Middle School Curriculum Guide
FIFTH-GRADE SCIENCE
The 2026-27 science curriculum develops fifth graders’ understanding of the natural world while strengthening their ability to think and work like scientists. Students learn how scientific knowledge is built, applied, and revised, and how science and technology influence their lives and the environment.
General Skills
The program emphasizes inquiry, collaboration, and critical thinking while supporting NGSS-aligned practices such as asking questions, developing models, analyzing data, constructing explanations, and designing solutions. Grounded in a constructivist, collaborative approach, students extend prior knowledge through hands-on experiences and peer discussion.
Trimester 1
Students begin by asking, “What is science?” They learn that science is about curiosity, observation, and evidence. The focus then shifts to Earth science, where they explore plate tectonics and the rock cycle. Using an interactive curriculum called OpenSciEd, lessons unfold like a story: each activity builds on questions the students ask about natural phenomena. Students will be able to:
- Model Earth’s surface processes, like how rocks form and move
- Understand that Earth is always changing
Trimester 2
In the second trimester, students dive into ecosystems. They study how living things depend on each other, what happens when species become endangered or invasive, and how humans affect the balance of nature. Interactive lab programs like Mosa Mack and ExploreLearning allow them to test out ecosystem models and see what happens when conditions change. Students will be able to:
- Explain how plants, animals, and resources connect in ecosystems
- Use models to show the flow of energy and matter in nature
Trimester 3
The final trimester highlights physical science and engineering. Students practice using metric units in hands-on labs, then apply their skills in a culminating engineering challenge from the Museum of Boston’s Engineering is Everywhere series. Students will be able to:
- Use metric measurements confidently in experiments
- Collect and compare data with accuracy
- Design, build, and refine a device to solve a real-world problem
SIXTH-GRADE SCIENCE
Sixth-grade Science consists of a combination of physical and life sciences where students engage in hands-on, project-based learning designed to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and real world problem-solving skills. The curriculum is aligned with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and emphasizes learning through real-world problems. Using SEPUP (Science Education for Public Understanding Program) labs as an important guide, students investigate a range of exciting topics including "Humans and the environment", "Weather, Climate, and Space", and "Human body systems". During the year, students develop their skills in the following areas:
- making and recording observations
- using the metric system of measurement
- organizing and interpreting data
- supporting conclusions with appropriate evidence
- designing simple experiments
- making appropriate use of equipment and supplies
- constructing models
- researching topics using credible sources of information
- contributing to group projects
- communicating scientific information orally and in writing
Occasionally, topics of timely and unusual interest may be included with the planned curriculum in order to take advantage of the freewheeling curiosity of students at this age. By the end of this year, students will be equipped with knowledge, skills, and curiosity to explore evidence-based reasoning and apply science in their daily lives.
SEVENTH-GRADE SCIENCE
In seventh-grade Science, students continue to strengthen and practice their scientific process skills, which include the following:
- making and recording observations
- formulating hypotheses
- designing experiments and identifying experimental variables
- making metric measurements
- organizing and constructing data tables
- constructing graphs
- recognizing patterns and interpreting data from graphs
- drawing conclusions and supporting them with appropriate data
- making inferences and applying concepts
- carrying out lab practices properly and safely
- science writing skills following the CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) model
These skills will be carried out and practiced throughout the units of “Cells and Genetics” as well as “Ecology and the Environment.” Through hands on experiences, students begin to understand the complexities of how ecological and biological systems work. With this systems approach to learning, students analyze parts of systems, interactions between elements of a system, and begin to gain a deeper understanding of how the living and non-living worlds are interconnected.
Seventh graders participate in a three-month-long Monarch Watch citizen science study. Students record daily measurements of the insects' growth stages from larvae to pupae to adults. At the end of the study, the surviving adult butterflies are tagged with unique codes developed by Monarch Watch and released. Students also write a formal lab report about this experience.
The Harriet Roffman Sunrise Garden, a name given to our middle-school garden, is used as an outdoor lab/classroom. An easily accessible outdoor lab not only allows students to make direct connections to the content taught throughout the year, but it also builds a sense of community.
EIGHTH-GRADE SCIENCE
Introductory Physical Science
The eighth-grade Physical Science course is an engaging, hands-on course exploring forces, motion, energy, matter, atomic structure, and chemical reactions that integrates principles of physics and chemistry to help students understand how the non-living physical world works. Students begin the course by developing foundational scientific skills, including laboratory safety, measurement, the scientific method, and the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (C.E.R.) framework. The course is divided into two units: Introduction to Physics and Introduction to Chemistry. In the Physics unit, students explore concepts and calculations related to force, motion, Newton’s Laws, energy, energy transfers, and momentum. In the Chemistry unit, students study the states of matter, physical and chemical properties, elements and compounds, density, atomic theory, the organization of the periodic table, and the fundamentals of chemical bonding and reactions.
Throughout the course, students will be expected to work collaboratively, conduct experiments, analyze data, and develop critical thinking skills. Students will engage in projects, laboratory work, and learn to appreciate scientific inquiry. By the end of the course, students will develop critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while building a strong foundation in physics and chemistry to prepare for high school science.
Objectives:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1) Demonstrate proper lab safety and use of scientific equipment.
2) Collect, analyze and interpret data including calculations, graphs, and scientific reasoning.
3) Define and calculate force, speed, velocity, acceleration and energy.
4) Apply Newton’s laws to real world situations.
5) Describe states of matter and identify physical and chemical properties and changes.
6) Distinguish between elements, compounds and mixtures; calculate density.
7) Understand atomic theory and the periodic table organization.
8) Explain chemical bonding and chemical reactions.
Earned Honors Introductory Physical Science
This Earned Honors model creates an equitable system for all students to self-select into an opportunity to challenge themselves and demonstrate problem-solving skills. By utilizing the resources provided, students can independently learn about the extension topics and dive deeper into physical science. Enrichment material is for independent student learning and is designed to enrich, enhance, and expand their knowledge and understanding.
Science Research & Development (Two-trimester course, T1 and T2)
Take STEAM to the next level in this independent, competitive elective. Don’t just learn science, DO science! In this course, students conduct original research through an independent study and discovery process. Students may follow a research-track conducting basic research, or a development-track where they will develop a tool that solves an engineering problem and learn about patenting and marketing their technology. Students may then compete for a slot to represent RCDS and showcase their work at the Tri-County Science and Technology Fair or the regional Invention Convention and others. This elective requires permission from the Science Department Chair and Science Research Teacher.