Is there a way to turn Earth science and astronomy into "worthy of a science credit"?

[AimeeM]

DD is using Tarbuck's Earth Science and The Cosmos for science this year. She's passionate about these areas. 

However, while I looked at our state's high school graduation requirements and noted that they required 3 science units (no big - she'll have 4), and it didn't stipulate WHICH sciences were required... today I received the college packet from our accountability association, and almost all of the colleges she's interested in require 3-4 science units, AND most of the colleges she would want to consider specify that Earth Science doesn't "count". 

Some do mention environmental science. What exactly IS environmental science? I don't remember any such course from my own high school days.

[Starr]

I think you can turn your earth science into an environmental science. Look online for a high school or college textbook and see their angle. 

[foxbridgeacademy]

Hmmmm, You could rename it..... Global Systems Science.  Or add in some simple physics and Chemistry and call it Physical Science or if shes planning to do Physics and Chemistry later just do it how you want and still call it Physical Science.  If you look at Hewitt's Physical Science Explorations 1/3 of the book (maybe less) is Earth Science.  To do Environmental Science you'd want  to add things like Ecosystems, Human Impact, Resources, pollution, sustainability..... But you could definitely focus on the Earth Science aspects more than the Environmental ones.

[Lanny]

Astronomy should count, depending upon which state you are in. I'm pretty sure at least one of these courses is on the list of courses DD will need to complete for the Science requirement for High School graduation:

 

HIGH ASTR 1A - Astronomy 1 (ASTRMY 1A) / Online

HIGH ENVS 1A - Environmental Systems (ENVIRSYS) / Online

[Penguin]

You could look at AP Environmental Science syllabi and/or the Tables of Contents in various Environmental Science textbooks to get a feel for the topics.

 

I will just say that I think it is a shame that Earth Science is viewed as a lesser science :(

[Cosmos]

I will just say that I think it is a shame that Earth Science is viewed as a lesser science :(

 

I wonder sometimes if it's just a problem with terminology. "Earth Science" is the typical name of a middle school course in these topics, just like "Life Science" is the typical name for a biology-type course at the middle school level (whereas when students study biology at the high school level, it's called Biology).

 

But most students, for whatever reason, don't study earth sciences at the high school level. They do the big three -- biology, chemistry, and physics. So when colleges see "Earth Science" maybe they are assuming it's a less-than-high-school level course.

 

If you study earth science at the college level, it's in a Geology department. I wonder if one could signal to colleges that the course is a serious, rigorous, science course by calling it Intro to Geology instead of Earth Science. I just prefer to think that it's the name that's the issue rather than the content itself. Geology rocks!

[almondbutterandjelly]

Yeah, I'm thinking you could call it a .5 credit of Geology and a .5 credit of Astronomy and call it good.

[AimeeM]

Sweet.

So change the name of the courses to *Geology and *Astronomy. On it. Thanks y'all!

[JanetC]

Sweet.

So change the name of the courses to *Geology and *Astronomy. On it. Thanks y'all!

If you can say so legitimately, "Geology with lab" is even better.

[swimmermom3]

My ds, who is a senior this year, is doing the following class:

 

Natural Science Field Studies

 

 

This is a custom-designed science course that builds upon the content of previous physics, chemistry, and biology classes and is created in response to the student’s avid interest in hiking, sailing, and scuba diving  The classroom work roughly follows a typical schedule for semester-long, college-level survey courses in earth science and marine biology and utilizes college-level texts. The Earth Science portion covers Earth as a system with a focus on geology and meteorology. Oceanography studies overlap with the Marine Biology section which includes the principles of Marine Science, life in the marine environment, structure and function of marine ecosystems and the impact of humans on the marine environment. Astronomy is covered in a weekly lesson over both semesters in order to take advantage of seasonal changes in the night sky.

 

Labs include, but are not limited to: mineral and rock identification, determining longitude and latitude and constructing a simple contour map, permeability experiment, applying relative dating techniques, interpreting a simplified geological map and using it to construct a geological cross-section, salinity-density experiment, land and water heating experiment, and dog shark dissection. Labs represent 30% of the student’s grade, while the remaining portion is determined from the digital science journal the student keeps of his “field studies.† These are observations made primarily on hiking or diving outings. For example, entries from a five-day trip to Steens Mountain Wilderness in Oregon’s high desert might include photographs, drawings, and scientific explanations of the Mountain, as well as Smith Rock, the Alvord Desert, and the Jordan Craters. Identification of wildlife and plant life is expected especially if there is a significant impact on the environment, for example, the reclamation of juniper in central and eastern Oregon. Additional field trips can include observing marine life in tidal pools, attending a shark necropsy at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, or viewing stars at a local star party.

 

Resources:   Earth Science by Tarbucks et al; Marine Biology by Castro and Huber; The Cosmos by Filippenko; Hiking Oregon’s Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop; Roadside Geology of Oregon by Marli B. Miller; Night Watch, by Terance Dickenson; National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Pacific Northwest; Applications and Investigations in Earth Science; The Northwest Nature Guide by James Luther Davis; and The Weather of the Pacific Northwest by Cliff Mass

 

Obviously, the description needs work and it's fairly large, but I want to leave no doubt in the reader's mind that this course makes perfect sense as to meeting the next level of challenge after taking AP Biology as a junior. The course is meant to be a synthesis of the skills learned in previous high school science classes while applying new knowledge to areas of interest that are relevant to my son's life.

 

Hopefully, there is something here you can use.

[swimmermom3]

If you want to add something to the geology for a full credit, look at TC's How the Earth Works or Nature of Earth. 

 

We really enjoy How the Earth Works.  I didn't list them in my resources section yet, but we have used most of this series as well the astronomy and meteorology series from The Great Courses. I would be sure to mention that they are college-level resources. 

 

We used many of the Wysession lectures back in middle school, but honestly ds is getting way more out of them this time because he has some of the physics and chemistry background that help for understanding.

 

[swimmermom3]

AimeeM, I just realized that you are using this as a 9th grade course. In that case, I would let your dd enjoy her coursework and figure that some universities may count it as an elective credit. I would then be sure to cover physics in 10th, chemistry in 11th, and biology or AP Biology in 12th.

 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable can address this issue, but the Tarbuck's text does expect the student to have a certain level of exposure to topics from other areas of science. For example, the sections on the elements, ionic and covalent bonding, and isotopes and radioactive decay in chapter 2 and chapter 11 are meant as chemistry reviews, not thorough coverage of those topics.

 

Since I am in the middle of writing course descriptions, I tend to think in terms of "does our course sequencing make sense based on prior work?"