Science

Earth's Systems

Students in this unit are learning about a variety of ways that the Earth changes over time, creating the features we see today, and our hidden in the rocks exposed by this process. Using this information, students come up with and compare solutions to reduce the impacts of these changes on humans. The phenomenon of the Grand Canyon is referenced throughout the unit.

Energy

Students in this unit are learning about types of Energy and energy transfer, beginning with renewable and nonrenewable resources and how they affect the environment. Students then begin to define energy by understanding that the faster an object moves the more energy it has and that energy can be moved (transferred) from place to place by sound, light, electric current. The contact from a collision can transfer energy and change the motion of an object.

Waves & Information

Students in this unit are progressing from the idea of sound and vibrations to the idea that waves are regular patterns of motion. We will look at water to first understand that waves move up and down and can differ in amplitude and wavelength. Students use models and the lens of patterns to understand this concept. Students better understand that information transmitted over long distances and be converted (digitized to voice).

Structure, Function, & Information Processing

Students start this unit by building evidence that plants and animals ( organisms ) have certain structures that function to support growth, survival , behaviors, and reproduction.  They build an argument that determines the strength and weakness of their reasoning. Teachers can use a variety of organisms and are not specific towards any part of the human body.  Following this standard students then learn and describe  using a model how animals receive information through their senses, brain, and then respond. These two standards go hand in hand. Finally, students use modeling again, this time developing their own model of how the eye allows light to be seen.