In both the classroom and the laboratory, Academy students are encouraged to model their approach on the way scientists work. True science learning is messy, confusing, challenging, exciting, uplifting, and rewarding. Students are asked to identify problems and devise solutions. They develop effective problem-solving skills for lifelong use both in and out of the classroom. Physics Students entering the Academy in the ninth grade begin their science study by taking physics.
Most students hold deep-seated, intuitive views about how the world works.
This course allows students to explore their own notions about common, everyday phenomena, discuss their observations with their peers, and draw conclusions based on the results of lab experiments. Students learn to make predictions, observe phenomena, test their predictions, collect and analyze data, construct graphs, write detailed lab reports, and improve algebra skills through mathematical problem solving. Topics include mechanics, heat, electricity, sound, and light. Chemistry The Academy science sequence continues in the tenth grade with a rigorous study of general chemistry. The course investigates, both experimentally and theoretically, the structure of matter its properties and its changes.