7th Grade Course Content

Course Content 2013-2014

In the fall students will learn about the Diversity of Life.  The Diversity of Life unit emphasizes the use of knowledge and evidence to construct explanations for the structures and functions of living organisms. Students will observe and maintain protists, plants, and animals in the classroom and study their characteristic features. The study progresses from macroscopic to microscopic observations to discover the fundamental unit of life, the cell. Students will then investigate organism subsystems and behaviors and consider their diversity of adaptive structures and strategies. The unit is broken down into 10 investigations.

Investigation 1: What is life?

Investigation 2: Introduction to the Microscope
Investigation 3: Microscopic Life
Investigation 4: Cells
Investigation 5: Seeds of Life
Investigation 6: Transpiration
Investigation 7: Plant Reproduction
Investigation 8: Snails
Investigation 9: Roaches
Investigation 10: Kingdoms of Life

Students in the spring will learn about Forces and Motion.  This unit investigates linear motion, including position and several aspects of change of position—distance, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration. They will also investigate the fundamental forces in familiar environments, such as pushes, pulls, impacts, and falls.   Students will conduct investigations of opposing forces and additive forces to help them develop the idea that a net force on an object produces motion. The unit is broken down into the following investigations.

Investigation 1: From Here to There

Investigation 2: Speed
Investigation 3: Comparing Speeds
Investigation 4: Representing Motion
Investigation 5: Acceleration
Investigation 6: Force
Investigation 7: Gravity
Investigation 8: Momentum

 Throughout both semesters students will also learn about the scientific method and will be able to write hypotheses and procedures, plan and conduct scientific experiments, record and analyze experimental data and draw solid conclusions based upon the scientific data obtained.

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