Dissecting High School Science
It's a different world from when you took high school science. Global warming, rapidly changing technologies, new epidemics and diseases, revelations in personal health and fitness, genetic engineering - with all this and more, the importance of a science-savvy population has never been greater. For your teenager to be a healthy adult, wise consumer and informed citizen of the 21st century, he will need an understanding of science that might have seemed like science fiction two decades ago.
Are we preparing our 21st century graduates to confront demanding scientific issues? Many reports say no - U.S. high school students continue to fall behind students in other nations in science proficiency, while the percentage of undergraduates earning science or engineering degrees lags far behind other countries. Science educators and the scientific community are on the move to help reverse the trend. But your awareness and involvement in your child's science education is essential.
Tips for Success in High School Science
Help her find a summer internship Many universities offer summer science and math-based internships for high school students, and some are paid. Check here for a comprehensive list of those programs.
Look for community resources Check the clickable map at the Sightseer's Guide to Engineering or the National Science Resources Center's guide to regional centers.
Understand molecular theory? You don't need to, but you can help your student understand it better. Get a grasp of the larger ideas by reviewing reading assignments and checking textbook chapter headings, then ask questions. You can then guide him through study and research to the appropriate answers. Here's a guide to help.
Get involved Start with your school administrators and district curriculum planners to discuss your concerns. Find out if teacher education and development is being offered and encouraged. Talk to members of your school board to find out what, if anything, has already been discussed or addressed. The National Science Teachers Association has an action guide on how you can support and promote better science instruction, and other parent resources.
Is Your Teen Studying The Right Stuff?
It's not just about test tubes - science teaches analytical thinking, creative problem-solving and logic. Whether your teen is preparing for college or preparing for the world, by graduation she should have a solid grasp of science and its relevance in her life. The makers of the nation's two college admissions tests have specific recommendations. College Board recommends the following:
- Two semesters in biology
- Two semesters in chemistry and/or physics
- Two semesters in earth/space sciences, advanced chemistry or physics
ACT recommends three or more years of laboratory science, as do most competitive universities. Because science also requires math skills, her studies should also include four years of mathematics, including advanced algebra, and two-and three-dimensional geometry.
What Science Study Looks Like
Science instruction varies by state. The National Science Education Standards, voluntary guidelines established in the late 1990s, are the basis of many state standards. You can learn about your state's standards through Education World. In general, the topics your student could be studying in high school fall into these areas:
Physical science - physics and chemistry
In physics, high school students continue their explorations into the interaction of matter and energy, such as force, motion, momentum, electricity and magnetism. Your child will progress from basic to sophisticated mathematical calculations to solve problems related to speed, velocity, acceleration and force. She'll study and work with various forms of energy such as electrical, chemical, light, sound and thermal energy. She may also study the properties of mechanical and electromagnetic waves, and experiment with both sound and light waves. She'll learn about subatomic particles, fission and fusion and the use of nuclear applications. In the lab, she'll work with chemical stability, chemical compounds, and chemical and physical changes of matter and measure the effects of chemical reactions. Your child will study the different phases of matter, how structure changes and the natural laws associated with change.
