Kindergarten Science Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Thinking Like a Scientist
• The student understands the nature of scientific knowledge. • The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Investigations
Concepts and Themes
Students will observe the process of evaporation through water painting in sun and shade. Students will sort items and name connections (ex. Animals/birds, magnetic/non-magnetic…) Students will practice making comparisons of animals, bendable materials, and wheeled vs. non-wheeled loads. Students will make various types of measurements including temperature, length, and strength. Students will use various tools to complete investigations. Students will record information and communicate it to others through lists, models, graphs, charts and diagrams.
Students will adopt a schoolyard tree for observation and comparison. Students will help plant and care for a tree. Students will observe and communicate about size, shape, texture, and color of leaves and trees. Students will identify parts of the tree through tree part cards and booklets.
Science Inquiry
Trees
Life Science
• The student understands the nature of scientific knowledge. • The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
How to follow multi-step directions. How to record (paper and pencil) Process vocabulary (sort, compare, measure, etc) How to ask meaningful questions. How to conduct investigations.
Trees are resources Basic geometric shapes Basic measurement techniques
School District of Whitefish Bay
Vocabulary
Assessment
sort compare measure record communicate graph apply analyze predict question observe
branch, broadleaf, conifer, root, trunk, twig, bark, circumference, height, living, shape, silhouette, adopt, wedge, lobed, serrated, bud, growth ring.
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Observations of students Review of student work
Observation of students Review of student work
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Kindergarten Science Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Fabric
Physical Science
• The student understands the nature of scientific knowledge. • The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Investigations
Concepts and Themes
• Students will compare and contrast various fabrics. • Students will go on a multisensory fabric hunt. • Students will investigate structure of fabric through collage and disassembly. • Students will weave and sew their own fabric. • Students will test fabrics to find out why they react to water, cleaning products and dye.
• Observe properties. • Analyze and communicate differences in fabrics. • Hypothesize and interpret results of substance tests. • Apply unit knowledge to make decisions and represent them in graph form. • Make comparisons.
School District of Whitefish Bay
Vocabulary
Assessment
burlap, corduroy, denim, fleece, knit, nylon, organza, satin, seersucker and terry cloth. Fabric process vocabulary: manufacture, loom, weave, sew, dye, warp and woof.
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The difference between absorb and repel. The purpose of graphs. How to observe, describe, and communicate differences in fabrics.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 1 Science Unit & Domain Insects Life Science Strand
Bay Standards
The student knows about the diversity and unity that characterize life. The student understands the genetic basis for the transfer of biological characteristics. The student understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival
Investigations
Students observe mealworms progress through their life cycle. Students observe waxworms progress through their life cycle. Student prepare a habitat for insects and observe their behavior Students observe butterflies and moths, and compare and contrast their behaviors and lifecycle.
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
adult, beetle, change, diversity, dropping, habitat, insect, larva, life cycle, molt, pupa, segment, stage immature, mature, metamorphosis
Needs of insects include air, food, water and space. Insects have common structures and behaviors. Insects hatch from eggs. Male and female insects mate and lay eggs. Different insects have different habitats. Some insects spend part of their life cycle in water.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Compare larvae of mealworms and waxworms. Discuss needs of insects. Discuss life cycle. Make a model of insect larvae. Describe the structure and behavior of insect larvae. Describe the life cycle of an insect.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 1 Science Unit & Domain Balance and Motion
Bay Standards
Physical Science Strand
The student understands the relationship between forces and motion. The student understands energy types, sources, and conversions and their relationship to heat and temperature. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Students balance various shapes made from tag-board, students use counterweights to make objects balance and create a mobile. Students make tops and observe various spinning motions and how different variables impact the speed and balance of their tops. Students investigate rolling objects – wheels, cups and spheres and investigate the relationship between size, angle and speed.
Many different objects and shapes can be made to balance. Counter-weighting can change the point of balance of an object. A mobile is a system of balanced beams and masses. Objects and systems that go around exhibit rotational motion. The amount and position of mass affects how an object or system rotates. There are different ways to initiate rotational motion. Disks and spheres roll down hills. Axles support wheels. Objects with different sized wheels roll toward the smaller wheel.
