Grades 6-8 Overview

Sixth Grade Overview

Students utilize specific topic oriented textbooks and hands on laboratory activities to accomplish the following learning objectives in sixth grade.

Scientific Method
* To understand the process of the scientific method by performing and designing simple experiments.
Measurement
* To be able to use the metric system to measure length, mass and volume.
Microscopes
* To be able to understand the basic functions and parts of a microscopic and to utilize this instrument in lab activities.
Environment
* To be able to understand how living things interact, adapt, and change in their environment.
* To be able to understand the movement of energy through the ecosystem.
* To identify and describe the characteristics of the world biomes.
* To understand the concepts of the water, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide cycle.
* To understand renewable and nonrenewable resources.
* To understand the concepts of biodiversity.
* To understand the concepts of conservation, disposal, pollution, and how they effect the earth.
* To understand different types of energy used by the world.
Rocks and Minerals
* To identify and classify the characteristics of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
* To describe the rock cycle and its role in plate tectonics.
* To define a mineral and explain how they are identified, formed and used.
Plate Tectonics
* To identify the Earth's inner structure. * To understand the concepts of convection currents, continental drift theory, seafloor spreading and plate tectonics.
Earthquakes
* To understand the concepts of faults and their various types, and how/why they are formed.
* To describe the energy force of earthquakes, how they are monitored, and the safety measures to take.
Volcanoes
* To identify the earth's volcanic regions, types of volcanic eruptions, and distinct features created.
Fossils/Geologic Time/Dinosaurs -
* To understand how fossils provide evidence of change over time.
* To identify temporal order in which major groups of organisms appeared on the earth.
Force/Motion
* To understand Newton's Laws of Motion.

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Seventh Grade Overview

Seventh grade science covers four topic areas: chemistry, biology, astronomy, and electronics.

At the beginning of the chemistry unit, the students will learn how to properly handle lab equipment, know safety precautions and safety symbols in the lab, and know what to do if any injury occurs. We will also work on the scientific method and use it to write lab reports for the lab experiments that we conduct. During the measurement portion of the unit, we will work on measuring mass, volume, density, millimeters, centimeters, and meters using the correct instruments. We will study physical and chemical properties and their changes. We will also study the state of matter including Boyle's Law and Charles' Law. The class will learn about elements, the Periodic Table, and the difference between compounds and mixtures. We will also learn the basic structure of an atom including protons, neutrons, electrons, and their charges. At the end of the chemistry unit, the class will spend time working on graphing. The students will be able to read, comprehend, and make different types of graphs.

During the biology unit, the class will learn about basic cell, tissue, and organ structures along with cell theory, the cell cycle, and the production of new cells, including mitosis and meiosis, and the two different types of cell, plant and animal. The class will study diffusion in cells, including osmosis, passive and active transport, and how large particles get in and out of cells. We will study photosynthesis and cellular respiration. We will also study the genetic findings of Gregor Mendel. The class will also focus on dominant and recessive traits and be able to read, understand, and make Punnett Squares to show the relationship. We will study organisms and learn how to classify them using the seven levels of classification and scientific names. We will also learn about the six kingdoms that organisms fit into.

During the astronomy unit, we will learn about the three types of galaxies and which one our solar system is located in. The class will study stars, constellations, light years, the life cycle of a star, and the location of well-known stars. We will learn about the sun, the electromagnetic and visible spectrum, and its atmosphere. The formation of the solar system, motion and order of the planets, the atmospheres of the planets, and other objects in our solar system will also be discussed. The moon's phases, including solar and lunar eclipses will also be learned about. We will learn about the basic history of NASA, including artificial satellites, space travel, and the International Space station will be covered in class.

During the electronics unit, many different components and terms will be learned and used in a lab setting on springboards through self-exploration. We will start with the direction of current and then move into series and parallel circuits. We will learn about resistors and resistance and how it affects the current. Short circuits will be discussed. The class will learn how to draw schematic drawings for the circuits that they build including all of the components that we are using. We will learn how to decode resistors using ohms. We will study voltage and measure voltage drop over different components, including resistors, lamps, potentiometers, diodes, and LEDs in circuits using a voltmeter.

Students will also be able to use the multimeter properly to measure voltage drop and ohms.

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Eighth Grade Overview

This is a brief overview of the concepts covered in the 8th grade science class. We are fortunate to have science laboratories that include sinks, electrical and gas outlets. We do incorporate many labs and hands-on activities to enhance the specific texts we use throughout each unit.

Lab Skills
* Safety
* Equipment
* Scientific Method
* Lab reports
* Measurement (length, volume, mass, density)
Atomic Structure/Periodic Table
* Particles of and atom (including quarks)
* Organization of the periodic table
* Chemical symbol recognition
* Identify/draw elements using the periodic table.
* Identify elements using periodic table (family, period, and valence electrons)
Parachute Unit
* This is an interdisciplinary unit in which students work in teams to design, build, test, and market their parachute design.
Chemistry
* Covalent/Ionic Bonding
* Chemical formulae/equations
* Chemical reactions
* Balancing chemical reactions
Cells/Heredity
* Structure and function of cell organelles
* Mitosis/Meiosis
* Mendel's experiments
* Punnett Squares
* Incomplete dominance
* Sex-linked traits
* Genetic disorders/diseases
Weather/Climate
* The atmosphere
* Air masses and fronts
* Forecasting
* Climate Zones
* Meteorology
* Seasons
Newton's Laws
* Are explored as we design, build and test bottle rockets

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