Middle School Curriculum Guide

The fifth-grade Science program places an emphasis on solving problems in a scientific manner that employs observation and inference. Hands-on experiments and activity-based lessons help to foster the development of critical thinking. Resources include textbooks such as Scott Foresman's Earth Science and Pearson's Interactive Science, as well as materials that are drawn from a variety of sources.

Fifth graders examine various aspects of earth and space science, such as geologic time, plate tectonics, meteorology, oceanography, and astronautics. Students develop their understanding of renewable and non-renewable energy sources that are used to meet the demands of our growing population's appetite for energy and resources. Fifth graders consider significant environmental and ethical issues through a process designed to enhance their understanding of each individual's role in creating a just, peaceful, and sustainable earth. A simulation that challenges students to plan and purchase healthy meals within a budget follows a study of the basics of good nutrition.

During the year students will develop their skills in the following areas:

• using supplies and materials safely and appropriately
• formulating hypotheses
• making and recording observations
• organizing and interpreting data
• supporting conclusions with evidence
• contributing to group projects
• preparing a long-term assignment
• communicating scientific information
• participating in a student-led discussion

Sixth-grade Science employs an approach to learning that is multimodal and inquiry based. Students build on their understanding of the scientific process and methodology through laboratory investigations and projects. An emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking skills through problem solving and the collection and analysis of data.

Using the IALS (Issues & Life Science) curriculum as an important guide, students investigate real-life events in which they confront choices related to the environment and explore ethical issues surrounding clinical trials on living things. Unit topics include “Micro-Life and Water,” “Body Works,” and “Studying People Scientifically.” Where appropriate and beneficial, students practice using a variety of lab equipment and electronic devices to collect, analyze, and communicate scientific information and data.

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.

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

These skills will be carried out and practiced throughout the units of “Ecology and the Environment,” as well as “Cells and Genetics.” 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 yearlong program called “Trout in the Classroom.” Students are placed on trout teams, each having a specific job in caring for and raising brook trout from eggs to fry. Some of the responsibilities include managing ammonia, pH, nitrate, and nitrite levels. An end of the year field trip results when surviving trout are released into a stream approved by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

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.

INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL SCIENCE
The eighth-grade Physical Science course allows students to explore the development of evidence for an atomic model of matter and the relationship that matter and energy share in the universe. Through the results of their own experimentation and guided reasoning, students learn about the scientific method, laboratory safety, and measurement. They learn about the macroscopic properties of matter, classifying it, and understanding how it can be separated into simpler substances. Learning separation techniques leads students to investigate the changes that matter can undergo in the context of the law of conservation of matter and energy. Students distinguish between elements and compounds, continuing to the atomic level to study the development of the modern atomic model and the historical construction of the periodic table. Students use the periodic table as they investigate chemical bonding, chemical reactions at the molecular level, and macroscopic observations. In addition, students will explore and come to understand the relationships between motion and force as well as those between energy, work, power, and the transfer of energy through waves. Their studies in these areas are enhanced by a number of experiments and engineering projects.

The course improves reasoning and realistic problem-solving skills and encourages communication by requiring individual students to take part in the cooperative learning process. Students learn the importance of careful observation and the need for accuracy in lab work. Student communication and collaboration also enhances their understanding of the collective nature of the scientific process.

By the end of the year, all eighth-grade students should have good proficiency with the following science skills:

• making and recording observations
• recording and organizing data on paper and on the computer
• formulating hypotheses
• recognizing patterns and interpreting data, both qualitatively and quantitatively
• drawing conclusions and supporting them with appropriate data
• making inferences and applying concepts
• designing experiments and identifying experimental variables
• the proper and safe use of physical science laboratory equipment

HONORS INTRODUCTORY PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Honors Science has a similar purpose to the regular course, but the mathematical problem solving is taught at a higher level. Students need strong algebraic problem-solving skills in order to thrive in the Honors section and will develop their ability to model physical phenomena mathematically. In addition, students in the Honors course explore heat transfer in greater detail as they reverse-engineer heat pumps, look more deeply into molecular structure, and are challenged to apply their scientific knowledge to novel situations.