Buchanan High School

The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge.

How do we define science?
According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, the definition of science is "knowledge attained through study or practice," or "knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world."

What does that really mean?
Science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge. This system uses observation and experimentation to describe and explain natural phenomena.

The term science also refers to the organized body of knowledge people have gained using that system. Less formally, the word science often describes any systematic field of study or the knowledge gained from it.

What is the purpose of science?
Perhaps the most general description is that the purpose of science is to produce useful models of reality.

Most scientific investigations use some form of the scientific method.

• Biology:
  Biology is the branch of science dealing with the study of life. It describes the characteristics, classification, and behaviors of organisms, how species come into existence, and the interactions they have with each other and with the environment. Biology has many specialized areas, covering a wide range of scales, from biochemistry to ecology.
   
• Integrated Physical Science (IPS):
  Integrated Physical Science is a college preparatory lab-based course that immerses students in the topic areas of Chemistry, Physics, and Earth and Space Sciences. This comprehensive view gives the students an understanding of the concepts and principles of science and provides fundamental skills in scientific inquiry, problem-solving and technological skills necessary to compete successfully in the 21st century. Some areas of study include atomic structure, periodic table, astronomy, force and motion, cycling of matter, and relationships with Earth systems.
   
• Chemistry:
  Chemistry is the science of matter at or near the atomic scale. (Matter is the substance of which all physical objects are made.)  Chemistry deals with the properties of matter, and the transformation and interactions of matter and energy. Central to chemistry is the interaction of one substance with another, such as in a chemical reaction, where a substance or substances are transformed into another. Chemistry primarily studies atoms and collections of atoms such as molecules, crystals or metals that make up ordinary matter. According to modern chemistry it is the structure of matter at the atomic scale that determines the nature of a material.  Chemistry has many specialized areas that overlap with other sciences, such as physics, biology or geology. Scientists who study chemistry are called chemists. Historically, the science of chemistry is a recent development but has its roots in alchemy which has been practiced for millennia throughout the world. The word chemistry is directly derived from the word alchemy.
   
• Physics:
  Physics is the study of the natural world. It deals with the fundamental particles of which the universe is made, and the interactions between those particles, the objects composed of them (nuclei, atoms, molecules, etc) and energy.  Physics is the science of Nature - of matter and energy in space and time. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena covering enormous scales: from the subatomic particles to the Universe as a whole. All laws and forces of nature originate from mathematical symmetries of space and time, so modern physics currently focuses on studying these symmetries.  Physics is very dependent on mathematics. Models and theories in physics are expressed using mathematical equations. However, while physics uses mathematics to describe the material world, mathematics may deal with strictly abstract concepts and patterns. There is a large overlap between the two fields, known as mathematical physics.

CTE & Science Elective Course Offerings:

• Anatomy & Physiology:
  Anatomy and Physiology AB is an advanced laboratory class of the biological sciences. The course emphasizes the structure (anatomy) and function (physiology) of the human body through a systems approach.
   
• AP Computer Science Principles:
  AP Computer Science Principles offers a multidisciplinary approach to teaching the underlying principles of computation. The course will introduce students to the creative aspects of programming, abstractions, algorithms, large data sets, the Internet, cybersecurity concerns, and computing impacts. AP Computer Science Principles also gives students the opportunity to use current technologies to create computational artifacts for both self-expression and problem solving. Together, these aspects of the course make up a rigorous and rich curriculum that aims to broaden participation in computer science. 
   
• Energy & Environmental Academy:
  The BHS Energy Academy is a Career & Technical Education (CTE) program that contains two pathways: Engineering Design and Environmental Sustainability. For more information, see the Energy & Environmental Engineering Research Center site.