Course Description: Empirical Science 2: Introductory Physics incorporates math, history, and epistemology, making it the perfect text to draw students upward into the adult world of scientific investigation. The primary goal of the course is to imbue the students with real mastery of the method and established concepts of physics. This is achieved by following the guidance of the Novare philosophy, embodied in their excellent books (see below): mastery, real robust labs, depth over breadth, and a Christian worldview. A secondary goal is to imbue the students with the attitudes of the true scientist: wonder, curiosity, humility, and to relish truth. This is taught most fully through the example of the instructor. Finally, a last goal is to clearly present the limits of empirical science, so that the students are prepared to grasp how it fits into the larger schema of wisdom presented in the TPT course sequence.
Labs. As a self-paced course, labs and lab reports will be parent-led at home or completed with a tutor.
- Teacher: Jessica K Long
Intro to Biology uses the book Focus on Middle School Biology and covers the fundamentals of scientific methodology in practice as it provides the basic vocabulary and concepts for understanding what life is, its categories, and the nature and function of cells. The course seeks to inspire students with the beauty and meaning of the ordered whole as it emphasizes the best habits of "modern science" through observation and recording. Ten units and ten experiments are covered from the books. Additional content and instruction is provided to ensure that the course is sufficiently challenging for middle school students. The students are introduced to the microscope and its uses.
This course is recommended to be taken first among our intermediate level science courses, since the greatest amount of time and emphasis is placed on basic skills, the single book is covered over 30 weeks, and the subject matter is vividly present for observation in the lives of children.
Course Description: Empirical Science Primer: Life Science covers the fundamentals of observational scientific methodology as it guides students to explore their immediate surroundings, and imbues in them the proper attitudes of the scientist. The course includes nature study, field notes, sketching, identification, taxonomy, data collection, collation, and basic inductive/causal argumentation. The hope is to connect the students native wonder and curiosity with the scientist's respect for reality and zeal for truth. Numerous opportunities will be found to impart terminology and practices that will prepare students for higher level courses in the sequence, without overburdening the students with a bulk of soon forgotten facts. The students are introduced to the microscope and its uses.
This PRIMER course is recommended to be taken first among our intermediate level science courses, since the greatest amount of time and emphasis is placed on basic skills. Here is the first introduction to the lab report paradigm that is used throughout the remaining courses.
Intro to Geology & Astronomy uses the books "Focus on Middle School Geology" and "Focus on Middle School Astronomy." It covers the fundamentals of scientific methodology in practice as it provides the basic vocabulary and concepts for understanding what the earth is in its parts and as a system, as well as the earth as a planet situated in the solar system, galaxy, and universe. The course seeks to inspire students with the beauty and meaning of the ordered whole as it emphasizes the best habits of modern science through observation, experiment, and recording. The focus is upon physical rather than historical geology. Ten units and ten experiments are covered from each book.
Additional content, experimentation, and instruction is provided to ensure that the course is sufficiently challenging for middle school students. This course is recommended to be taken after the primer course, since the emphasis continues to be placed on basic skills, method, observation, and working within an inductive model.
Course Description: Empirical Science 1: Earth Science. Within the context of the fascinating study of land forms, minerals, and planetary phenomena, many timely and important topics are covered including conservation of natural resources, climate change, pollution, environmental justice, and geologic history. As with the previous course, effort is made to connect the students native wonder and curiosity with the scientist's respect for reality and zeal for truth. Numerous opportunities will be found to impart terminology and practices that will prepare students for higher level courses in the sequence, without overburdening the students with a bulk of soon forgotten facts.
This course uses Novare's Earth Science book. From the publisher's description of the book: Earth Science is designed to draw students into close engagement with the subject matter and provide a solid education while fostering a sense of wonder and responsibility for God’s amazing world. Written for middle school-aged students, this book includes all the popular characteristics of Novare textbooks: smaller profile; vibrant, original, and relevant graphics; lucid conversational prose, and an approach that connects students with real-world science as stewards of God’s creation.
Intro to Chemistry and Physics uses the book Focus on Middle School Physics and Focus on Middle School Chemistry and
covers the fundamentals of scientific methodology in practice as it
provides the basic vocabulary and concepts for understanding chemistry and physics.
The course seeks to inspire students with the beauty and meaning of the
ordered whole as it emphasizes the best habits of modern science"
through observation, experiment, and recording. Ten units and ten
experiments are covered from the books. Additional content,
experimentation, and instruction is provided to ensure that the course
is sufficiently challenging for middle school students.
Course Description: Designed for 9th–11th graders, Introductory Physics incorporates math, history, and epistemology, making it the perfect text to draw students upward into the adult world of scientific investigation. The text includes 2 optional, more challenging chapters on buoyancy and geometric optics for older students.
Course Description: Empirical Science 3: General Biology. One of the basic divisions of natural beings is between those that live and those that do not. Biology is the study of living things. From the publisher's website: "The book starts at the atomic level and progresses to ever-larger scales: cells, genes, microorganisms, plants, animals, and human organ systems. The final chapters of the book survey ecology and the theory of evolution."
As with Introductory Physics, General Biology incorporates math, history, and epistemology. The primary goal of the course is to elevate the students to a real mastery of the method and instruct them in the established concepts of biology. This is achieved by following the guidance of the Novare philosophy, embodied in their excellent books (see below): mastery, real robust labs, depth over breadth, and a Christian worldview. A secondary goal is to imbue the students with the attitudes of the true scientist: wonder, curiosity, humility, and joy in and zeal for truth. This is taught most fully through the example of the instructor. Finally, a last goal is to clearly present both the necessity and limits of empirical science, so that the students are prepared to grasp how it fits into the larger schema of wisdom presented in the TPT course sequence.
- Teacher: Jessica K Long
Using Novare's book of the same name, this Chemistry course reflects the general approach of Novare, highlighting integration, mastery, wonder, lab work, and a streamlined scope. The primary goal of the course is to elevate the students to a real mastery of the method and established concepts of chemistry. A secondary goal is to imbue the students with the attitudes of the true scientist: wonder, curiosity, humility, and to relish truth. This is taught most fully through the example of the instructor. Finally, a last goal is to clearly present the limits of empirical science, so that the students are prepared to grasp how it fits into the larger schema of wisdom presented in the TPT course sequence.