Science

The middle school science curriculum encourages students to open the treasure chest of scientific phenomena and explore and participate in its wonders and mysteries. Students study three modules per grade level and participate in a science fair during every grade. All modules are hands-on science conducted in our science lab or on field trips. This is a powerful medium for bringing students together. The subject matter is universally interesting, and the joy and satisfaction of discovery are shared by everyone. The class enjoys a variety of structures: at times, students work alone, in pairs, in groups, or as a class. Sometimes the activities are rigorous, and other times the atmosphere is decidedly social. The tempo and teaching strategies vary, the other students with whom they work with will vary, and the place where inquiry happens will change.

A number of methods are used to capture student’s attention. Students have plenty of opportunity to work with materials. Firsthand experience with objects is one of the essential components of the middle school science curriculum. For example, students will mix substances to observe reactions. At times, representational materials will be used. A student may work with models, images, and maps of the Moon, Earth, and other Solar System objects. Symbolic Materials are also employed – students read myths and historical accounts to add richness to the scientific inquiry. And finally, the creative arts are utilized. Students will record observations or make predictions using sketches, poster layouts, or modeling. There is an opportunity for each student to shine and be a star in our science curriculum.

Fifth Grade
The following modules are studied in Fifth Grade – Models and Designs, Levers and Pulleys, and Solar Energy.

Models and Designs – There are four investigations in the Models and Designs module. Each investigation provides experiences that develop the concept of a scientific model and engage students in design and construction. Students will draw models that explains how a drought stopper works, make a model that hums when they pull the string and dings when they let go, design and create a go-cart that can roll down a ramp and across the floor a short distance, and design and create a cart that can turn a corner as well as travel 2 meters. The atmosphere generated by this module is one of open discussion, free exchange of ideas, and development of ideas into products.

We expect students to:

• Manipulate objects and materials.
• Design and construct conceptual and physical models.
• Look for relationships between structure and function of materials and systems.
• Organize and analyze data from investigations with physical objects and systems.
• Apply mathematics in the context of science.
• Acquire vocabulary associated with engineering and technology.
• Gain confidence in their abilities to solve problems.
• Learn that there is often more than one solution to a problem.
• Communicate ideas to peers and work in a collaborative scientific manner.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.

Levers and Pulleys: The Levers and Pulleys Module consists of four investigations that involve students in fundamental concepts of simple machines. Students will investigate how a lever can make work easier. Investigate what classes of levers are in the real world, use one and two pulley systems to lift loads, and design their own investigation to investigate what other lever and pulley systems they can design.

We expect students to:

• Gain experience with the concept of force and the application of force to do work.
• Gain experience with the relationships between the components of lever systems and pulley systems.
• Gain experience with the concept of advantage as it relates to simple machines.
• Analyze real-world tools and machines in terms of the simple machines that make them work.
• Systematically collect and record data.
• Use measurement in the context of scientific investigations.
• Use diagrams to translate three-dimensional relationships into two dimensions.
• Acquire vocabulary associated with two simple machines (levers and pulleys).
• Apply mathematics in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.

Solar Energy: The Solar Energy Module consists of four investigations that allow students to experience solar energy firsthand and to investigate the variables that affect solar-energy transfer. Students will monitor the size and position of shadows, investigate the changes in temperature of soil, water, and sand when placed in the sun and shade, create a solar house and investigate materials to keep the house cool, and finally create a solar oven made from a pizza box that will cook their own food.

We expect students to:

• Become aware of the potential of solar energy, an inexhaustible source, as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels, a nonrenewable source.
• Observe differences in size and position of shadows as a result of the relative positions of Earth and the Sun.
• Gain experience using a compass to orient objects on Earth.
• Become proficient in using a thermometer to monitor temperature change in a variety of materials.
• Observe solar-energy transfer in a variety of situations.
• Relate the rate and amount of temperature change to variables involved in energy transfer.
• Design solar water heaters and passive solar space heaters.
• Apply mathematics in the context of science.
• Acquire vocabulary associated with solar energy and energy transfer.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.

Sixth Grade
The following modules are studied in Sixth Grade – Environments, Living Systems, and Weather and Water.

