Course Description
An integrated science course which addresses basic scientific principles such as patterns, interactions and diversity of matter, motion and gravity, and technology applications. The writing process is an integral part part of student responses.
Credits: 5
Languages: English and Spanish
Course Content
Unit I - Patterns in Matter
- Explain how Mendeleev developed his periodic table
- Define periodic properties
- Compare the modern periodic table with Mendeleev's table
- Identify some periodic properties of the elements
- Explain the nature of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates
- Discuss how fertilizers are added to soils or water to increase the nutrients available to plants
- Discuss how fertilizers come in a variety of forms and how labels clearly identify what the fertilizers contain
- Determine the atomic structure of elements based on the information supplied on a periodic table
- Explain nutrient cycling and how living things are involved in the process
- Formulate and construct, after reviewing the procedure, an essay on the theme of air pollution
- Research various topics on the Internet and respond to associated prompts
- Explain why humans use a variety of substances from the earth to enhance plant growth
- Compare the differences between natural and man made fertilizers
- Analyze all the chemicals that are found on the Earth and in the atmosphere
Unit II - Interactions in Matter
- Describe the characteristics of chemical reactions
- Explain the basis of chemical reactions
- Classify different types of chemical reactions
- Identify chemical reactions found in the kitchen and around you
- Understand the role of labels and the importance of reading them
- Distinguish between a chemical and a physical change
- Understand how heat is generated in a chemical reaction
- Describe how chemical reactions are happening all the time
- Tell what an equation is
- Explain how a replacement reaction differs form a decomposition and synthesis reaction
- Identify the factors involved in the collition theory of chemical reactions
- Describe solutions and their behavior under different conditions
- Explain how Henri LeChatlier's Principledescribes equilibrium of a system
- Conduct a scientific investigation using household chemicals and write a formal lab report with the information collected
- Compose and write an essay regarding a relevant topic to modern day life
Unit III - Diversity of Matter
- Describe the steps scientists use to investigate a question or problem
- Explain the difference between an experimental setup and a control setup
- Identify the common laboratory tools used to measure length, volume, mass, and temperature
- Describe the general properties of matter
- Identify phase changes in matter
- Describe the properties of mixtures
- Understand the nature of subatomic particles
- Describe the composition of the atom
- Explain what radioactivity is and who discovered it
- Describe Alpha, Beta, and Gamma decay
- Understand the structure of Polymers
- Experiment with different types of plastics
- Identify the seven major types of recyclable plastics
Unit IV - Motion
- Provide a "working" definition (in your own words) that will help you to identify various types of motion
- Properly apply words such as speed, velocity, acceleration, and gravity
- Describe various types of motion
- Make calculations about motion
- Relate historical anecdotes concerning the history of the study of motion
- Describe the development of the units used
- Understand Newtown's Laws of Motion
- Calculate force, acceleration, and mass from Newton's Second Law of Motion
- Describe momentum and how it is related to mass and acceleration
Unit V - Technology
- Identify applications of science through the use of technology
- Explain why technology is useful
- List different types of simple machines
- Distinguish between the different ways we can communicate
- Explain the concept of mechanical advantage in machines
- Describe the operation of the telegraph, telephone, TV, and VCR
- List the parts of a computer and their function
- Name the different fields of science that give rise to technological advances
- Explain why the wheel is a revolutionary technology
- Read and create a flow chart
- Develop an appreciation for the work of Leonardo Da Vinci
- Identify the difference between a discovery and an invention
- Experience the process of developing a new invention
- Learn about Rube Goldberg contraptions
- Read descriptions of several real life inventions from the Patent Office
