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The New York State Middle Level Science Learning Standards can be found here.

In 7th Grade Life Science, we study the following key ideas:

• MS-LS1-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.

• MS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.

• MS-LS1-3. Construct an explanation supported by evidence for how the body is composed of interacting systems consisting of cells, tissues, and organs working together to maintain homeostasis.

• MS-LS1-8 Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli, resulting in immediate behavior and/or storage as memories.

• MS-LS1-6 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

• MS-LS1-7 Develop a model to describe how food molecules are rearranged through chemical reactions to release energy during cellular respiration and/or form new molecules that support growth as this matter moves through an organism.

• MS-LS2-1 Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

• MS-LS2-3 Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

• MS-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

• MS-LS2-2 Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms in a variety of ecosystems.

• MS-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and protecting ecosystem stability.

• MS-LS1-4 Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants, respectively.

• MS-LS1-5 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

• MS-LS3-1 Develop and use a model to explain why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.

• MS-LS3-2 Develop and use a model to describe how asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

• MS-LS4-5 Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

• MS-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

• MS-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

• MS-LS4-3 Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

• MS-LS4-4 Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

• MS-LS4-6 Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

The New York State Middle Level Science Learning Standards can be found here.

In 8th grade Physical Science, we study the following key ideas:

• MS PS 1-1 Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity.

• MS PS 1-7 Use evidence to illustrate that density is a property that can be used to identify samples of matter. Emphasis should be on students measuring the masses and volumes of regular and irregular shaped objects, calculating their densities, and identifying the samples of matter.

• MS PS 1-3 Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.

• MS PS 1-4 Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and phase (state) of a substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

• MS PS 1-8 Plan and construct an investigation to demonstrate that mixtures are combinations of substances. Emphasis should be on analyzing the physical changes that occur as mixtures are formed and/or separated.

• MS PS 1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction occurred.

• MS-PS 1-5 Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

• MS-PS 1-6 Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy during a chemical and/or physical process.

• MS-PS 3-1 Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object. Emphasis is on descriptive relationships between kinetic energy and mass separately from kinetic energy and speed.

• MS-PS 3-2 Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

• MS-PS 3-5 Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

• MS-PS 3-4 Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

• MS-PS 3-3 Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.

• MS-ESS 3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

• MS-PS 3-6 Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred by electric currents.

• MS-PS 2-2 Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object. Emphasis is on balanced (Newton’s First Law) and unbalanced forces in a system, qualitative comparisons of forces, mass and changes in motion (Newton’s Second Law), frame of reference, and specification of units.

• MS-PS 2-4 Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

• MS-PS 2-3 Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

• MS-PS 2-5 Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

• MS-PS 4-1 Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

• MS-PS 4-2 Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. Emphasis is on both light and mechanical waves.

• MS-PS 4-3 Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

The New York State Living Environment Core Curriculum can be found here. New York State is in the process of implementing the new Next Generation Science Standards, which can be found here on pages 64-72.

In our Living Environment class, we study the following key ideas:

• STANDARD 1—Analysis, Inquiry, and Design- Students will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answers, and develop solutions.

• STANDARD 4—The Living Environment

  • Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

  • Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

  • Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.

  • Key Idea 4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

  • Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.

  • Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

  • Key Idea 7: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.

In order to be eligible for the cumulative Regents exam in June, students must complete 1200 minutes of laboratory experience with satisfactory laboratory reports. Included in this 1200 minute requirement are four specific mandated laboratory activities: (1) Making Connections, (2) Diffusion Through a Membrane, (3)Relationships and Biodiversity, and (4) The Beaks of Finches.