Horrible Physical Science
Take a guided tour through the physical sciences by way of Headmaster Galahad and the acclaimed Horrible Science series: a fun and accessible introduction to chemistry, astronomy, physics, and more! Our end goal? To instill an unbridled love of science as a foundation for future in-depth studies in the physical sciences. In and outside the webinars, this class will focus on interactive instruction, the scientific method, science topics, and critical thinking skills.
Take a guided tour through the physical sciences by way of Headmaster Galahad and the acclaimed Horrible Science series: a fun and accessible introduction to chemistry, astronomy, physics, and more! Our end goal? To instill an unbridled love of science as a foundation for future in-depth studies in the physical sciences. In and outside the webinars, this class will focus on interactive instruction, the scientific method, science topics, and critical thinking skills.
This course covers the chemistry and physics aspects of:
- Space and the stars
- Electricity
- Sound
- Light
- Energy
- Time
- Everyday and exotic chemicals
- Forces
- Flight
- and more!
This is a semester-long middle school course. Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recordings are available for students who must miss a session.
Class content and learning objectives are partially adapted from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for middle school physical science and earth and space sciences.
Required Books
All books for this class can be found in the Horrible Science Bulging Box of Books (link to product on Amazon). Note: The eleven other books in the set are used in our Fall Horrible Life Science class.
Horrible Physical Science Booklist:
- Chemical Chaos
- Fatal Forces
- The Fight for Flight
- Frightening Light
- Killer Energy
- Shocking Electricity
- Sounds Dreadful
- Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens
- The Terrible Truth About Time
Another source for Horrible Books in the United States is Horrible Ray in California. Some books may also be available at your local library. Any edition is acceptable, so if you find inexpensive used copies, feel free to purchase them. Reading assignments are posted by section, not page number.
| Topics Covered | Space and the stars |
|---|---|
| Challenge Level | Aimed at students ready for work appropriate to grades 6-8. This is a middle school science course open to students ages 8 and up who are prepared to critically think and explore diverse science topics. |
| Time Commitment | TBD. In other Horrible Books-based classes, students report spending approximately 3 hours per week on homework outside of the webinar, including the reading assignments. |
| Instructor | Headmaster Galahad |
| Reading List | Horrible Science Chemical Chaos |
| Usually offered | Spring Semester |
| Prerequisites | None. Students must be able to read at the 5th grade level or above (Lexile 780+), and have sufficient typing skills to communicate effectively with classmates in complete sentences. Ability to compose a paragraph independently recommended but not required. |
| Available Sessions | Spring 2025 Thurs 12pm Pacific, Spring 2025 Fri 12pm Pacific |