Should Physics Be Taught Before Biology in High School?

A large passenger airplane in a spy thriller blows up at 30,000 feet yet the spy hero survives. Is that possible?

Can you figure out which school subjects are relevant? 

Here’s my list:

1. Physics
2. Biology together with anatomy and physiology
3. Chemistry together with biochemistry
4. Mathematics including probability and statistics.

That does not include good or bad story plots and several other areas of education. 

It is obvious that to really solve the problem requires a broad range of knowledge, yet that is not the way science is usually taught. 

In the United States and around the world science in the lower grades are combined into “life science” or “physical science” or integrated science, but in the higher grades students are usually put into biology or chemistry or physics. Several studies also show that many students are not thrilled with science classes. 

I’ve heard many students say, “I’m not good at science.” Usually that means that the student was not excited by biology or chemistry, so they did not pay attention, do the work, or study. It becomes a self-fulfilling strategy. 

There are some countries that have the students work on a project to help the local community. In doing so the students learn the necessary science. It works well for the students that are involved and interested.