Science

Unit 1:

Students will become familiar with the properties of light and sound by investigating and observing how these forms of energy interact with various objects in the environment. Materials can be used to transmit, reflect, or absorb light and sound. By exploring the factors that affect sound and light, students will discover ways in which they can be controlled. Students will begin to apply this knowledge by constructing simple auditory and optical devices and by examining the impact of technologies related to sound and light on our everyday lives, including their use of energy (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, 2007).

Unit 2:

This strand focuses on habitats, the natural communities that depend on them, and the impacts that changes to habitats can have on interrelationships among plants and animals within these communities. Students will learn that living things (including humans) rely on other living things for the energy and resources they need to live. They will also investigate factors that alter various habitats and communities, including those factors that occur naturally and those that result from human action. Care must be taken to ensure that all students, including students with special education needs, have comparable opportunities to explore the natural world (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, 2007).

Unit 3:

The study of rocks and minerals introduces students to the science of geology. By examining different types of rocks and minerals found in the earth’s crust, students will learn that the unique characteristics and properties of rocks and minerals are a result of how they were formed. Such properties determine possible uses. It is important that students become aware of how human uses of rocks and minerals not only alter the landscape but also affect the environment in various other ways (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, 2007).

Unit 4:

This strand helps students broaden their understanding of simple machines by looking at two special kinds of wheels: pulleys and gears. Students will learn that pulleys and gears can transfer motion from one object to another, transform one kind of motion into another, change the speed and direction of an object’s motion, and change the amount of force needed to move an object. They will identify how these devices are used to improve everyday life, learn about mechanical advantage, and apply what they have learned through investigations of their own design (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Science and Technology, 2007).