Fifth graders study
water ecology.
���
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better prepare them to study areas of science
that perhaps don���t even exist yet,��� says
Coberly. He explains that this change in
sequence, which will begin in the 2012-13
school year and which will not impact junior
and senior science electives, will create a
logical progression because basic principles
of physics inform much of what is covered
in contemporary chemistry and a deep
understanding of chemistry is necessary for
many areas of today���s biology.
According to Coberly, ���Biologists today
aren���t just studying plants and animals and
their environments. Much of the exciting work
of modern biology involves work at a cellular
or even molecular level, such as using genetic
markers to study evolution of species or to
bio-engineer a new strain of bacteria. But it
really doesn���t make sense to expect students to
fully understand molecular genetics when they
haven���t even learned what a molecule is yet. ���
Moreover, the change in sequence fits with
the Science Department���s mission of having
students learn the processes of science by
doing science. With concepts that are more
concrete and clear than much of the abstract
and complex thinking involved in the study of
biology and chemistry, physics can function as
a vehicle to involve students in scientific
investigations. They can develop their skills in
observation, collecting data, and analyzing
data and then hone these skills as they tackle
more complex topics.
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