Physical Science Core

The Physical Science Core, as presented in this document, is an inquiry-based core that includes basic concepts and skills in chemistry and physics that are considered foundational in those disciplines. Core content focuses on scientific facts, concepts, principles, theories, and models that are important for scientific literacy. While this core contains the minimum required content, teachers are encouraged to expand the physical science content as needed. The scientific process and application skills located on page 10 of this document should be taught in conjunction with scientific knowledge standards in this laboratory-based course. Inquiry skills should be incorporated into as many course standards as possible.

The Physical Science Core emphasizes firsthand observation through laboratory investigations, practical problem solving, and the use of technology. Content within this core provides students with a firm laboratory-based foundation for scientific literacy and for the pursuit of subsequent science courses. Special attention is given to scientific application of knowledge and processes to practical real-world questions. This core will vary from the Chemistry and Physics Cores in content and rigor, amount and types of experimentation, technical application, and instrumentation.

Students should be presented with related technology and, when practicable, should experiment with instrumentation. The required technology for the Physical Science Core consists of basic instruments that, in some cases, students can construct. It is also essential that students place theories and discoveries of significant persons into historical perspective. Students should use clear and accurate language, keep accurate records, make reports, present oral and written projects, and participate in discussions regarding the results and conclusions of scientific investigations. Safe field and laboratory investigations should be used in instruction to the maximum extent possible to illustrate scientific concepts and principles and to support inquiry instruction.

The Cherokee County Schools Course of Study: Physical Science Curriculum Guide was developed to help teachers correlate the content of the state approved textbook with the Alabama Course of Study and Alabama High School Graduation Exam in Science. By using the Curriculum Guide, each teacher ensures that the minimum content required by the Alabama State Department of Education is taught to the students of Cherokee County. A Course Timeline at the end of the Curriculum Guide serves as a sample timeline that teachers may use to plan their instructional time in order to meet at Course of Study Objectives. In addition, at least one resource is listed for each Course of Study Objective that may be of benefit for the teacher and/or students.

