeper synthesis between content areas and greater depth of analysis. This course has a much heavier emphasis on algebraic problem-solving, and the set-up of these problems requires a deep understanding of the underlying physics concepts. Student

proficiency in both algebra and basic trigonometry is necessary. Laboratory work is more demanding and allows students to have more independence concerning experimental design. This is a rigorous course with high expectations for student effort and commitment.

ADVANCED PHYSICS Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Completion of a year-long physics course and departmental approval Credit: 1 Advanced Physics is our most challenging physics course that parallels an introductory algebra-based college physics course. Major topics include Newtonian mechanics, including both linear and rotational motion; waves and vibrations; and electricity and electromagnetism. Time permitting, select topics in modern physics will also be explored. This is a rigorous, fast-paced course that also includes a heavy laboratory component. In collaboration with their lab teams, students will have significant license in designing experimental procedures and in analyzing and explaining their data in ways that demonstrate a strong command of the underlying physics concepts. This course assumes that students are comfortable with both algebra and trigonometry. Students enrolled in this course may choose to take the Physics 1 Advanced Placement Test.

ADVANCED PSYCHOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Completion of Biology and departmental approval Credit: 1 Advanced Psychology is a rigorous science elective which requires students to think critically, synthesize current research, and develop a deep understanding of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Topics include: history and approaches; research methods and statistics; biological bases of behavior; behavior genetics; sensation and perception; states of consciousness; theories of learning; cognition; memory; testing and individual differences, life-span development; theories of personality; intelligence and individual differences; abnormal

psychology; treatment of psychological disorders; and social psychology. Students will conduct an in-depth literature review to be presented at the end of the school year. Students may choose to take the Psychology Advanced Placement Test in the spring.

ASTRONOMY Open to Grades 11-12 Sophomores may be allowed to enroll in this class concurrently with Honors Chemistry with departmental approval. Credit: 1 Astronomy is a year-long course that explores the origin, structure, evolution, and fate of the universe and the objects in it. Topics studied in this course include gravitation and orbits, the Solar System and other planetary systems, the structure and evolution of stars, galaxies and their creation, and black holes and curved spacetime. Students will also study the history of humans’ understanding of our place in the universe, from the astronomy of ancient civilizations to modern-day space missions. Finally, the course will explore current questions about the mysterious presence of dark matter and dark energy, theories about the future of the universe, and the search for habitable planets and extraterrestrial life. Although the course is mostly conceptual, there is some basic problemsolving required. No prior physics courses are necessary. Students will also make periodic observations using Walker’s van Gemeren Observatory.

HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Current enrollment in or completion of Biology Credit: 1 The Human Anatomy and Physiology course is designed to give the student an overview of all of the systems of the human body. Students will study the structure, function, and numerous disorders of each body system as well as the interrelationships among the various systems. Students will be exposed to critical thinking and clinical application questions throughout the course as they delve into actual case studies and work through these cases to reach a diagnosis. In addition, students

will experience hands-on learning and develop collaborative skills through various labs, activities, and projects throughout the year.

TROPICAL ECOLOGY Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Current enrollment in or completion of Biology Credit: 1 Tropical ecosystems contain some of the most diverse habitats on the planet. These systems are both unique and fragile compared to temperate systems, and are threatened by climate change and human activities. This course is designed to provide students with a general understanding of tropical ecology and conservation and to enhance student research skills. Students will be responsible for weekly readings, leading class discussions, presentations and various writing assignments, including a research proposal required for the field aspect of the course.

EQUINE SCIENCE Open to Grades 11-12 Prerequisites: Current enrollment in or completion of Biology Credit: 1 The Equine Science course is an intense equine biology class that encompasses the anatomy and physiology of all the systems of the horse, including nutrition, toxicology, parasitology, health management, neonatology, epidemiology, and sports medicine. Students will explore numerous case studies and immerse themselves in the world of equine medicine. Through hands on labs at the Frank O.H. Williams Barn, students can apply the skills and knowledge of the class while they perform health and lameness exams and use stethoscopes to listen to heart, lung, and intestinal sounds.