Integrated Units - Science

  • In this unit, students review the principles of mechanics by applying these principles to video game worlds. Students begin with an informal analysis of how principles of mechanics are represented or violated in a variety of video games. They learn to be more precise in their analyses by calculating physical properties of the game worlds. They investigate gravity in the real world and adapt their methods and calculations in order to investigate gravity in a video game world.

  • In this unit, the goal of producing the best possible audio component for a media project serves as the context for learning about sound waves and about mechanical waves in general. Students learn about sound by through hands-on experiences, such as dissecting a speaker and measuring the speed of sound. They explore computer simulations of waves and use sound editing software to “see” sound waves.

  • This unit uses compelling societal issues—such as clean energy, nuclear waste disposal, and food irradiation—as a context for student learning about nuclear chemistry. The unit activities provide a way for teachers to create an inquiry- and project-based learning experience while using their usual textbooks and educational materials. Students also learn how to inform themselves about a science-based societal issue, and how to use this information to make better decisions as a consumer, citizen, patient, employee, or family member.

  • Light! Color! Perception! relates the physiology of color perception to visual art and media. Students gain a basic understanding of the relationship of light to color and explore the workings of the nervous system, including the physiology of the eye and the brain and how the two interact to perceive color. Finally, they learn how arts and media take advantage of these physiological interactions to produce a range of visual effects