Branches of physical science[edit]
- Physics – natural and physical science that involves the study of matter[4]and its motion through space and time, along with related concepts such as energy and force.[5] More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.[a][6][7]
- Astronomy – study of celestial objects (such as stars, galaxies, planets, moons, asteroids, comets and nebulae), the physics, chemistry, and evolution of such objects, and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth, including supernovae explosions, gamma ray bursts, and cosmic microwave background radiation.
- Chemistry – studies the composition, structure, properties and change of matter.[8][9] In this realm, chemistry deals with such topics as the properties of individual atoms, the manner in which atoms form chemical bonds in the formation of compounds, the interactions of substances through intermolecular forces to give matter its general properties, and the interactions between substances through chemical reactions to form different substances.
- Earth science – all-embracing term referring to the fields of science dealing with planet Earth. Earth science is the study of how the natural environment (ecosphere or Earth system) works and how it evolved to its current state. It includes the study of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
If you support Astronomy 11 as a major physical science and fulfilling the graduation requirements for a science, then please sign the petition below:
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Letters of support:
Congratulations to you and your team! Jon wrote to share the news that your application to commence an Astronomy 11 course has been approved by the Victoria district and that the course will start as of February of the coming year.
This is excellent news. Astronomy and astrophysics is a unique topic and I am delighted that high school students in Victoria will have an opportunity to study it. Not only does it touch upon topics like the Universe and the heavens above, topics that have a powerful hold on the human psyche, it is also uniquely suited to demonstrate the universal character of science in that virtually every civilization on earth has contributed to its development. The very origins of the scientific method are rooted in and Ibn Haythan, a 9th/10th century physicist's ruminations about the solar system and about light rays from the sun.
As a course, it has something for everyone. Observational astronomy requires little more than awe and wonder on the part of the student observer, and a dark vantage point to survey the heavens. Still, the students in Victoria are luckier than most, I would think, in that they will have access to the telescopes located at the University of Victoria and the Herzberg Institute and engage in what I expect will be memorable moments of experiential learning.
The other facet of the endeavor - theory - is, I would argue, equally fascinating. Astrophysics is effective the weaving together of virtually all other sciences - from Newtonian Mechanics to Relativity, from electromagnetic theory to quantum mechanics, from fluid mechanics to fractals. Even biology and chemistry do not stand apart especially in the field of extra-solar planets and the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe. Personally, I regard astrophysics as the one area of study where all the areas of science truly come into their own and shed light on the greatest story of all - the very origin of the universe and all that it encompasses. After where else can one dabble with loops of energy vibrating in an 11-dimensional spacetime on one hand, and expound on forging of molecules vital for life in interstellar space via non-equilibrium chemistry.
Once again, my congratulations and I look forward to hearing stories of success emerging from this venture.
Sincerely
A. Babul
University Distinguished Professor and
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Victoria
Congratulations to you and your team! Jon wrote to share the news that your application to commence an Astronomy 11 course has been approved by the Victoria district and that the course will start as of February of the coming year.
This is excellent news. Astronomy and astrophysics is a unique topic and I am delighted that high school students in Victoria will have an opportunity to study it. Not only does it touch upon topics like the Universe and the heavens above, topics that have a powerful hold on the human psyche, it is also uniquely suited to demonstrate the universal character of science in that virtually every civilization on earth has contributed to its development. The very origins of the scientific method are rooted in and Ibn Haythan, a 9th/10th century physicist's ruminations about the solar system and about light rays from the sun.
As a course, it has something for everyone. Observational astronomy requires little more than awe and wonder on the part of the student observer, and a dark vantage point to survey the heavens. Still, the students in Victoria are luckier than most, I would think, in that they will have access to the telescopes located at the University of Victoria and the Herzberg Institute and engage in what I expect will be memorable moments of experiential learning.
The other facet of the endeavor - theory - is, I would argue, equally fascinating. Astrophysics is effective the weaving together of virtually all other sciences - from Newtonian Mechanics to Relativity, from electromagnetic theory to quantum mechanics, from fluid mechanics to fractals. Even biology and chemistry do not stand apart especially in the field of extra-solar planets and the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe. Personally, I regard astrophysics as the one area of study where all the areas of science truly come into their own and shed light on the greatest story of all - the very origin of the universe and all that it encompasses. After where else can one dabble with loops of energy vibrating in an 11-dimensional spacetime on one hand, and expound on forging of molecules vital for life in interstellar space via non-equilibrium chemistry.