Living Systems: The Living Systems Module consists of three sequential investigations, each designed to introduce students to transport systems in multi-cellular organisms. Students use readings, videos, and investigations to study the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems in humans and the vascular system in plants. They also design and conduct an experiment to find out about celery and water, collect leaves and study the vascular bundles, and design and conduct an experiment to determine what conditions are needed to activate dry yeast.

We expect students to:

• Learn that the basic unit of life is the cell.
• Learn that all cells have basic needs—water, food, gas exchange, and waste disposal.
• Learn how materials are transported to cells in multicellular organisms.
• Learn the structures and functions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems in humans.
• Learn that vascular plants have specialized tissues (xylem and phloem tubes) for the transport of water, minerals, and sugar to cells.
• Discover that leaves play an important role in the transport of water to cells in vascular plants.
• Learn that green plant cells make sugar from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight, and release oxygen.
• Learn that plant and animal cells obtain energy by breaking down sugar into carbon dioxide and water (cellular respiration).
• Classify leaves based on venation pattern.
• Design, conduct, and analyze the results of experiments.
• Write scientific reports.
• Use metric tools and make and record quantitative observations in a scientific investigation.

Environments: The Environments Module consists of four investigations that introduce students to the basic concepts of environmental biology. Students will plant terrariums using pea, corn, barley, radish, and clover seeds and determine how much water is needed for their seeds to grow. They will investigate the type of environment that isopods and beetles prefer by constructing aluminum foil runways. Sixth Graders will also use plants they have previously grown to set up an experiment to determine the range of water tolerance. Finally, the students will conduct an experiment to test the effect of salinity on four kinds of plants.

We expect students to:

• Develop an attitude of respect and understanding for life.
• Gain experience with the major environmental factors in terrestrial and aquatic systems.
• Conduct controlled experiments with plants to determine ranges of tolerance.
• Determine an organism’s optimum conditions and environmental preferences.
• Organize and analyze data from experiments and investigations with plants and animals.
• Observe and describe changes in complex systems over time.
• Relate laboratory studies to natural systems.
• Apply mathematics in the context of science.
• Acquire vocabulary associated with environmental biology.
• Exercise language, math, and social studies skills in the context of biology investigations.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, and relating.

Weather and Water: The Weather and Water Course focuses on Earth’s atmosphere, weather, and water. The course consists of a variety of investigations. Students first review local weather reports and determine the factors that combine to produce what we know as weather. They will be introduced to instruments that measure the weather and use these on a daily basis to record weather changes. They will investigate ‘Where air is’ by using syringes and examining posters of the atmosphere and troposphere. Sixth Graders will move onto examining the seasons and sun by calculating hours of sunlight for Hoboken and using models of the globe and light bulbs to investigate the amount of sunshine on different parts of the Earth throughout the year. They will be challenged to come up with an investigation to show that water vapor is in the air around them. Next, the Sixth Graders will play the multi-media ‘water-cycle game’ and finally, students will construct an anemometer from cardboard, soda straws, and paper clips and use it to measure wind speed at different locations on the school grounds.

We expect students to:

• Investigate the properties of Earth’s atmosphere and the processes that produce weather, including energy transfer, atmospheric pressure, and water cycle.
• Study principles that govern temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation, and severe weather.
• Collect and analyze local and global weather data using instruments and reports from various media.
• Investigate fresh water as a vital resource.
• Become familiar with and acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: heat, radiation, conduction, convection, density, pressure, condensation, water cycle, drainage, and climate.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Seventh Grade
The following modules are studied in Seventh Grade – Chemical Interactions, Planetary Science, and Diversity of Life.

Chemical Interactions -Chemical Interactions Course is an inquiry into the structure and behavior of matter. A number of investigations are used. Students begin their study of chemistry by observing mystery mixtures of two white, solid substances. They then move onto mixing nine substances to observe and record observations. The Seventh Grade studies the period table and play multi-media games to reinforce learning. They conduct controlled experiments to determine the volume of gas produced, mix hot and cold water to observe energy transfer, use M & M’s in different environments to determine what happens when things melt and dissolve, and conduct lab work to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic properties and behaviors of solutions.

