7th Grade Accelerated Science

This unit bundles student expectations that address the structure of atoms and the arrangement of the Periodic Table. Students describe the structure of an atom including mass / size comparisons, electrical charges, and locations of subatomic particles. Additionally, students determine the electrical charge of a nucleus, based on the presence and number of positively charged protons. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate and interpret the relationship between the information on the Periodic Table and the atomic structure of atoms / elements for drawing, constructing, and decoding models. They calculate the number of neutrons in the nucleus by subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass on the Periodic Table, and identify elements based on the number of protons in an atom. Students identify the advantages and limitations of atomic models and relate the research and development of atomic models and the Periodic Table to their impact on scientific thought and society.

This unit bundles student expectations addressing chemical formulas and chemical reactions. Students learn how formulas are used to reveal the composition of substance and indicate the number of atoms of each element in a substance. They analyze chemical formulas to determine the numbers of atoms of each element present in a compound. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate how evidence of chemical reactions indicate that new substances with different properties are formed, and the relationship between chemical reactions and the law of conservation of mass. Students construct models of chemical formulas and chemical reactions and identify the advantages and limitations of models. Additionally, students communicate and discuss their observations, and record and organize data in their notebooks.

This unit bundles student expectations addressing the relationship between force and motion. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate, demonstrate (using models), and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object's motion. Students calculate how a change in force affects the motion of an object. They also calculate the total net force acting upon an object by adding forces acting in the same direction or subtracting forces acting in opposite directions. Students also differentiate between speed, velocity, and acceleration. Furthermore, they are introduced to the relationship between force, mass, and acceleration (F=ma). Students manipulate the formula F=ma to understand how a change in force affects the acceleration (change in motion or direction) of an object. Students investigate and describe applications of Newton’s law of inertia, law of force and acceleration, and law of action-reaction.

This unit bundles student expectations that address climatic interactions among Earth, ocean, and weather systems. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate and explore how the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds. Also, they identify how global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather using weather maps that show pressure and frontal systems. Students identify the role of oceans in the formation of weather systems.

This unit bundles student expectations that address plate tectonics, topographic maps, and satellite views. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate and describe the historical development of evidence that supports plate tectonic theory, including contributing scientists. They demonstrate how plate tectonics relate to crustal feature formation and investigate and describe how Newton’s laws apply to Earth’s tectonic activities. In this unit, students' prior knowledge of convection can now be applied to tectonic plate movement. In addition, they interpret topographic maps and satellite views to identify land and erosional features and predict how these features may be reshaped by weathering.

This unit bundles student expectations that address the interactions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate, model, and illustrate how the rotation of the Earth causes day and night and the Earth’s tilt and revolution causes changes in seasons. They demonstrate and predict the sequence of events in the lunar cycle in relationship to the positions of the Earth and Moon relative to the Sun, in addition to relating the positions of the Moon and Sun to their effect on ocean tides. Students develop the understanding that some cycles, such as day and night and phases of the Moon, are evident only by viewing them from Earth. Manipulating models enables students to correct misconceptions about these cycles.

This unit bundles student expectations that address components and characteristics of the universe. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate and describe the components of the universe, including stars, nebulae, and galaxies. They identify how different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum are used to gain information about components in the universe. Students also recognize that the Sun is a medium-sized star located in a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy and that the Sun is many thousands of times closer than any other star. Moreover, students use the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for classification of stars. Also, students research how scientific data are used as evidence to develop scientific theories in order to describe the origin of the universe.

This unit bundles student expectations that address the interdependence among living systems and the environment and that human activities can affect these systems. Students use scientific practices and a variety of tools to investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors. They explore how short-term and long-term environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations. Students recognize human dependence on ocean systems and explain how human activities have modified these systems.