No Earth Space Science for Freshmen This Year

For years, parents and students questioned the freshmen Earth/Space Science course requirement. Students whined about the boring topics discussed, while peers at other schools were already pursuing Chemistry and Biology. Parents opposed the unique graduation requirement and wished their children could advance more quickly to the AP science courses. This school year, protestors finally got their way.

The issue arose with the introduction of the new Identity, Health, and Society class, or IHS for short. When problems such as alcohol and drug abuse became prevalent and public in the Albany High community, officials thought it necessary to incorporate a required health class into the curriculum. And the course is undoubtedly valuable.

Besides being warned about the perils of substance abuse, students are educated in nutrition, sex education, identity, and media literacy. John Fike, an IHS instructor, believed the class is especially important for freshmen because they are at an age when “kids are beginning to experiment.”

The new required IHS class produced a scheduling conflict. The question that arose was: Without guaranteeing seven periods, how can freshmen fit in required math, English, IHS, and a science, and have time to also take a foreign language, a social science, and an art?

With opposition from the majority of the Science Department, a decision was made to abolish the freshmen Earth/Space Science requirement to free up room in the schedule. Even though most freshmen take a science anyway, the subject became a school-wide elective.

Now, eighth graders at the middle school can choose between Chemistry (if they obtain a C or better in Algebra I) Biology, or Earth/Space Science as their science elective for the coming year. No AP science classes are available to freshmen, but the new science program clearly supports the tracking of highly competitive science students in the freshmen class.

Being able to take Chemistry or Biology freshmen year makes the transition into an AP science class sophomore year much easier. Chemistry teacher Peggy Carlock, who proposed the idea of admitting freshmen into science classes other than Earth/Space Science, supports the movement. She said, “How can a student who is interested in pursuing a college science major take all three AP science classes unless they let them [into Chemistry or Biology] as freshmen?”

But is the opportunity to allow freshmen to move more quickly through the science pyramid worth the expense of losing Earth/Space Science? Even Ms. Carlock did not actively support the abandonment of the formerly required class. Fundamentals in science were once introduced to freshmen in Earth/Space Science. Freshmen were familiarized with the scientific method and were exposed to high school science in an introductory setting. Topics in Earth/Space Science prepared students for the science portion on STAR tests on which Albany High traditionally scores high.

According to Ms. Pfeifer, whose Biology classes now consist of a mix of students from all four grade levels, the Biology textbook is more difficult to understand than the Earth/Space Science text. The science department had to put together more study guides in consideration of the freshmen.

The new system is still in the process of observation. Ms. Carlock is conducting her own study based on the success of students in her Chemistry class. Will more and more students begin to pursue AP sciences their sophomore year? Does the new system generate a larger group of overprivileged science students? Is it breeding more competition in the already competitive atmosphere at Albany High? No one knows how well the freshmen are responding to Chemistry and Biology. We’ll just have to wait and see.

One Response

1. 6:59 AM on August 21st, 2007Jacob M:

   bumb that, you know how hard it was for me to pass earth science, i almost had to retake it, now the freshmans are getting it easy

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