At Cherry Hill High School East, freshmen must take a biology course before they can enroll in chemistry as a sophomore. While this order may seem logical at first, it actually puts students at a disadvantage. Biology relies heavily on prior knowledge that freshmen do not have, making the course more difficult than it should be. Flipping the order in which the two science courses are taught would create a stronger and more logical foundation for scientific understanding.
Biology is a course intertwined with other scientific fields. The core of it explains how life functions through interactions that occur at the molecular level. Many of these interactions are controlled by principles introduced in chemistry. Necessary topics for biology, such as atomic bonding and pH are first taught in chemistry. When students encounter biology without this background information, they are forced to memorize the material rather than understand it.
A 2022 FIU study, led by researchers Sonia Underwood and Zahilyn Roche, interviewed students at Michigan State University who had taken General Chemistry and Introductory Biology. According to the responses, students who completed chemistry before biology felt more prepared to understand concepts in biology. They were able to apply what they learned in chemistry to their biology coursework. However, the reverse was not true: their biology knowledge did not necessarily help them in their chemistry course.
This drastic difference suggests that chemistry provides students with a framework that can be applied in learning other sciences, while biology doesn’t offer that same benefit. Students recognized chemistry more as a fundamental level of science, reinforcing the idea that the sequence in which courses are taken matters, especially for young learners.
At East, the current structure of biology and chemistry also places unnecessary pressure on both the students and teachers. Teachers must either slow instruction to cover missing concepts, or move forward knowing some students are confused. Neither option is ideal, and therefore offering chemistry in freshman year would align instruction more logically and improve overall understanding and success.
In addition, this change would significantly boost student confidence. Freshmen already face a challenging task — transitioning from middle school to high school. Starting off their high school science education with material that can be applied to the next school year would reduce frustration and increase overall engagement. When students feel more prepared, they are more likely to participate, ask questions, and remain interested in science.
Science education should build progressively, with each course applying information to the next. The research supports that chemistry is not just another science class — it is a building block for understanding biology. By offering chemistry in freshman year instead of biology, East would create a more effective science education experience that benefits students throughout their high school careers.