Once again, my congratulations and I look forward to hearing stories of success emerging from this venture.
Sincerely
A. Babul
University Distinguished Professor and
Professor of Physics and Astronomy Dept. of Physics and Astronomy University of Victoria
I am writing to support the notion of an Astronomy course as an excellent opportunity to teach a breadth of science to high school students spanning physics, chemistry, geology, environment, and biology. My own experiences in school rooms has been that astronomy topics are interesting to the students and gets them thinking scientifically. They thus become much more open to learning about the scientific method, the wonder of scientific exploration, and the ways in which scientific knowledge is gained and refuted. Thus, I would suggest that an option to take Astronomy as part of the high school curriculum and as an accredited science option would be a very valuable contribution to the education system in BC. Indeed, making such a course required, and using it to promote a broad range of science, should be considered carefully.
I provide these suggestions based on over twenty years of teaching to both specialists and non-specialists at Universities, as well as giving public talks and directed classroom presentations from grades 1 through 12.
thanks for taking on this issue,
Doug Johnstone
Principal Research Officer, NRC Canada
Associate Prof. (Adjunct), University of Victoria
I provide these suggestions based on over twenty years of teaching to both specialists and non-specialists at Universities, as well as giving public talks and directed classroom presentations from grades 1 through 12.
thanks for taking on this issue,
Doug Johnstone
Principal Research Officer, NRC Canada
Associate Prof. (Adjunct), University of Victoria
This is most disappointing! Of course I am happy to have my voice added to whatever response you are preparing about including astronomy as a graduation science credit. Astronomy is indeed a fundamental science that explores our place in the larger cosmos and it requires special attention. For instance, one can only look at the woeful statistics of the numbers of people who still believe the Sun revolves around the Earth, the Earth is flat, the Moon landing was faked, or astrology is accurate to realize how important it is to educate young people about this topic.
Best wishes,
Dr. James Di Francesco
Senior Research Officer
National Research Council Canada
Government of Canada
Best wishes,
Dr. James Di Francesco
Senior Research Officer
National Research Council Canada
Government of Canada
It was with great pleasure that I learned that you and Jon will be offering Astronomy 11 in the Victoria School district next February. Being based in Victoria you have access to truly unique facilities and opportunities. In spite of such advantages, I believe astronomy as a science-credit, high-school curriculum component throughout B.C. has unique potential, especially given resources teachers anywhere in B.C. can now access.
With the near-universal curiosity around the big questions astronomy raises, there is an outstanding opportunity to draw students into diverse STEM disciplines through high school astronomy. Perhaps more importantly, the potential to increase science literacy generally through well-crafted high school, science-credit astronomy courses is immense. Beautiful astronomical images and the mysteries they evoke quickly engage viewers, easily leading into foundational aspects of the underlying science. Astronomy is an integrative science drawing together the fundamentals of physics, chemistry, geology, mathematics and the life sciences for contemporary research on, e.g., the origins of life, the exploration of the solar system, the formation and evolution of planets, stars, galaxies, and the development of structure in the universe. Astronomy also connects beautifully with the history--over centuries and many human cultures--of our understanding of science and of the universe, with connections to the arts that may motivate some students in ways that other science-credit courses may find challenging to do.
Not only is astronomy a fundamental science discipline, but B.C. enjoys a special role in the development of Canadian excellence in astronomical studies which makes the subject even more appropriate for the B.C. high school science curriculum. The 1.8m aperture Plaskett Telescope (of NRC’s Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria) was designed and built during World War I with ‘first light’ in 1918. This project initiated Canada’s emergence internationally as a respected player in astronomical research, with steadily increasing impact such that Canadian research now ranks among the top five countries in the world. With NRC facilities in radio (Penticton) and optical (Victoria) astronomy, world-class B.C. university astronomy programs, emerging industrial activities, and numerous groups and individuals active in astronomy education and outreach (e.g., members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada), there is a unique opportunity in B.C. associated with high school astronomy for credit.
I wish you and Jon well with your new course and strongly endorse the value of astronomy becoming a science-credit course in B.C.’s revised high school curriculum that you are championing.
