7th Grade Integrated Science

During their 7th grade year, students come to a solid understanding of what science is, who uses it, and how it applies to them and to society. What humanity has accomplished and caused with science will be highlighted throughout the year. While there is a fair amount of studying the work of other scientists, in this class, students will observe, inquire and question. They will formulate and test hypotheses, analyze data that they have collected, evaluate it, and then create a way to report scientific findings to others. Much of our time in class will be spent doing science.

Specifically, first quarter concepts we focus on relate to Matter--states of, structures of, sizes of, characteristics of. Also, densities, masses, and volumes of matter--Atoms and Molecules. Motion of particles will also be explored--diffusion, and the effects of temperature on expansion and contraction of matter.

Second quarter we explore Earth Science, materials found in the earth, geologic processes, and how density plays a role in all of this.

Language science students should use: atmosphere, atom, crust, density, diffusion, gas, liquid, models, mass, matter, molecule, particle, solid, temperature, heat energy, volume

Third quarter we move into biology. Levels of organization are analyzed. Then our time is spent investigating heredity-- what, why, when, where and how traits are passed on, and who the "key players" were in figuring all of this out. We will also generate scenarios that investigate and justify different possibilities for the future of genetics.

Language science students should use: acquired trait, asexual reproduction, genetics, nucleus, organ, organism, osmosis, system, tissue, inherited trait, offspring, sexual reproduction, cytoplasm, diffusion, membrane, chloroplast, cell, cell wall

Fourth quarter is all about systems humans have made for organizing and sorting individual species into groups. We will appraise the role and effectiveness of DNA analysis in modern classification schemes.

Language science students should use: classification, classification key, kingdom, organism, species