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Middle School (5-8) » Science

Science

Middle School Science

5th Grade

Students in the fifth grade will use Bring Science Alive! Exploring Science Practices, to figure out how organisms in an ecosystem interact, Earth’s systems change and are impacted by humans, matter can be altered for different uses; and the Earth, moon, sun and stars impact daily life.  They will use a variety of science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts during their active investigations and discussions. Year at a Glance


Year at a Glance

 

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Unit Title

Living Things and Ecosystems

Earth’s Systems

Earth, the Moon and the Stars

Lesson Essential Questions
  1. What is an ecosystem?
  2. What is the role of producers in an ecosystem?
  3. What is the role of consumers in an ecosystem?
  4. What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
  5. How do matter and energy move in an ecosystem?
  6. What makes an ecosystem healthy or unhealthy?
  7. How do ecosystems change?
  8. How do humans change ecosystems?
  1. What are Earth’s four systems?
  2. How do Earth’s systems produce weather and climate?
  3. How do Earth’s systems change Earth’s surface?
  4. How do farming and industry affect Earth’s systems?
  5. How do people’s everyday lives affect Earth’s systems?
  6. What can people do to protect Earth’s systems?
  1. What does gravity do?
  2. Why is the sun brighter than other stars?
  3. Why is there day and night?
  4. How do shadows change during the day and night?
  5. How do stars seem to move during the night and year?
  6. How does the moon seem to move and change shape?
  7. What tools do scientists use to observe space?

Changes in Matter
  1. What is matter made of?
  2. Why are materials different?
  3. How can substances be identified?
  4. How do scientists know when substances change?
  5. What causes substances to change?
  6. How do changes to substances affect their weights?
  7. How do engineers improve materials?
6th Grade

Students in the sixth grade will use Bring Science Alive! – Ecosystems, Weather and Climate and Forces and Energy to experience a full year of science that includes grade appropriate aspects of Life Science, Earth and Space Science and Physical Science. In particular, students will explore and examine 1) biotic and abiotic factors of ecosystems, their interactions and human impacts, 2) the difference between climate and weather locally and globally and 3) how forces impact the motion of objects with and without contact and how energy can be transferred and transformed.  They will use science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to figure out the science content, build conceptual understanding and make connections within and across lessons, units and modules. 

 

Year at a Glance

 

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Modules

Ecosystems

Weather and Climate

Forces and Energy

Topics and 

Lessons 
  1. Resources in Ecosystems
    1. Resources in Living Systems
    2. Interactions Among Organisms
    3. Changing Ecosystems

  1. Energy and Matter in Ecosystems. 
  1. Capturing Sun's energy
  2. Using Stored energy
  3. Food webs
  4. Global cycles of matter

  1. Humans and Ecosystems
  1. Biodiversity
  2. Importance of Healthy Ecosystems
  3. Protecting Ecosystems
  1. Atmosphere and Energy
  1. Earth’s Atmosphere
  2. Taking Earth's Temperature
  3. Earth and Solar Energy

  1.  Weather
  1. Air pressure and wind
  2. Water and the weather
  3. Air masses and changing weather
  4. Severe Weather

  1. Climate
  1. Climate patterns
  2. Global circulation of the atmosphere 
  3. How the ocean affects climate
  4. Local Climate
  5. Earth’s Climate over time
  1. Climate today and tomorrow
  1. Forces
  1. Describing Motion
  2. Forces and Interactions
  3. Effects of Forces

  1. Noncontact forces
  1. Gravity 
  2. Electricity
  3. Magnetism and Electromagnetism

  1. Kinetic and Potential energy
  1. Forms of energy
  2. Measuring kinetic energy
  3. Potential energy in systems

  1. Thermal energy
  1. Thermal and heat energy
  2. Thermal Properties of matter

7th Grade

Students in the seventh grade will use Bring Science Alive!, – Adaptations, Planet Earth and Matter to experience a full year of science that includes grade appropriate aspects of Life Science, Earth and Space Science and Physical Science. In particular, students will explore and examine 1) how life has evolved and changed over time, 2) Earth’s systems to understand the quick and slow processes that shape and change the Earth and 3) the properties of matter and what happens when matter changes state and reacts. They will use science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to figure out the science content, build conceptual understanding and make connections within and across lessons, units and modules. 


Year at a Glance

 

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Modules

Adaptations

Planet Earth

Matter

Topics and 

Lessons (#)

The History of Life on Earth

Earth’s History

Fossils and the history of life


The Evolution of Life

Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Observing Natural Selection

Genes and Natural Selection

Evolutionary relationships


 Human Impacts on Evolution

Artificial selection

Genetic Engineering and Society

Human population and global change

Earth's Systems 

Energy in Earth's systems

Scales of Change on Earth's Surface


Processes that Shape Earth

Earth's Tectonic plates

The Rock Cycle

The Water Cycle

Earth's Natural Resources


Earth’s processes through Geologic time

Investigating Rock Strata

Reconstructing Earth’s history


Earth’s Natural Hazards

Volcanic Eruptions and Earthquakes

Mass Wasting, Tsunamis and Floods

The Composition of Matter

Atoms and Elements

Molecules and Extended Structures

Substances and Their Properties


The states of matter

The Motion of Particles

Heat Temperature and State Changes


Chemical Reactions

Identifying Chemical Reactions

Atoms in Chemical Reactions

Energy in Chemical Reactions

Chemical Engineering and Society

8th Grade

Students in the eighth grade will use Bring Science Alive! - Cells and Genetics, Space and Waves to engage in activities to better understand the small and large aspects of our world from cells to our solar system to waves using models to help visualize those things small and large that can’t be seen with the naked eye.  They will use science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to figure out the science content, build conceptual understanding and make connections within and across lessons, units and modules.

 

Year at a Glance

 

Trimester 1

Trimester 2

Trimester 3

Title

Cells and Genetics

Space

Waves

Topics and 

Lessons (#)
  1. Traits
    1. Traits for Survival 
    2. Traits for Reproduction 

  1. Bodies
    1. Interacting Body Systems 
    2. Levels of Organization 
    3. Controlling Body Systems 

  1. Cells
    1. Cell Theory 
    2. Parts of a Cell 

  1. Genes
    1. Proteins, Genes and Chromosomes 
    2. Inheriting Genes 
    3. Genes and Environment 

  1. Changes in Genes
    1. Genetic Mutations 
    2. Engineering and Genetics 
  1. The Earth-Sun-Moon System
    1. Earth’s Rotation 
    2. Earth’s Tilted Axis 
    3. Phases of the Moon 
    4. Eclipses

  1. The Solar System
    1. Gravity and the Solar System 
    2. The Inner Solar System 
    3. The Outer Solar System 

  1. The Solar System and Beyond
    1. Formation of the Solar System 
    2. Beyond the Solar System 
  1. Mechanical Waves
    1. Types of Waves 
    2.  Properties of Waves 
    3. Wave Energy 
    4. Waves in Different Media 

  1. Light Waves
    1. The Wave Model of Light 
    2. Properties of Light Waves 

  1. Waves for Information Transfer
    1. Sending Information Using Wave Pulses 
    2. Analog and Digital Information