Students will receive instruction in many areas of science, making this a general physical science curriculum. Hands-on activities are designed to provide familiarity and competency in investigative scientific procedures and lab materials as well as the higher order thinking skills needed for analytical problem solving.
Content
Introduction to Science
Science Skills and Tools
Scientific Method
Introduction to Matter
Measuring Matter
Changes in Matter
States of Matter
Changes of State
Energy, Motion, and Force
Kinetic and Potential Energy
Energy change and Conservation
Other Forms of Energy
Force and Motion
Controlled Experiments
Independent/Dependent Variables
Boats, Planes, Catapults, Pendulums
Graphing Data
Drawing Conclusions and Problem Solving
Grading Policy
All district gradebooks will utilize a weighted scale. Summative assessments will comprise 60% of a student’s quarterly grade, and formative assessments will comprise 40%.
Summative assessments = a measure of student learning at the end of an instructional unit (i.e. - Tests, Quizzes, etc.)
Formative assessments = an ongoing measure of student learning used by the teacher to guide instruction (i.e. - Classwork, Homework, etc.)
Assignments
Tests/quizzes
Labs
Classwork/Projects
Retesting
On summative assessments, students wishing to demonstrate higher levels of content mastery are allowed/encouraged to retest
Students must “earn” the right to retest (e.g. - Make test corrections, complete an alternate assignment, etc.)
Students may only retest one (1) time per assessment
Students will earn the higher of the assessment results (original or retest - not an average of the two)
Students have a maximum of two weeks to complete the retest
Pearson’s Elevate Science: Physical Science
FOSS science kits.