Science (7)

Overview

By Grade 7, students realize that humans have many impacts on the environment. In the study of this topic, they will analyse some of these impacts and their consequences, while reflecting upon their personal responsibility to protect the environment. During investigations, the students will observe existing ecosystems and investigate factors that may affect balances within the system. Students will learn that ecosystems consist of communities of plants and animals that are dependent on each other as well as on the non-living parts of the environment.

Overview

Humans build structures to meet specific needs. In doing so, they must consider many factors, including not only the functions the structures must perform but also the resources available to build them, the intended lifetime of the structures, and the impact of the structures on the environment. In Grade 7, students will continue to learn about the effects of forces that act on and within different structural forms. They will investigate how different structural forms support or withstand loads by designing, building, and testing structures, using increasingly sophisticated techniques. Other factors that affect a structure’s functioning, such as type of structure and centre of gravity, will also be explored.

Overview

By exploring the distinction between pure substances and mechanical mixtures and solutions, students will come to recognize that most matter is either a solution or a mechanical mixture – including most foods and drinks and many medicines, cosmetics, building materials, and cleaning agents. Students will use this information to weigh the social and environmental consequences of the use of various consumer products. The introduction of a scientific model (the particle theory) to describe the particulate nature of matter will provide students with a conceptual basis for learning in this area.

Overview

Heat energy plays a critical role in natural processes and in human life. Global warming has also focused considerable attention on the processes that control temperatures at the earth’s surface. By acquiring a working understanding of the nature of heat, students in Grade 7 will gain new insights into the ways that heat affects our world. Students will learn about the causes and effects of heat, investigate its properties, relate it to geological and meteorological processes, and use their new-found knowledge to design a device to minimize heat transfer. They will also use the particle theory to help them explain their observations.