The MSAB Science Program offers courses at the remedial, regular and advanced levels for elementary, middle school and high school students. The small class sizes enable individual attention to be given to each student. The development of basic science concepts is stressed. The high school science courses offered at MSAB are coordinated with science courses offered at Faribault High School.
The science courses available at MSAB include:
- Elementary
- Science
- Middle School
- Life
- Physical
- High School
- Earth
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physical Science
- Environmental
- Physics
Adaptations for the science courses at MSAB include materials in large print, Braille, and auditory formats. Course work includes hands-on, experiential activities and lab work. Students have available to them the use of many tools to help reach a level of achievement reflecting their abilities including talking calculators, Braille note-taking devices, and computers with screen reading/screen enlargement programs. Students also have available to them a state of the art computer lab which will enable them to use instructional science programs and the internet for research purposes.
Course Descriptions
Elementary
Science - These courses cover the basic fundamentals of science including: biology (cells, environmental concepts, organisms, agricultural concepts), physical science (atoms, electricity, movement), earth science concepts (weather, soil structure, structure of earth, solar system), and chemistry (atoms, every day chemicals, bonds).
Middle School
Life - In this course, students will learn basic biological concepts, theories and principles. They will gain knowledge of the environment, cell structure and function, natural selection and heredity, classification, structure/function/behavior of organisms, and the structure and function of the human body.
Physical - In this course, students will learn basic concepts, theories and principles of the physical world around them. They will gain knowledge of matter, atoms, the periodic table, chemical bonds, reactions, acids, bases, solutions, carbon chemistry, motion, forces, energy, sound, waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, electricity, and magnetism.
High School
Earth - This course will cover earth and space systems by investigating and analyzing earth systems through the interaction of forces and energy, geochemical processes and cycles, theories of the origin and evolution of the universe, energy in the earth system, and the historical significance of major scientific advances.
Biology - In this course, students will learn biological concepts, theories and principles. They will gain knowledge of cell theory, mechanisms of heredity, biological change over time, the interdependence of organisms, material cycles and energy flow in living systems, and the behavior of organisms. Through the investigation and analysis of cells, organisms and ecosystems, students will learn the historical significance of major scientific advances.
Chemistry - This course will cover the concepts, theories, and principles in chemistry by investigating and analyzing atomic theory; relationships between the structure and properties of matter including organic and inorganic bonding, periodicity, and solutions chemistry; chemical reactions; interactions of energy and matter; and the historical significance of major scientific advances.
Physical Science - In this course, students will learn concepts, theories and principles of the physical world around them. They will gain knowledge of matter, atoms, the periodic table, chemical bonds, reactions, acids, bases, solutions, carbon chemistry, motion, forces, energy, sound, waves, the electromagnetic spectrum, electricity, and magnetism.
Environmental - This course will cover the use of decision-making models and scientific investigation and issues involving relationships among the individual, society, economy, and environment by investigating and analyzing the scientific concepts, principles, laws, or theories that affect and are effected by environmental changes; the components of social systems that affect and are effected by environmental changes; the interactions between social and natural systems; local, regional, or global implications of short-term or long-term environmental changes; and methods for citizenship action.
Physics – This course deals with the behavior and interactions of matter, forces and energy. The topics, which are covered, include linear motion, circular motion, momentum, potential and kinetic energy, heat, sound, light, electricity and magnetism and gravitation. The use of mathematics to describe the natural world is an important part of physics and therefore a significant area of focus will be learning problem-solving techniques.