Fulfill your High School General Science requirement at home with training from Penn Foster High School. We’ll guide you through the course with class notes, textbooks and unlimited instructor support. Each lesson has been specifically designed for independent study – you’ll learn General Science in no time.
Course Description
This course surveys the entire spectrum of the sciences, including physics, chemistry, and biology. Students gain further knowledge of atoms and molecules, light and sound, electricity and magnetism, astronomy, life on Earth, human anatomy, genetics, etc.
The course includes an illustrated textbook, General Science, which contains the assigned reading material and exercises. There is also a study guide with three lessons, assignments, and self-checks, plus three multiple-choice exams.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
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Explain the characteristics of living things and how they relate to their environments
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Discuss the composition of the human body: cells, tissues, organs, bones, etc.
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Explain how the body uses the nutrients provided by food and water
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Describe the functions of various systems: digestive, circulatory, nervous, etc.
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Discuss the role of protists (bacteria, fungi, etc.) in relation to humans
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Understand the life cycle of animals and plants
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List the characteristics of matter
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Explain chemical changes and chemical equations
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Discuss the relationships of fuels, burning, and energy
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Specify the role that water plays in our lives
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Discuss the various types of energy—solar, light, heat, and atomic—and their uses
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Specify the theoretical and practical values of electricity and magnetism
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Explain how a knowledge of gravity and friction can help create better machines
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Describe the basic operation of motor vehicles, aircraft, and rockets
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List the components and characteristics of air
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Explain the conditions that affect weather
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Describe how sound is produced, transmitted, and reproduced
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Discuss the structure of the Earth’s crust, its changes, and the causes of change
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List the bodies in our solar system, along with some of their characteristics
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Discuss the effects of the Earth’s rotation and revolution
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Explain how latitude and longitude are used to locate places on Earth
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Define star, astronomer, constellation, North Star, galaxy, and Milky Way
Course Outline
Lesson 1: Biology—The Study of Living Things
Seven Characteristics All Living Things Have in Common; Their Diversity; Relationship to Environment; Kinds of Animals, Plants, and Protists; Common Types of Trees and Birds; Dependency; Food Chains; Types of Soil; Soil Problems; Water; Conservation of Natural Resources; Human Body; Cells; Tissues; Bones; Muscles; Food and Nutrients; Systems: Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory, Reproductive, Organ, and Nervous; Heredity; Bacteria; Diseases; Keeping Healthy; Survival; Balance of Nature; Life Cycles of Animals and Plants; Photosynthesis; Genes; Evolutionary Changes
Lesson 2: Chemistry and Physics
How Chemistry Affects Our Daily Lives; Matter: Measuring and Composition; Chemical Changes; Fuels and Energy; Types of Fuels; Combustion; Importance of Water; Uses of Water; Chemical Bonds; Metals and Alloys; Kinds of Energy; Light; Lenses; Eyes; Physics; Heat; Energy From Atoms; Magnetism; Electricity; Gases, Liquids, and Solids; How Substances Can Change Their Form; How Plants Convert Energy
Lesson 3: Physics and Earth Science
Gravity—Invisible Force of Attraction; Units of Measurement; Friction; Work-Creating Conditions; Work-Saving Machines; Properties of Matter; Buoyancy; Transportation; Exploring Space; Air and Its Uses; Atmospheric Pressure; Humidity; Weather; Sound Production, Transmission, and Reception; Structure of the Earth; Minerals; Rocks; Erosion; Earthquakes; Solar System and Beyond; Moon; Earth’s Rotation; Seasons; Latitude; Longitude; Determining Time
How it Works
After registering for the General Science course, all of your learning materials will be shipped directly to you. If you like, you can also go to our website and download some of your study materials to get a head start. Your learning materials will guide you through the course content, explaining concepts and operations through a series of lessons. After each lesson, you’ll take an exam which you can submit by phone or our website. As you pass each lesson, you’ll proceed to the next topic until you complete the course.
There are three exams that need to be passed to complete your course in General Science and you’ll have up to 15 weeks to complete the course.
Support
If you should ever need help with your studies, you can e-mail or call our instructors who will gladly help you with any questions that you might have.
Study Time
Since there is no set class schedule, you study when and where it’s convenient for you. You can complete your course as quickly as you’d like.
Completion
When you have successfully completed your course, you will receive a letter of completion along with an official transcript listing your completed course(s) and grades. You can apply your course towards our Diploma Program or a diploma from your local High School (be sure to check with your school authorities regarding mandatory attendance policies and whether they agree that the Penn Foster High School Program is acceptable toward the completion of your high school education).
Accreditation
Penn Foster High School is accredited by The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools; has met the high standards of integrity and performance set by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), Washington D.C., and is licensed by the Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools.
Whether you’re looking for accelerated studies or credit recovery, regionally and nationally accredited Penn Foster High School provides the courses you need to complete your High School Diploma.
