Core Course Review Documentation
Foundational Component Area: Life and Physical Sciences
Component Area Option? No
Proposed Course: Physical Science (GNSC 1204)
Credit Hours:
4
Proposed by: Jonathan D. Price
Date: February 4, 2013
Please document how the proposed course meets each of the following requirements. (You
may provide a written explanation or copy and paste the appropriate information from the
syllabus.)
Content:
Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural
phenomena using the scientific method.
Physical Science is an introduction to the general attributes and the fundamental theories
and laws of physics and chemistry. It contains an overview of the scientifically determined
nature of motion, energy, electricity, light, and sound. It also explores the character of
matter through a cursory examination of atoms, bonding, solutions, and reactions. Content
is provided through lectures, text and on-line readings, laboratory exploration, and in-class
calculations.
SKILLS: Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the
implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on human experiences.
Physical Sciences students are introduced to…
 The techniques and attributes of scientific inquiry
 Newtonian motion, including the physical relationships between motion, acceleration,
and force, and their application to gravity.
 Energy, its derivation from forces, and its application over time, power.
 Thermodynamics, the general transfer of energy, and the accumulation of entropy in
physical systems
 Wave models for energy and acoustics
 Light, electromagnetic waves, and particle theory
 The implications of Einsteinian relativity and its relationship to Newtonian physics
 The structure of atoms, the nucleus, and electron configuration
 The general attributes of chemical bonding
 Chemical solutions and compounds
 Reactions, heat, and volumetric changes
 The properties of materials
 Cosmology and nucleosynthesis
And they are enabled to…
 Critically acquire, assess, evaluate, and analyze scientific data
 Effectively communicate scientific information
 Manipulate physical relationship through mathematics
 Assess scientific error in measurement
Learning Activities:
Sample activities through which students will learn the skills and objectives for this course include
the following:
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Readings in the textbook and on-line documents
Lecture and interactive information
Short written laboratory assignments including applying scientific methods to earth
materials and processes (critical thinking and communication objectives)
Calculations on scientific measurements (empirical and quantitative objectives)
Laboratory evaluation of physical phenomena and chemical properties (empirical and
quantitative and critical thinking objectives)
Opportunities to attend related presentations on campus or in town related to topics in the
class; varies by semester but typically includes Speakers and Issues Series, Artist-Lecture
series, and Faculty Forum.
ASSESSMENT OF CORE OBJECTIVES: Assessments should be authentic, intentional and
direct. The following four Core Objectives must be addressed in each course approved to fulfill this
category requirement:
Each assignment and evaluation in this class touches on the core objectives. I have selected
and attached one activity, a lab on centripetal force that provides reasonable exposure to
all (see attachment). In each case, the course will use an AACU rubric for assessing each
objective. The proposed course is first-year (1000) level; all passing students should meet
or exceed the milestone level 2 of each assessment rubric, with the exception of the
teamwork rubric, in which passing students are anticipated to achieve or exceed level 1.
Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information
The course assesses critical thinking skills through evaluations (quizzes, journals, and
examinations) and laboratory exercises. Students manipulate and utilize presented
information and acquired data in these evaluations to assess physical and chemical
systems. The attached laboratory requires students to perform three experiments using a
rotating-arm apparatus. Each experiment is repeated three times, in which students
evaluate the repeatability of the experiment. The students use these data to perform
straightforward calculations. Students are then required to make comparisons to
additional data, evaluate scientific error, and comment on their findings.
The specific assessment of critical thinking skills is a detailed question in the lab write up question 3 on p. 23, which regards the causes of analytical error. The question is rooted in
the repeatability of the experiment and the nature of deviation of the measured value from
that predicted by applying Newton’s second law to revolving bodies. Students are required
to evaluate the limitations of the equipment and their ability to accurately measure the
parameters in the experiment.
The students’ work will be assessed using the attached AACU Critical Thinking VALUE
Rubric (two rows of the rubric will be used: explanation of issues and conclusions and
related outcomes).
Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas
through written, oral, and visual communication
Students develop communication skills through written answers to laboratory exercises,
journal entries, and interactions with instructors. The attached laboratory exercise on
centripetal force requires students to provide well-reasoned and well-written answers to
inquiries on the relationships between mass, radius, and centripetal force.
Communication skills assessments are based on the paragraph form questions (1 and 2) on
p. 22-23. The questions require students to relate the results of the experiment and the
nature of angular motion. This requires students to communicate the attributes of the
measurements and the calculations.
The students’ work will be assessed using the attached AACU Written Communication
VALUE Rubric (two rows of the rubric will be used: content development and control of
syntax and mechanics).
Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or
observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
The students develop empirical analytical skills and quantitative skills through assigned
readings, an evaluation of the data presented in lecture, and laboratory activities. Both
readings and lecture slide sets frequently introduce the methods and data that underpin
our current scientific understanding of the universe. The laboratory exercises provide
opportunity for further application and ultimately assessment of these skills. The attached
laboratory exercise requires students to directly observe a robust physical system, acquire
data, and manipulate calculations to evaluate how the system is affected by changes in
variables.
The attached lab requires students to revolve a mass around an axis, carefully counting the
rotations over a timed period. From the measurements students are required to calculate
the centripetal force as evidenced by the measurable parameters on the apparatus and
timer. They are further required to compare their instrumental measurement to a direct
measurement of the centripetal force based on the weight of the object.
The students’ work will be assessed using the attached AACU Quantitative Literacy VALUE
Rubric (one row of the rubric will be used: calculation).
Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with
others to support a shared purpose or goal
Teamwork skills are developed through group work in laboratory. In this setting, students
work together in small groups to acquire data, discuss and execute calculations, and
answer questions. The attached exercise requires students to work in groups of four,
primarily to share the limited equipment, but also to divide the labor for measurements.
The attached lab on centripetal force has several exercises that require a degree of
teamwork. Individual students will undertake specific parts of the exercise: timing,
counting, and data recording. The group effort culminates into an individual report. Each
student is required to provide an original answer to each of the questions on page 22-24.
The students’ work will be assessed using the AACU Teamwork VALUE Rubric (two rows of
the rubric will be used: Contributes to Team Meetings and Individual Contributions Outside
of Team Meetings).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Provide any additional information supporting course
inclusion in the core (optional).
PLEASE ATTACH THE FOLLOWING
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Syllabus
Assessment for Critical Thinking Skills
Assessment for Communication Skills
Assessment for Empirical & Quantitative Skills
Assessment for Teamwork