What are we learning?

• Carrying out investigations to gather evidence of chemical reactions.

• Using our gathered evidence to support our arguments of chemical reactions occuring. 

• Modeling the Law of Conservation of Mass in different formats and demonstrating it through investigations.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will be doing many labs regarding chemical reactions. With those we will be modeling the reactions in different ways.

• Student will be using evidence in their writing and focusing on supporting and explaining their claims. 

Why does this unit matter?

• Chemical reactions are a regular part of our daily lives. Learning how matter interacts is a life skill and the Law of Conservation of Mass is applicable to human development and making a sandwich. The ability to support an argument is also going to be a skill that permeates all of the disciplines of science and content areas.

Cells in Living Things

What are we learning?

• Carry out an investigation to provide evidence and reasoning that living things are made of cells, organisms are made of different cells and cells come from pre-existing cells.

• Making observations using patterns and then using those patterns as a form of data analysis.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will collect and analyze evidence using microscopes.

• Students will use that evidence to support the parts of cell theory.

Why does this unit matter?

• In the last unit we discussed the structure and function of cells. We are now looking at how our understanding of cells is driven by the evidence we receive through exploration. This information will give them prior knowledge leading into their genetics and chemistry units in 8th grade.

What do cells do?

What are we learning?

• Developing and using models to explain the role of different organelle of cells in regards to cellular function.

• Differentiate between types of cells using their structure and function.

• Use our models to demonstrate how the structure of a cell differs and relates to specialized functions of cells.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will have a summative early to explain a cell's function using a chosen system.

• Students will be applying this understanding of organelle function to predict the function of specialized cells.

Why does this unit matter?

• We know that organisms are made of cells, but at times the function of those does come to us. Our goal this unit is to know the structure and function of cells in our existence. It also sets up a basis for application of the law of conservation of mass in the upcoming unit and in 8th grade, they talk about macromolecules in our cells and where these take place. Helpful Hint: Cells make proteins.

Why do we have different climates? Part 2 - Factors of climate

What are we learning?

• Developing and using models to evaluate factors that influence regional climates.

• Understanding the role of uneven heating and rotation of the Earth influence movement of air and water.

• Develop a model to explain the greenhouse effect and the role of humans in the changing global temperatures.

What to expect in this unit?

• Students will work on modeling skills.

• Students will be applying this understanding to different locations on the Earth.

Why does this unit matter?

• We are aware that different climates exist on the Earth, but being able to interpret models to understand mechanisms is a scientific skill that moves through our lives. With this we are evaluating air and water currents and how they interact to influence different climates regardless of their latitude lines and seasons. We will end the unit using models and data to look at human involvement in increasing global temperatures.

Why do we have different climates? Part 1 - Seasons