Science at Small High School

My daughter was selected in the lottery for Small High School, the 450-student small alternative, to be known from here on in as SHS. She wants to attend. For more information about SHS, see this post and the others it links to.

I have some reservations, but think that her desire is important. I asked her to interview her academic teachers in 8th grade about whether she would excel at SHS. They all said she would, it's a great school. With the exception of her science teacher, who had some reservations.

I've spent the last couple days investigating science at SHS. It's different from science at the two comprehensive HSs. No AP. No accelerated courses. And the program is organized quite differently, around hands on learning rather than lecture and test.

I like more lab work, but I worry that the way it's designed you could go all the way through science courses and never fully encounter the work of balancing chemical equations, or something.

Below are the descriptions of foundation of science courses at SHS.

The four main goals of the Foundations of Science program are to: 1) integrate the separate science disciplines, 2) to do real science using projects as the driving force in the curriculum, 3) to create a classroom situation where the use of computational media is routine, and 4) to develop scientifically literate citizens. The development of FOS was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Completion of three years of FOS is the equivalent of one year of college preparatory earth science, biology and chemistry.

Foundations of Science I— Geology/Ecology Year
CREDIT(S) .50 per
semester
Is Traver Creek Healthy? Students will conduct three types of scientific assessments including a physical, biological, and chemical evaluation of the creek, including water solubility, periodicity, and chemical reactions. Ecosystem dynamics, land use and topographic mapping are included.

What’s Up With The Weather? Students interpret daily weather in order to understand unusual weather like tornados and hurricanes, as well as meterological phenomena like fronts, high and low pressure, wind direction, and jet streams on a weather map, crucial to understanding severe weather.
Is The Global Atmosphere Changing? Climate and climatological factors, chemistry of the atmosphere, and human impacts on the atmosphere are studied.
Has The Climate Changed In our city And How Do We Know? Focusing on the area, the geological, biological, and climatological history of the region will be examined. Glacial geology, paleoclimatology, paleobiology, and rocks and minerals will be studied and used to answer the question.

Foundations of Science II— Molecular Biology to the
Universe
Semester
CREDIT(S) .50 per semester
In Anybody Out There?
Students examine astronomical bodies (planets, moons, stars, galaxies, etc.) and how we explore them. How did the universe begin and how were the planets and stars formed? What is the origin of life and what does it need to survive on a planet?
Who Will Win The Race To Donner And Blitzen? Each scientific team will be given seed money to plan a trip to Donner or Blitzen and conduct research. The team that develops the best final proposal will be awarded the mission. Each team will study topography, chemistry of minerals, metals, the atmosphere and microscopic life forms.
Is Life On Earth Doomed To Extinction? In this project we will be examining the interaction between two of the most important fundamental pillar of geology and biology. Evolution means change over time, and both the earth and life has undergone this process. Students will focus on a particular continent dating from Pangea to present. Students also research and describe a particular animal that inhabits that continent and give evidence for its change over time as well as the mechanisms that result in change.
What’s In Your Genes? Why is no child identical to its parents? How do you grow? How does DNA control your traits? What happens when there is a mistake in your genes? What can people do with your genome? Students will explore these questions studying Mendelian genetics, cell division, DNA, protein synthesis, mutations, genetic diseases and DNA technology.
Are You What You Eat? Students will investigate different types of diets, diet related diseases, energy production and use (calories), and the chemistry of cellular respiration. In addition, organic compounds, the chemistry of proteins, enzymes, lipids and carbohydrates, acids and bases and their role in digestion will be explored.

Foundations of Science III— Analytical
Chemistry/Immunology/Forensics
Semester
CREDIT(S) .50 per semester
Is
My Drinking Water Safe? In this project students will investigate pollutants that could be found in sources of their own drinking water. Students will examine the life history of a single organic pollutant, including information on how it affects the human body, its various chemical properties, how and why it is used by society, and specific local sources.
The Chemistry Of Soap. Students will research the chemical reactions involved in making soap. They will design, produce, package and promote a bar of soap with particular properties. Students will study the chemical reactions of soap, properties of organic molecules and solubility.
How Can Science Help Catch Killers? Students will conduct a series of chemical and biological labs identifying pieces of evidence for a murder mystery including DNA electrophoresis, protein analysis, blood typing, hair analysis, fingerprinting and fiber identification. The culminating event will be a murder scene and the writing of a scientific analysis of the evidence.
What Is The Next Plague? Students will study cell structure, bacteria and virus structure and function, the immune system, and selected human body systems. The fear of new or re-emerging diseases has been underscored by the worldwide AIDS epidemic and by resurgent infections of TB, yellow fever, and malaria that are increasingly resistant to drugs. Students focus on a disease-causing agent (viral, bacterial, protozoan, sub-viral) and the body system that it initially attacks, its transmission, symptoms, and progression.
Designer Chemistry Students will design and manufacture two chemical compounds. Moles, stoichiometry, quantitative and qualitative analysis and chemical laboratory techniques will be studies and practiced.

In addition, SHS offers these courses as well:

Biology Science Fare Semester
This one-semester course deals with the natural history of plants and animals and human physiology and psychology. Students will receive information by viewing various video and film documentaries. We will also look at the relationship between science fiction and science fact through movies and print.

Advanced Chemistry Semester
This course is the next step beyond the chemistry that was learned in FOS and FOS 3 (first semester). There is a greater emphasis on theory and a mathmatical, quantitative approach. A college chemistry level text is used. Content includes: History of Chemistry, measurements/Calculation/Significant Figures, Solution Chemistry, Equilibrium, Acids and Bases, Polymer Chemistry, Oxidation/Reduction/Electrochemistry, Thermochemistry, and Nuclear Chemistry.

Anatomy and Physiology Semester
This is a one semester course designed to give the advanced science student an in-depth study of human anatomy and physiology. Part of the course is focused on comparative anatomy of both invertebrates and vertebrates and the evolution of body systems. This course includes required lab dissection of sample invertebrate and vertebrate organisms. The text is written for college level students. Students need to be independent learners in order to be successful.

Advanced Biology Semester or
Year
This course is a one semester course designed for those students who wish to study biological principles in greater depth, particularly at the molecular level. The course is rigorous and the textbook is written at the college level. Topics include: Cell structure and function, The cell cycle, Genes to proteins, DNA repair, Reproduction of DNA and repair, Molecular biology of cancer, Cancer cell histology, DNA cloning, DNA genomics and analysis, Electrophoresis of DNA, Embryology and animal
development, Natural Selection, Population evolution, Origin of species, Primate
evolution, and Human evolution.

Also, my daughter could take AP courses in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology at the other high schools; there's a shuttle bus that runs back and forth from the schools during the day. And some students take freshman science classes (and math) at the university.

I'm all for new ways of teaching and learning, but as a parent I want to make sure my kid learns a lot and gets into a good college. What do you think?