The Dow's Schoolroom

Module 1 : A Brief History of Science
Introduction 1
The First Inklings of Science 1
True Science Begins to Emerge 4
Experiment 1.1: Density in Nature 5
Experiment 1.2: Atomic Motion 7
Three Other Notable Greek Scientists 8
The Progress of Science Stalls For a While 12
Experiment 1.3: A Chemical Reaction 12
Science Begins To Pick Up Some Speed Again 16
The Renaissance: The “Golden Age” of Science 19
Experiment 1.4: Mapping the Paths of the Planets 21
The Era of Newton 23
The “Enlightenment” and the Industrial Revolution 25
The Rest of the Nineteenth Century 25
Modern Science (1900 AD - Present) 27
Summing it Up 29

Module 2 : Scientific Inquiry
Introduction 33
What Science is NOT 33
Experiment 2.1: How Does Weight Affect the Speed 33
Experiment 2.2: Learning More About Weight and Speed 34
The Scientific Method 38
Experiment 2.3: The Broken Flashlight 41
Failures of the Scientific Method 43
The Limitations of Science 47
Science and Christianity 48

Module 3: How to Analyze and Interpret Experiments
Introduction 57
Experiments and Variables 57
Experiment 3.1: A Floating Egg? 58
Using a Series of Experiments 61
Experiment 3.2: Which “Boat” Will Move? 61
Experiment 3.3: What Does Soap Do To Water? - Part 1 63
Experiment 3.4: What Does Soap Do To Water? - Part 2 64
Recognizing Experimental Variables When They are not Obvious 68
Interpreting the Results of Experiments 71

Module 4: Science, Applied Science, and Technology
Introduction 79
The Distinction Between Science, Applied Science, and Technology 79
Simple Machines 82
The Lever 83
Experiment 4,1: The Lever 83
The Wheel and Axle 89
The Pulley 91
Experiment 4,2: A Simulation of A Series of Pulleys 92
The Inclined Plane 95
The Wedge 96
The Screw 98

Module 5: The History of Life: Archaeology, Geology, and Paleontology
Introduction 107
How Do We Learn About The History of Life? 107
Archaeology and History 108
The Internal Test 112
The External Test 115
The Bibliographic Test 119
Archaeology in the Absence of Historical Documents 120
Relative Dating and the Principle of Superposition 125
What Do We Know About Human History? 126

Module #6: Foundations of Geology
Introduction 133
Soil, Rocks and Minerals 134
Experiment 6.1: The Difference Between Rocks and Minerals 136
Strata in Sedimentary Rock 138
Experiment 6.2: Separation of Sedimentation 139
Weathering of Rocks 141
Experiment 6.3: Physical Weathering 142
Experiment 6.4: Chemical Weathering 143
Erosion 145
Experiment 6.5: Erosion 145
Bringing It All Together: The Basic Structure of the Grand Canyon 150

Module #7: The Fossil Record
Introduction 157
The Making of Fossils Part 1: Casts and Molds 157
Experiment 7.1: Making a Fossil Cast 158
The Making of Fossils Part 2: Petrifaction 160
The Making of Fossils Part 3: Carbonate Residues and Impressions 161
The Making of Fossils Part 4: Avoiding Decomposition 16
Experiment 7.2: Sinking in Ice 164
Three General Features of the Fossil Record 166
A Fourth General Feature of the Fossil Record 169
Geology and Paleontology from the Uniformitarian Viewpoint 172
Geology and Paleontology from the Catastrophist Viewpoint 175
Which View is Correct? 178

Module #8: Uniformitarianism and Catastrophism
Introduction 185
Uniformitarianism and the Geological Record 185
Experiment 8.1: A Simulation of Using Index Fossils 186
Uniformitarianism and Evolution 191
Catastrophism and the Geological Record 193
Catastrophism and the Fossil Record 198
Uniformitarianism or Catastrophism: Which is Better? 202
Evolution: Another Weakness of Uniformitarianism 205

