Intended for non-technical majors, the Physical Science sequence is a scientific
survey of concepts including measurement, mechanics, energy, electric charge, magnetism,
and light. Formal lectures are replaced with group collaboration and inquiry-based
learning. In addition to the physical concepts, students learn how to design and
carry out experiments. This involves developing measurement-taking skills, recording
and analyzing results, and drawing physical and mathematical conclusions from observations.
Course documents
Syllabus
Inquiry-Based Learning
Physical Science courses consist primarily of in-class activities and experiments.
On most days, students will use some appropriate laboratory equipment to investigate
one or more physical phenomena related to the topics listed above. The instructor
is present to help learn the material, but he or she will rarely directly tell you
the “final answer” to a homework or exam question. The purpose of this course is
to help the student to appreciate the power of scientific reasoning to render the
world around knowable. Physical science courses are not lecture-based. Lectures are
minimal, and rote memorization of material is not emphasized. Often the student will
have to find answers, not just listen and repeat them. The primary goal of the class
is to learn about the process of scientific inquiry.