Alabama Course of Study: Science	Timeline	Textbook Holt Science Spectrum: Physical Science	Additional Resources/Activities	AHSGE Standards
PHYSICAL SCIENCE Students will: Recognize periodic trends of elements, including the number of valence electrons, atomic size, and reactivity. Categorizing elements as metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and noble gases. Differentiating between families and periods. Using atomic number and mass number to identify isotopes.	Days 20 – 25 Days 20 – 25 Days 20 – 25	Chapter 4 p. 121 – 128, 136 p. 112 – 114, 120 – 128 p. 117, 284, 293	Interactive Periodic Table and Element Games - http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ Periodic Table Bingo - http://education.jlab.org/beamsactivity/6thgrade/elementbingo/index.html	II – 3
Identify solutions in terms of components, solubility, concentration, and conductivity. Comparing saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated solutions. Comparing characteristics of electrolytes and nonelectrolytes. Describing factors that affect solubility and rate of solution, including nature of solute and solvent, temperature, agitation, surface area, and pressure on gases.	Days 39 – 45 Days 39 – 45 Days 39 – 45	Chapter 7 p. 240 – 241, 244, 246 p. 257, 259, 538 p. 239 – 244	Chromatography/Crime Scene Lab - http://student.biology.arizona.edu/sciconn/crime/crime_menu.html Acids, Bases, and Salts Slide Show - http://www3.fhs.usyd.edu.au/bio/FHacidsbases_ME/index.htm	II – 3
Contrast the formation of ionic and covalent bonds based on the transfer or sharing of valence electrons. Demonstrating the formation of positive and negative monatomic ions by using electron dot diagrams.	Days 26 – 31	Chapter 5 p. 151, 155, 156	Writing Names and Formulas Online Tutorial and Quiz - http://www.prepchem.org/formulasandnamesofcpds.html - http://www.sciencebugz.com/chemistry/chprbnamcmpd.html Atomic Models - http://education.jlab.org/qa/atom_model.html	II – 3
Use nomenclature and chemical formulas to write balanced chemical equations. Explaining the law of conservation of matter. Identifying chemical reactions as composition, decomposition, single replacement, or double replacement. Defining the role of electrons in chemical reactions.	Days 13 – 19 Days 32 – 38 Days 32 – 38	Chapter 3 Chapter 6 p. 77, 199 p. 190 – 197, 214 p. 196 – 197	Types of Reactions - http://www.chem.vt.edu/RVGS/ACT/notes/Types_of_Equations.html	VII – 1
Describe physical and chemical changes in terms of endothermic and exothermic processes.	Days 32 – 38	Chapter 6 p. 75 – 76, 187 – 189	Chemical or Physical Change Quiz - http://www.quia.com/tq/303980.html	II – 4
Identify characteristics of gravitational, electromagnetic, and nuclear forces.	Days 46 – 50 Days 56 – 61 Days 84 – 88	Chapter 9 Chapter 11 Chapter 17 p. 293 – 294, 352 – 359, 572 – 574	Nuclear Power - http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm Amusement Park Physics - http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics
Relate velocity, acceleration, and kinetic energy to mass, distance, force, and time. Interpreting graphical representations of velocity versus time and distance versus time. Solving problems for velocity, acceleration, force, work, and power. Describing action and reaction forces, inertia, acceleration, momentum, and friction in terms of Newton’s three laws of motion. Determining the resultant of collinear forces acting on a body. - Example: problem involving the effect of a tailwind or headwind on an airplane. Solving problems for efficiency and mechanical advantage of simple machines.	Days 51 – 55 Days 51 – 55 Days 56 – 61 Days 62 – 67 Days 51 – 55 Days 56 – 61 Days 51 – 55 Days 56 – 61 Days 62 – 67	Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 p. 320 – 321, 330, 337, 339 p. 323, 324, 328, 330, 339, 350 – 351, 359, 369, 379, 381, 384, 411 p. 331 – 333, 346 – 351, 360 – 366, 368 – 370 p. 333 – 334, 360 – 366 p. 383 – 384, 387, 406 – 408, 411	Sport Science - http://www.exploratorium.edu/sports/index.html Pulley Animation - http://www.phy.ntnu.edu.tw/java/wheelAxle/pulley.html	VIII – 1
Relate the law of conservation of energy to transformations of potential energy, kinetic energy, and thermal energy. Identifying the relationship between thermal energy and the temperature of a sample of matter. Describing the flow of thermal energy between two samples of matter. Explaining how thermal energy is transferred by radiation, conduction, and convection. Relating simple formulas to the calculation of potential energy, kinetic energy, and work.	Days 13 – 19 Days 68 – 72 Days 68 – 72 Days 62 – 67	Chapter 3 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 p. 73, 420 – 424 p. 425 – 426 p. 428 – 429 p. 378 – 379, 392 – 395, 399	Gas Laws - http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/gases/index.shtml Microwaves - http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/microwaves/index.html	VII – 1 VIII – 2 II – 2
Compare methods of energy transfer by mechanical and electromagnetic waves. Distinguishing between transverse and longitudinal mechanical waves. Relating physical properties of sound and light to wave characteristics. Examples: loudness to amplitude, pitch to frequency, color to wavelength and frequency	Days 73 – 78 Days 73 – 78	Chapter 14 Chapter 15 p. 461, 463 – 464 p. 490 – 498, 499 – 505, 506 – 511, 512 – 518, 520 – 522	Doppler Effect - http://kingfish.coastal.edu/physics/physlets/Doppler/ Reflection of Light - http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/lightandcolor/reflectionintro.html	VII – 2
Explain the relationship between electricity and magnetism. - Example: using a moving charge to create a magnetic field and using a moving magnetic field to induce a current in a closed wire loop. a. Differentiating between induction and conduction. b. Identifying mechanical, magnetic, and chemical methods used to create an electrical charge. - Examples: mechanical – rubbing materials together, magnetic – moving a closed loop of wire across a magnetic field, chemical – using batteries. c. Describing electrical circuits in terms of Ohm’s law.	Days 84 – 88 Days 79 – 83 Days 84 – 88 Days 79 – 83	Chapter 16 Chapter 17 p. 428, 576 – 578 p. 530 – 536, 538, 576 – 582 p. 541 – 543, 545	How Batteries Work - http://www.batterycouncil.org/works.html Magnetism - http://education.magnet.fsu.edu/
Describe the nuclear composition of unstable isotopes and the resulting changes to their nuclear composition. Identifying types of nuclear emissions, including alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma radiation. Differentiating between fission and fusion. Identifying uses and possible negative side effects of nuclear technology. - Examples: uses – nuclear power generation, medical applications, space travel; negative effects – radioactive contamination, nuclear fuel waste and waste storage.	Days 46 – 50 Days 46 – 50 Days 46 – 50	Chapter 9 p. 285 – 286, 292, 308 p. 293 – 298, 308 p. 301 – 304	Nuclear Power - http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power.htm	VII – 1
Identify metric units for mass, distance, time, temperature, velocity, acceleration, density, force, energy, and power.	Days 1 – 6 Days 7 – 12 Days 20 – 25 Days 51 – 55 Days 56 – 61 Days 62 – 67 Days 68 – 72	Chapters 1,2,4,10, 11, 12, 13 p. 16 – 17, 48, 132, 133, 134, 320, 323, 327 – 328, 350, 363, 381, 391, 393, 395, 433, 842	Metric Conversions Calculator - http://www.electro-optical.com/unitconv/convert.htm Measurement - http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/measurement/index.shtml Interactive Mass, Volume, and Density - http://www.eoascientific.com/campus/science/multimedia/weight_mass/view_interactive