Curriculum Description
Pantheon Academy's Integrated Chemistry and Physics curriculum immerses students in hands-on learning, with real-world examples and contexts at the core of the experience. Through inquiry-based activities, students explore and validate key concepts in chemistry and physics. This approach reinforces STEM principles while fostering interdisciplinary learning and problem-solving skills vital for addressing real-life challenges. Our comprehensive curriculum equips both instructors and students with the resources and practical applications essential for preparing the next generation to excel in STEM fields.
About Our Curriculum Developer
Our curriculum developer, Mr. Battles, is a 41-year veteran teacher and coach in Knox County, Indiana. He has taught Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Chemistry, Advanced Chemistry, and Forensic Science at both North Knox and Vincennes Community Schools. Mr. Battles earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Indiana State University in 1980 and a Master of Science in Secondary Education in 1985 from the same institution. In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Battles served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2007 to 2014, where he took a strong interest in education and utility issues. Due to Mr. Battles' passion for students and extensive experience, he successfully adapted the curriculum he used in his own classroom into a standardized, easy-to-teach format for other teachers.
Curriculum Structure
The Integrated Chemistry and Physics curriculum is designed to be taught as a two-semester course. It has been structured to allow instructors the flexibility to teach the course in whatever order best suits their teaching style. The foundations portion of the curriculum is intended as a review of important concepts that students may have learned in previous courses but are fundamental to this course. The chemistry and physics portions can also be taught independently of each other as introductory courses.
Foundations Transfer Goals
As a result of this course, students will be able to:
- Apply their understanding of both English and Metric units to accurately convert between them.
- Utilize the scientific method to conduct experiments, analyze results, and draw valid conclusions.
- Understand concepts of velocity and acceleration to analyze and predict the motion of objects, enabling them to understand and interpret physical events in their environment.
- Safely use laboratory equipment to conduct experiments and manage the laboratory environment effectively.
Chemistry Transfer Goals
As a result of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand and describe the properties and changes of matter, including chemical and physical changes, and apply the law of conservation of mass to chemical reactions.
- Identify the structure of atoms, including isotopes, and understand the role of electrons, particularly valence electrons, in forming ionic and covalent bonds.
- Apply the principles of Boyle's Law, Charles's Law, and Gay-Lussac’s Law to predict and explain the behavior of gases under various conditions.
- Comprehend the concept of the mole, calculate molar mass, and perform mass-mole conversions to solve stoichiometric problems in chemical reactions.
Physics Transfer Goals
As a result of this course, students will be able to:
- Understand and apply Newton’s Laws of Motion to analyze the behavior of objects in motion, including concepts of momentum and forces.
- Differentiate between potential, kinetic, and mechanical energy, understand their conservation, and apply these concepts to solve problems involving energy transformations.
- Explore the properties and behaviors of waves, including sound waves, and understand concepts such as wave types, interference, Doppler effect, and natural frequency.
- Explain the concepts of temperature, thermal energy, heat capacity, and the mechanisms of heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation).
- Understand the fundamentals of electricity, including static electricity, electrical current, and the components and functioning of electrical circuits.
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