Science

SGP’s Department of Science

Since Science is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation, SGP’s Science Department strives to provide students with hands-on opportunities to discover the world around them.

Biology: Biology is the study of life. Biologists recognize that all living things have certain characteristics that separate them from nonliving things. Every living thing is composed of one or more cells, can reproduce, and uses energy to make life possible. Biology gives students an opportunity to think about life, what defines it, and all that it entails. Using scientific inquiry, students learn about cells, bacteria, plants, animals, diseases, classification, the human body, and environmental issues. Labs include using bacteria to make yogurt, dissecting frogs, worms and crawfish, and observing cells under the microscope.

Chemistry: the study of matter and the changes it undergoes. Chemistry studies these changes and the properties of matter through laboratory experiences, computer graphics and various investigations to try to understand the ‘un-seeable’ atom. From studying the organization of the periodic table and the many layers of information it offers, to making homemade ice cream and explaining how the salt helps freeze the milk, to writing and predicting chemical reactions combine to help students see the depth of their physical world.

Physics: the study of the physical world. Physics studies motion and its causes, energy, waves, light, heat, electricity, and magnetism. By studying the physical properties of our world and its surroundings, students learn why objects move as they do or why they do not move. They find out why it takes so long for the water in the swimming pool to warm up, but the air around it changes temperature so quickly. Experiments, videos, demonstrations, and discussions help students understand why steel ships float, why electrical fuses “blow out”, and about gravity. It’s all about the physical world we live in everyday!

If it is green and wiggles – it is Biology

If it explodes or stinks – it is Chemistry

If it moves or does not work – it is Physics