Reply #17: Interesting idea [View All]

[fujiyama]

but the main problem is that math curriculums are usually quite weak at the junior high/ middle school level.

Unfortunately when I went to HS, they required our freshman (9th grade) year to be wasted on "earth science", which was sort of a geology course, with some astronomy, weather, etc. I found it to be dull as hell (except for the astronomy).

10th was Bio, and we had the option of either taking a more molecular based approached, or a more broad based approach. Ultimately I took the harder one (molecular based), and screwed up my GPA a bit. Looking back I might have taken the easier one...though these classes definetely had their advantages in preparing me for college, considering the class had a similar structure.

However, it was good in another way -- My chemistry class in 11th grade wasn't too difficult, because the conceptual approach was similiar to bio the semester before.

Our senior year offered either Honors Physics or regular physics. Most of the students in the Honors physics were also taking calculus I concurrently, though the physics itself was not calc based.

Ultimately, I ended up taking most of that stuff again at the college level for my BS in engineering....and looking back I'd say this...

I think a case can be made to switch the bio and chem courses around. I don't recall the chemistry course being too terribly mathematically intensive. One advantage of having chemistry before bio is that biochemistry can be focused on more heavilly, as can molecular based evolution, etc.

I would ultimately still probably keep physics at the junior or senior year, considering many aren't prepared mathematically.

It really depends on a students' math background. If they are in precalculus by the time they are taking a non calc based physics course, they should be ready.