Module #9: What is Life?
Introduction 213
DNA and Life 213
The Structure of DNA 216
Experiment 9.1: Building a Model of DNA 217
Energy and Life 221
Experiment 9.2: Finding Food in Plants 221
Experiment 9.3: A Simple Biosphere 223
Sensing and Responding to Change 225
Experiment 9.4: Sensing and Responding to Change 226
Reproduction and Life 228
Experiment 9.5: Fruit Fly Reproduction 228
The Cell - Life's Smallest Unit 232

Module #10: Classifying Life
Experiment 10.1: Factors that Affect Bacterial Growth (Part 1) 239
Introduction 240
The Five-Kingdom System 241
Kingdom Monera 243
Experiment 10.1: Factors that Affect Bacterial Growth (Part 2) 245
Kingdom Protista 248
Kingdom Fungi 251
Experiment 10.2: Yeast is a Decomposer 254
Kingdom Plantae 255
Experiment 10.3: Vegetative Reproduction 255
Experiment 10.4: Turgor Pressure 257
Kingdom Animalia 258

Module #11: The Human Body: Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Introduction 263
The Superstructure of the Human Body 263
Bones and the Human Skeleton 265
Experiment 11.1: Minerals in Bone 265
Skeletons in Other Organisms 269
Skeletal Muscles 271
Smooth Muscle and the Cardiac Muscle 277
Muscles and Movement in Other Organisms 279
Experiment 11.2: Phototropism and Gravotropism in Plants 280
Skin 280
Experiment 11.3: Skin Color 284
Skin in Other Organisms 285
Summary 286

Module #12: Energy and Life
Introduction 291
Life's Energy Cycle 291
How Do Organisms Get Energy From Food? 294
Experiment 12.1: What Combustion Needs 294
Experiment 12.2: What Combustion Makes 296
What Actually Gets Burned For Energy? 299
Energy Use in the Body 304
Experiment 12.3: Body Temperature 305
Metabolic Rates Throughout Creation 308
How Combustion Works in Living Organisms 310

Module #13: The Human Digestive System
Introduction 317
The Process of Digestion 317
Experiment 13.1: Seeing a Part of the Digestive Process 317
The Human Digestive System 319
The Mouth, Pharynx, and Esophagus 322
The Stomach and Intestines 325
Experiment 13.2: Stomach Acid and Antacids 326
The Liver, Pancreas, and Gall Bladder 331
Experiment 13.3: The Effect of Sodium Bicarbonate on Stomach Acid 333
The Micronutrients 334

Module #14: The Human Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Introduction 341
The Human Circulatory System 341
The Heart and Blood Flow 344
Experiment 14.1: Your Own Cardiac Cycle 348
The Components of Blood 350
Lungs and Blood Oxygenation 352
Experiment 14.2: Measuring the Capacity of Your Lungs 354
The Respiratory System 356
Experiment 14.3: A Model of Your Lungs 357
Experiment 14.4: A Model of Your Vocal Cords 358
Circulation and Respiration Throughout Creation 359
Experiment 14.5: Xylem 360

Module #15: The Human Lymphatic, Endocrine, and Urinary Systems
Introduction 365
The Lymphatic System 365
Experiment 15.1: Working Your Lacrimal Glands Too Hard 368
Lymph Nodes 370
The Urinary System 373
Experiment 15.2: A Model of Kidney Function 375
The Endocrine System 377

Module #16: The Human Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Introduction 383
Neurons: The Basic Unit of the Nervous System 385
The Basic Layout of the Human Nervous System 389
Our “Split” Brains 393
Experiment 16.1: Determining a Person's Dominant Side 393
The Brain and Blood 396
The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) 398
Experiment 16.2: The Pupil of the Eye 399
The Human Sense of Taste 401
Experiment 16.3: Mapping Your Taste Buds 402
The Human Sense of Smell 404
Experiment 16.4: The Sense of Smell and the Sense of Taste 404
The Human Sense of Vision 406
Experiment 16.5: The Human Blind Spot 408
The Human Sense of Touch 411
Experiment 16.6: The Variation in Touch Sensitivity 412
The Human Sense of Hearing 413
Do We Really Use Only 10% of our Brain? 414
Summing it All Up 415