Nature of Science
Science isn't just a topic; it's something you do. So, the first thing we will be learning about is how the process of science works. You may have heard this referred to as the scientific method, which is one way of gaining knowledge about the world.
We want students to recognize that Science is not just something that is carried out in a laboratory with test tubes by people in lab coats. Instead, Science is something we use in everyday life. Every time you logically think through a problem and test out ideas in order to come up with a solution, you're doing science.
Doing good science depends on being able to collect reliable data, which in turn requires the ability to make accurate measurements. So, we will also be learning about the metric system, which is the measurement system or "language" that the world has agreed to use. We will look at how it is different from the customary system that is often still used in America (spoiler alert: metric is waaaaay easier to learn because it was designed to be simple), as well as reviewing common measurements such as mass, volume, density, etc.
Physics
In our Physics unit this year we will be studying motion, force and energy. When you are sitting still in a car that is driving down the road, are you at rest or in motion? We will be trying to wrap out heads around this question, as well as interpreting motion graphs, working to understand the relationship between force and motion, and examining specific forces such as friction and gravity (Is there gravity in space? If no, then why does the moon still orbit the Earth?? If yes, then why do we see those astronauts floating??)
We will finish our physics unit by learning about different forms of energy (with a special focus on potential and kinetic energy), as well as how energy can be transferred and transformed.
The Atmosphere and Weather
Great News! Once you understand energy, force, and motion, you pretty much have all the tools you need in order to understand why so much interesting weather happens in the lowest layer of the atmosphere (where humans happen to live). In Science, we don't want to just know stuff; we want to be able to do stuff with what we know. So, we will be using our understanding of the atmosphere, the water cycle, and physics to forecast (make predictions about) what will happen next. Bring your umbrella!
Biology
In our biology unit this year we will be studying cells, the human body, and genetics. Cells are like Legos. They are small, come in lots of different colors, sizes, and shapes, and hurt like crazy when you step on them (well, at least if those cells have arranged themselves into a cactus or sea urchin). And just like Legos, if you combine enough cells together, you can make almost anything you could imagine.
Cells are the building blocks of all living things, including humans. They are made of non-living matter (such as carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms), yet they themselves are considered alive, and carry out all the tasks that allow us to be considered alive. If you don't find that astounding, then you're not thinking about it hard enough.
We will be considering this, along with other astounding ideas, as we learn the various parts of plant and animal cells, how these cells organize to create the systems of the human body, and the elegant code that instructs our cells on how to be and what to do (known as DNA). We will also look at how these instructions are passed on from one generation to the next, and make predictions about what an offspring may be like based on the genes of the parents.
