PSC-1200 Exploring Chemistry and Physics Concepts

Content is based on topics for the National Science Education Content Standards Document, the Core Learning Goals of the Prince George’s County Public Schools, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and the Outcomes Document for the Elementary A.A.T. degree. Emphasis is on building process skills and content understanding using a constructivist-based teaching methodology.  Topics include forces, chemical reactions, phase changes, motion, matter and energy, sound, electricity and magnetism, and light.  The laboratory component provides students the opportunity to apply concepts learned with hands-on activities and experiments

 
Prerequisite(s): None
3 class/2 lab hours.
Course Outcomes
 

1. Interpret scientific concepts with science process skills.
2. Accurately and precisely measure the mass, volume, and length of items using a variety of devices in both metric and English units.
3. Interpret graphs of various types of motion.
4. Represent the structure of atoms, molecules, and chemical bonding with chemical symbolism, nomenclature, particle diagrams, and molecular structures.
5. Compare the types of matter with regard to general properties and separate mixtures with a variety of laboratory techniques.
6. Compare the states of matter with regard to general properties, particulate nature, and energetics related to change of state.
7. Compare the differences in the changes of matter both chemically and physically.
8. Describe pH as it relates to acid/base solutions.
9. Apply the fundamental concepts of motion, simple machines, types of energy, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism to performance tasks that include “real world” situations.
10. Evaluate the pros and cons of different energy sources.