The mission of the Science Department is to develop in our students an understanding of the basic principles of science; a respect for and ability to use the basic tools of the scientist; an understanding of the science and engineering practices; and cross cutting concepts as stated in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for science. We encourage attitudes of open-mindedness, intellectual honesty, and scientific integrity; and an appreciation of cause and effect relationships.
The Science program gives our students a basic understanding of the three major areas of science: physical science, life science, and earth science. All three of these areas support several engineering design concepts. These courses provide them with a solid foundation in laboratory techniques and safety fundamentals and are coordinated with the K-5 program. In compliance with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science, Science 6, 7 and 8 helps prepare our young people for the state assessment program.
The delivery of this curriculum maintains a high degree of structure, important to students at these levels, while allowing for creativity and the development of critical thinking skills. The teaching methodology, texts, assignments, and grading policy are designed to assist our students in making the transition from the elementary approach to the specialization that occurs in grades 9 through 12. Our students are asked to realize that the success in these courses is dependent on the effort put into the course and that, if they put forth this effort, they will feel successful about their progress. The development of career planning and workplace readiness skills, including data retrieval and analysis, information management, and research such as utilizing the Internet and network access, are essential to the program.
EARTH SCIENCE 6: This Earth Science 6 course is designed to introduce middle school students to a more complete view of science and its common practices. The curriculum content is based on the framework presented in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). This will help to better prepare them as 21st century learners, in recognizing patterns, relationships, and the continuity of science practices in the field. A solid foundation in Earth Science will be established in sixth grade and then more concepts and details will be mastered as they advance through the seventh and eighth grade curricula. The topics covered in various units of study include the metric system, scientific method, space and matter, minerals and rocks of the Earth, plate tectonics, fossils, erosion and deposition, weather and climate, energy from the Sun, stability and change on the Earth.
LIFE SCIENCE 7: The Life Science 7 course is designed for middle school students to explore one of the three branches of science (physical, life, earth) through hands-on lessons and student-led inquiry-based experiences. The curriculum content is based on the framework presented in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). Students will develop their inquiry skills and solve problems by designing and implementing laboratory activities, making inferences, and working both independently and collaboratively with their peers to understand the world around them. Throughout the school year students will use aspects of the scientific method and the engineering design process to learn their role as a scientist/engineer and become a meaningful contributor to the classroom community. Using their knowledge of basic science skills, students will explore topics, such as, cells and life, ecosystems, genetics, evolution and natural selection. In each unit, students will discover the relationships among the branches of science, utilize relevant technology, and engage in science practices for 21st Century learners.
PHYSICAL SCIENCE 8: The Physical Science 8 course is designed to prepare students to enter a high school setting having received the final branch of the three major branches of science (life, physical, earth) based on the framework presented in the NJ Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). Students will develop their inquiry skills and solve problems by designing and implementing laboratory experiments, making inferences, and working both independently and collaboratively with their peers to understand the world around them. Students will begin the course with reinforcing and implementing the basics of science education, such as the Scientific Method and the Engineering Design Process. Student will further explore interactions among forces and mechanical energy, gain a better understanding of waves and matter as well as interactions of matter.