We expect students to:

• Learn that all common matter on Earth is made of 90 naturally occurring elements.
• Observe the macroscopic properties and behaviors of gas, and develop a kinetic particulate model to explain those observations.
• Understand matter in terms of individual particles in constant motion.
• Observe and describe the expansion and contraction of solids, liquids, and gases at the macroscopic and particle levels.
• Understand that energy transfers to, from, and through matter when particles collide (conduction), and that energy transfers from higher-energy particles to lower-energy particles.
• Explore the three common phases of matter-solid, liquid, and gas-and understand that phase is determined by the relationship between the particles of a mass.
• Understand the conditions that induce substances to change from one phase to another.
• Observe and describe the macroscopic and microscopic properties and behaviors of solutions.
• Observe the characteristics of reactions and explain that a reaction changes initial substances (reactants) into new, different substances.
• Use atom models and chemical formulas to demonstrate how reactants rearrange during chemical reactions to form new substances.
• Explore the concepts of a limiting factor in chemical reactions.
• Acquire vocabulary associated with chemical interaction concepts: matter, substance, elements, periodic table of the elements, particle, atom, molecule, compound, compression, contraction, expansion, kinetic energy, energy transfer, heat, phase change, mixture, solution, dissolving, chemical reaction, and limiting factor.
• Exercise language, social studies, and mathematics in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking to plan and conduct investigations, process data, and build scientific explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Planetary Science: This course emphasizes the use of knowledge and evidence to construct explanations for the structures and motions of objects in the Solar System. Seventh Grade students use models to explain their position on Earth and how day and night are created. They use maps and globes to investigate time zones, and then move onto a month long series of observations of the Moon. They study photographs of the Moon to become familiar with its most prominent features, read myths, and write a modern day myth of their own that explains some aspect of the Moon’s appearance or behavior. The students participate in a historical dialog between two scientists on the controversy about the origin of lunar craters – are they volcanic or artifacts of impact. They then create controlled experiments to discover the relationship between meteoroid speed and crater diameter and ray length using flour and cocoa. Finally, students calculate the time to complete a Moon mission and watch a video entitled, For All Mankind.

We expect students to:

• Gain familiarity with maps and images presented in a variety of scales to develop a sense of Earth.
• Use models and simulations to make observations, gather evidence, and draw conclusions about the shape of Earth and its motions in relation to the Sun and Moon.
• Observe and record the Moon’s appearance for a month and consider how the relationship of the Sun, Earth and Moon causes Moon phases.
• Design and conduct experiments to relate that change the effect of impact on landforms.
• Observe measure and organize lunar rocks by properties, including density, and use this information to make inferences about the origin of the Moon.
• Consider how imaging technology helps Earth-based scientists make inferences about the size, shape and appearance of other objects in the Solar System.
• Become familiar with and acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: Solar System, planet, satellite, crater, atmosphere, scale orbit, revolution, day and night, interaction, and change.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Diversity of Life: The Diversity of Life Course emphasizes the use of knowledge and evidence to construct explanations for the structures and functions of living organisms. Students are introduced to the microscope to observe and study microorganisms. They study cells and begin to understand their importance as the basic units of life. The Seventh Graders become familiar with biological structures and functions at different levels of organizations, and finally they dissect seeds to understand its structure.

We expect students to:

• Consider characteristics that are common to all living organisms and develop an operational definition of life.
• Become familiar with the microscope as a tool used by scientists to study organisms in detail.
• Discover cells and begin to understand their importance as the basic units of life.
• Appreciate the diversity of cells that contribute to the diversity of life on Earth.
• Observe and describe the first developmental stages of a plant and recognize that seeds are living organisms in a dormant state.
• Conduct investigations to understand how the vascular system transports water throughout a plant and how tomatoes on leaves regulate the rate of water flow through a plant.
• Investigate the reproductive systems in flowers to understand the origin of seeds and explore plant adaptations for seed dispersal.
• Observe and analyze snail structures and behaviors in order to set up a secure and supportive habitat for them.
• Explore the concept of adaptation by studying the structures and behaviors of an insect, relating those adaptations to natural history and habitat.
• Explore the Monera (bacteria), Protista (algae), and Fungi kingdoms to understand their roles in the scheme of life.
• Become familiar with and acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: cell, tissue, organism, structure, function, behavior, adaptation, system interaction, transpiration, development.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Eighth Grade
The following modules are studied in Eighth Grade – Human Brain and Senses, Electronics, and Earth History.

