Message-Id: <v01540b00b0aca08b4f6a@[204.188.208.59]>
Date: Thu, 4 Dec 1997 14:47:17 -0800
To: "Pinhole Listserv" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
From: pwilding@marin.k12.ca.us (Peter Wilding)
Subject: AP Science Courses thread
I would like to take up Karen's interesting offer to look at a curriculum
for an advanced integrated course.
At San Rafael HS we have a three year coordinated program, 'Science and
Technology' which integrates Life, Earth and Physical Sciences in each of
the three years. We have been running the course for 6-7 years now and we
are fully approved for UC entrance requirements as well as for private and
out of state universities. The three year sequence is the equivalent of
Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
We have run an Advanced S&T course for seniors for several years. This
course was an all research course using outside mentors where possible and
focusing on experimental design and execution. We were successful in County
and Bay Area Science fairs. However the numbers of students prepared to
take up the challenge of this type of course was always small and this
year we had to cancel the course due to having less than 15 students.
I would be very interested in participating in the design of a widely used
senior level integrated course. However, at San Rafael HS we have replaced
the Advanced S&T course with AP Biology as more students and their parents
expressed interest in this type of course. I think we have to look at the
motivation of students in taking courses. The sort of selection criteria
students use is "How much college application bang for the hour of
participation will I get from this particular course?"
While we have no mandated state or national curriculum it is natural that
students and parents will use those sorts of criteria in high school level
course selection.
Peter Wilding.