Physical Science…Earth Science…What??
In his groundbreaking book, Elements of Chemistry (published in 1789), Antoine Laurent Lavoisier stated, “The art of reasoning is nothing more than a language well arranged.” In other words, if you want to understand something, you must first use the proper words when discussing it. Unfortunately, modern science education has not taken this famous chemist’s words to heart. As a result, there is a lot of confusion over certain terms found in educational standards.
One of the obvious examples is “Physical Science.” Most high school science standards require that high school students take a physical science course, but most people (and unfortunately, some educators) have no idea what this means.
Let’s start with the definition:
Physical Science: A natural science that studies non-living systems, focusing on the properties of matter and energy and how they interact
This is in contrast to “Life Science,” which studies living things. When scientists say “Physical Science,” then, they are not referring to a specific subject. They are referring to any science that concentrates on non-living systems. This includes (but is not limited to) physics, chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy.
Physical Science In Education
How does this relate to education?
When you look at science textbooks, you will often find ones that are entitled, “Physical Science.” Most of the time, they are written for middle school or high school students. These textbooks can cover vastly different subjects, depending on the author. Some of them cover chemistry and physics. Others cover geology, oceanography, and meteorology. Others cover geology, physics, and astronomy. This is very different from chemistry or physics textbooks, which tend to cover mostly the same subjects, regardless of the author.
This is particularly confusing when you look at educational standards. Most universities, for example, say that they expect incoming students to have taken three high school science courses. At least one of those courses must be a life science, at least one must be a physical science, and at least two should have a laboratory component. In other words, at least one of those courses should focus on living things, and at least one should focus on non-living things. Thus, a high school student can take Biology (a life science), Chemistry (a physical science), and Human Anatomy (a life science). Another student can fulfill the same requirement by taking Zoology (a life science), Astronomy (a physical science), and Physics (a physical science).
Earth Science In Your Homeschool
For early high school, sometimes the subjects are combined into a course and called something different. For example, a book that combines geology, meteorology, and astronomy is often called “Earth Science,” since the focus is on Earth and its position in the universe. That is still considered a physical science course, so a student can also fulfill most colleges’ requirements by taking Earth Science, Biology, and Chemistry. In fact, that is the most common way college-bound students fulfill the requirement.
Earth Science In Your High School Transcript: Meeting State Requirements
In other words, if you are looking at educational standards, and they call for a high school physical science course, Earth Science counts. It should be listed on the transcript as “Earth Science,” since that indicates what combination of physical sciences were covered, but it counts as a physical science course. As of this writing no states require homeschool students to have “physical science” though some require “a” physical science. Texas and Oklahoma require “physical science” for their public and private schools but not for homeschoolers.
Berean Builders: Discovering Design with Earth Science
Our Earth Science curriculum, Discovering Design with Earth Science invites students to explore God’s creation through engaging lessons on geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. With hands-on experiments, clear explanations, and a chronological approach that makes connections across scientific concepts, your learner will gain a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Preview samples of Discovering Design With Earth Science below.
Text table of contents
Text sample
Suggested daily assignment schedule
Experiment Overview
Worksheets
Student Workbook
Scope and Sequence