Human Brain and Senses: In the study of the human brain and senses, students have the opportunity to think about the fact that they have a brain, and to engage in activities that explore some of their routine. They will investigate how the brain and senses acquire, interpret and respond to information. Imaging techniques (MRI and EEG) are used to reveal brain anatomy and activity. Students also explore learning, memory, and sensory dysfunction through a variety of games.

We expect students to:

• Discover their own best strategies for memorizing and learning, after being exposed to a wide range of learning strategies.
• Become familiar with the external and internal structures of the mammalian eye and consider the function of the various components.
• Investigate the properties of lenses and how these properties affect the function of their own eyes.
• Investigate the structure and function of the retina.
• Understand the structure, orientation, and function of the brain, using the connection between the eyes and the brain as a starting point.
• Understand the role of the brain in creating meaning out of the sensory signals it receives.
• Compare the structures and functions of the touch system to the visual system.
• Explore neurotransmission and the structures that support the process.
• Acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: structure, function, perception, stimulus, response, learning, neurotransmission.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Electronics: During the electronics course students use electronic components and meters to build simple and complex circuits, measure and monitor electric properties, and discover how different components affect circuits. They make and read schematics, and construct solid-state devices. Finally, they construct meaningful explanations for the powerful interactions taking place in their systems.

We expect students to:

• Discover how to create complete circuits and how to identify series, parallel, and short circuits.
• Discover how resistors influence the performance of lamps in electrical circuits and develop a model that explains what resistance is and how it might affect the flow of current in a circuit.
• Explore measure and manipulate one of the two main attributes of electricity, voltage, and discover how voltage can be influenced by components in a circuit.
• Explore consumer products to discover the kinds and numbers of electronic components used in their design and consider the impact of technology on American life. • Discover the rules for predicting the total resistance imposed by multiple resistors places in series and/or parallel.
• Discover the characteristics of capacitors, compare them to components with which they are familiar, and use them in circuits to perform new functions.
• Understand the concept of electric current and use their understanding to solve circuit problems.
• Discover the characteristics of transistors, compare them to components with which they are familiar, and use them in circuits to perform new functions.
• Become familiar with and acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: circuit, Ohm’s law, component, meter, digital, energy potential, current, resistance.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Earth History: The earth history module encourages students to investigate sedimentary rocks and fossils from the Grand Canyon to discover clues that reveal Earth’s history. They study the processes that created the rocks. Students then use the knowledge and data from rock observations to make inferences about organisms, environments, and events that occurred over Earth’s history.

We expect students to:

• Use observations and make inferences from evidence to answer questions, both their own and those posed by geologists.
• Build the concept that a rock layer is a three-dimensional structure and that the Colorado Plateau is mainly made of sedimentary layers..
• Investigate the properties of sand, sandstone and shale and the properties that create them.
• Investigate the conditions that lead to the formation of a sedimentary rock and how rock layers provide evidence for ancient environments.
• Become familiar with the geological time scale and begin to comprehend the enormous time span of Earth’s history.
• Understand how fossils provide evidence for prehistoric environments and how index fossils can be used to determine the relative age of sedimentary rocks.
• Become familiar with changes that occurred over time in the fossil record.
• Investigate the properties of metamorphic and igneous rock and the processes that form them.
• Use what they have learned about sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks as a basis for understanding the Rock Cycle.
• Become familiar with and acquire vocabulary concerning these concepts: erosion, deposition, sedimentation, layering, index fossil, rock formation, landform, prehistoric environment, evidence.
• Exercise language, social studies, and math skills in the context of science.
• Use scientific thinking processes to conduct investigations and build explanations: observing, communicating, comparing, organizing, relating, and inferring.

Milestone Project – The Science Fair:
Each student in the Middle School undertakes a science fair project during each grade. Students are expected to find a researchable question, create a scientific rationale, design an experiment, conduct the experiment, and finally explain the findings with evidence that connect back to the scientific rationale. The project is conducted in school during science lab. The student creates a display board and presentation that is presented during our school wide science fair open day.

Curriculum/Middle School Program: Next Page Mathematics