Biology: Course Description

Teacher: Lauren Struck
Classroom: Science Classroom
E-mail: lstruck@burkemtnacademy.org
Office: Kitchell Science Center
Extension: 1466

Biology is the study of life! This course will focus on all characteristics that make up life – from the microscopic to the macroscopic – and will hopefully give students an appreciation of all things living (or at least – most of them!) We will cover a wide range of topics including biochemical foundations: cell structure, metabolism, energy acquisition and storage and release, mitosis and meiosis, patterns of inheritance, chromosomes, DNA, and proteins. In the second semester we will enter into the world of biodiversity and study plant tissue and reproduction, the theory of evolution and speciation, and the characteristics of the six kingdoms of life. The text used primarily will be Thomson’s Biology: Concepts and Application (2003: Ed. Cecie Starr).

Chemistry: Course Description

Teacher: Lauren Struck
Classroom: Science Classroom
E-mail: lstruck@burkemtnacademy.org
Office: Kitchell Science Center
Extension: 1466

Chemistry is the study of matter, and the changes it undergoes. Understanding chemistry builds a foundation for engaging with the world around us, whether or not the student continues to pursue studies in the sciences. In this course, we will cover topics including atomic structure, electron configurations, periodic trends, chemical bonding, molecular structure, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, states of matter, Gas laws, solutions, introductory thermodynamics, and acid-base reactions. The text used primarily will be Glencoe’s Chemistry: Matter and Change (2005 edition).

Physics: Course Description

Instructor: David Iverson

Text: Holt Physics; Serway and Faughn; Holt, Rinehart and Winston; ISBN 0030735483.

This course covers the basics of mechanics, waves, optics and electricity. There is a close relationship between Physics and Mathematics. In this course students will be expected to use the math that they have learned to develop their understanding of how the physical world behaves.
Labs and demonstrations will be used to focus attention on relevant, solvable problems, and to help ground our discussions in reality.
Assessment includes homework assignments from the text, group and individual problem solving in class as well as the completion of lab activities. Beyond assessing the students’ abilities to solve problems and complete activities accurately, they will be assessed on their ability to work cooperatively in groups, communicate effectively, and to maximize their personal potentials as learners.

Looking at Energy Through the Eyes of a Physicist: Course Description

Instructor: David Iverson
Email: diverson@burkemtnacademy.org

The technologies that we develop to create and consume energy change every day. The attitude that our culture has towards energy can be very difficult to study. But, to a physicist, energy is pretty straightforward. Our understanding of the theory behind “how energy works” has been well understood for a very long time.
In this course we will start with the fundamental question: Where does energy come from in the first place? We will then discuss how energy can be transformed from one form to another, as well as the different forms that it can take. Once we have a adequate understanding of how a physicist sees the topic of energy, we will start to tie that knowledge to current discussions about energy efficiency and global warming.
This class will revolve heavily on open-ended class discussion. Students will be expected to be active, daily participants in this discussion. They will be expected to use the internet for researching the concepts discussed. They will be expected to write essays in response to what they have learned and what the class has discussed. Students will be assessed on their ability to move past the discussion of energy in the popular press towards an understanding of the topic that is based much more heavily on scientific concepts.