Sincerely,
James E. Hesser, Ph.D., FRAS, FRASC
(1997 Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, Industry Canada/NSERC)
Emeritus Director (1986-2013) and Visiting Worker, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory
NRC Herzberg, Astronomy and Astrophysics Programs | www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
National Research Council Canada | Government of Canada
5071 West Saanich Road
Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 Canada
[email protected]
Thank you for sharing the exciting news about the Astronomy 11 course you have designed for Victoria High School. As a former science educator and district level administrator, I feel that astronomy is a neglected topic within the senior secondary science curriculum; I applaud your efforts to rectify this situation. When you look at the current frontiers of science, much of that is focused toward space so astronomy should have a much more prominent place in the education of Canadian youth. Introducing an Astronomy 11 course in Victoria makes a lot of sense. Canadian astronomers are world leaders. Many of these astronomers live in our region, associated with NRC Hertzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics and the University of Victoria Department of Physics and Astronomy. Groundbreaking research is being done just a few kilometres away from Victoria High School. In many ways, Victoria is the centre of astronomy in Canada that makes it the perfect launch site for this course. I cannot think of another area of the curriculum that has so many primary resources so close at hand. Just think, your students will have the opportunity to meet world-leading researchers and visit actual research sites, not watch a video about discoveries made at some distant location.
You can count of the support of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada – Victoria Centre in this endeavour. Our society is celebrating its 150th anniversary next year and the Victoria Centre has a long history being founded in 1914. One of the primary focuses of our members is sharing our love of astronomy with the public and we have an active school program. We welcome an opportunity to work with older students as the majority of our efforts are currently with elementary aged students. Please do not hesitate to contact me for more information.
Sincerely,
Chris Purse, BSc, BEd, MEd
--
Chris Purse
President
RASC Victoria
I was delighted to learn that Victoria High School is developing a Grade 11 Astronomy program. The study of Astronomy has so much to offer on so many levels. It illustrates the power of the evidence based, scientific method to profoundly expand our understanding of the Universe. It employs Mathematics to comprehend the vast scale of the Universe and Physics to explain and predict its motions and behaviour. It provides hands on experience with the latest technology to capture astronomical photos and marvel at the beauty of the night sky. It helps us to realize our place in the Universe and better appreciate the unique and great good fortune we enjoy on planet Earth. This course will foster scientific literacy and deserves to be at the very core of an academic program.
I wish the teachers and students of Astronomy 11 every success.
Reg Dunkley
Vice President Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
To Whom It May Concern,
I too would like to offer my complete support for the BC Ministry of Education to adopt Astronomy 11 as a credit based and a post-secondary recognized science course. It should not be classified as a BAA course.
I am a secondary science teacher that works for the Greater Victoria School District. I have taught all levels and grades of junior and senior sciences over the last 13 years, where I personally have a biochemistry degree. Astronomy has consistently demonstrated to be one of the top subjects students enthusiastically wish they could learn more about.
Astronomy has also been a profound interest for me too, despite my background. As a teacher, I find I pull astronomically related examples, to help teach or inspire kids in the various wonders of science.
As we strive to better understand the world we live in and our place in our solar system and universe, this course offers: modern and relevant scientific concepts, STEM related material, and intertwines all major branches of sciences. It captures our imaginations and puts a picture of our place to which we share with others in this universe. It gives us perspective. It allows me to realize the computer I’m typing on and most of the atoms that make it up were created in stars, billions of years ago.
Astronomy, as with most senior science classes, shares connections with other subjects. This field clearly is a major branch of science. At every university I’ve visited, you always observe “The Physics and Astronomy Department”, as being paired together as one. No other science is referred to in this manner. For example, you never hear Biology and Botany Department, or Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Department.
I would imagine I do not have to go into length all the fascinating and neat topics that astronomy covers, nor highlight the academic rigor it entails below the surface (ex. the math, chemistry, biology and of course physics). Therefore, I highly support the Ministry of Education allow for Astronomy 11 to be accepted as a major grade 11 science and for it not to be classified as a simple elective. I can only imagine the syllabus that Mr. Uyeda and Mr. Geehan have created for this course will easily meet the mark set by your ministry. Should in the remote instance it does not, I know both individuals would work tirelessly to ensure it exceeds whatever standard put forth.
Knowing Mr. Geehan and Mr. Uyeda personally and having worked with them, I can attest without reservation you have two very passionate, highly educated, and aptly qualified professionals. I trust this course, if not now, can be created and that it will become a wondrous opportunity for our future students.
Sincerely,
Brad
Brad Hartley BSc PDPP
website: teacher | chemistry | mathematics | photography | physics
MOUNT DOUGLAS SECONDARY SCHOOL
Victoria, BC Canada w 250.477.6977 f 250.477.0277