New physics course replaces physical science

photo by Mae Bearden Mrs. Nancy Brannon, guides freshmen students Bryson Smith and Colin Gallaher through an in-class biology lab. Last year, both freshmen and sophomores took biology, resulting in shared and mixed grade level labs.

Intro to Physics replaces physical science as of this semester at The King’s Academy. The school administration considered altering this high school class for several years and has put this curriculum change into effect in order to adhere with Georgia standards and better prepare students for college. Physical science is now taken in eighth grade, biology in ninth and physics sophomore year.

“We just had to figure in terms of the physics, which has a lot of math in it, what would be an appropriate level,” seventh grade life science and physics teacher Mrs. Katie White said. “That’s why we’ve made it an Intro to Physics class, so it’s more conceptual physics than a true upper level physics class.”

A few years ago, Georgia shifted its science standards to make physical science an eighth grade level class. TKA administration watched this change, trying to determine if it would be long or short term. When the change continued to hold, the school decided it was time to alter their high school science curriculum as well. This shift makes it easier for TKA students who transition to and from other education programs where physical science was already offered in middle school. Having a physics class better prepares students for more rigorous physics courses in college.

“As a private school we can do kind of our own thing, but it’s very prudent to make sure we’re relevant to what the state [changes],” Dr. Lynn Sanders, lower and interim upper school principal, said. “If students are transferring out to a public school or in from a public school, we want them to obviously make that transition as smoothly as possible.”

TKA has taken various steps to prepare for this change. Physics teaching materials and resources  have been assembled and eligible teachers were found. Since biology was previously a 10th grade class, the students who are taking physics this year needed a way to meet their biology requirements. In order to resolve this problem, both freshmen and sophomores took the class last year.

“Everything kind of got shifted, physical science down to eighth, biology down to ninth, so it took us last year to do biology for ninth and tenth graders,” Dr. Sanders said.

Although the total impact on teachers and students is still undetermined, one way it has already impacted the physics teachers is the many hours they have spent preparing to teach a new class with a fresh curriculum. Students are being impacted by learning higher math and physics concepts which will help prepare them for college and future classes. They also face the challenge of taking a class no students have taken before at TKA.

“The biggest way it has impacted me and my friends is we do not know what we are heading into,” sophomore Shelby Howell said. “Most of the time, you can talk to someone who has taken the class a previous year, and they can give you tips or advice on what you are walking into. In this case, the current sophomores are the first class to take physics at King’s, so we cannot ask anyone in the grades ahead of us what it is like.”