School District of Whitefish Bay
Vocabulary Assessment balance, balance point, counterbalance, mobile, position, stable, unstable, motion, rotate, spin, axle, disk, motion, ramp, runway, slope, sphere, stability, spiral
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Make cardboard shapes and demonstrate how to balance them in stable positions. Use representations of balanced systems to demonstrate understanding of stable position and counterweighing. Demonstrate ability to make and vary the performance of tops using various materials.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 1 Science Unit & Domain Grade 1 Air and Weather Earth Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
The student understands basic Earth processes.
The student understands the cycling of matter and flow of energy through the living environment.
Air, change, cirrus, cloud, cumulus, damp, foggy, gas, temperature, thermometer, weather, weather instrument, blow, pressure, resistance, glider, lift, parachute, propulsion, rocket, rotate,
The student understands the relationship between forces and motion. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Students record weather over 4-8 weeks on a class calendar and in individual weather journals. Weather instruments are introduced to help students describe weather. Students monitor temperature, wind, and rainfall. Conditions are compared over time using graphs. Students explore properties of air. Using syringes and tubing, students discover that air has matter and occupies space, that it can be compressed and used to push objects around. Students construct and compare devices that use air, parachutes, propellers and gliders. Students compare objects that move with the wind.
Weather changes over time. Temperature, wind speed, precipitation and cloud types are components of weather that can be described. Air is real and occupies space. Air can be compressed into a smaller space. Air can move objects. Air can be captured in containers. Air can slow the falling of objects. Wind is moving air.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Review and discuss weather records recorded in journals. Discuss and demonstrate compression. Discuss and demonstrate pressure. Explain lab observations Determine which variables will impact parachute design. Determine which variables will impact design of a wind catcher.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 2 Unit & Bay Standards Domain Solids and The student will Liquids understand basic features of the Earth. Physical Science Strand The student will
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
flexible, gas, group, liquid, opaque, property, rigid, rough, shape, smooth, soft, solid, sort, transparent, particle, bubble, colored, flow, foamy, level, liquid, pour, translucent, transparent, viscous, dissolve, evaporate, float,
• Discuss how you can tell if something is a solid (snow, cotton, Jell-O, peanut butter, whipped cream)
understand basic Earth processes.
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The student will understand essential ideas about the composition and structure of the universe and the Earth’s place in it.
The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Students explore solid objects, such as pieces of wood, plastic and metal. They observe, describe and sort the objects according to properties. Finally, they create various structures using the properties inherent in the materials to accomplish the tasks. Students work with beans, rice and cornmeal to find out how solids function when the pieces are small. Students investigate liquids in a variety of settings to become familiar with their properties. Students use representational materials to enhance their understanding of the unique behavior of liquids. Students investigate interactions between solids and water and liquids and water. They observe, describe, record, and organize the results. In a culminating activity, students test toothpaste to determine if it is a solid or a liquid.
Solids are one state of matter. Materials can be sorted based on their properties. Solids come in all shapes and sizes. Particles of solid materials can pour like liquids but also maintain their shape. Solid materials can support denser materials on their surfaces. Solid particles can be separated with a screen. Liquids are one state of matter. Liquids can have many properties, (transparent or translucent, viscous or free flowing, foamy or clear.) All liquids pour and flow. Liquids take the shape of their container. The surface of liquids is level to the ground. Some solids change when mixed with water, others do not. Some liquids mix with water, others form a layer on top or below water.
School District of Whitefish Bay
• Make a mixture of two solid materials and observe what happens. Add a third solid to the mixture and observe. • Use a screen to separate the mixture of solids. • Investigate a container of a liquid (water, vegetable oil, laundry detergent, etc.). Draw a picture of it and record information on the properties of the liquid. • Create a mixture (Oobleck) and discuss its properties compared to solids and liquids.
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 2 Overview Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Sink or Float?
Physical Science
The student understands basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Investigations • •
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Predict whether various objects will be buoyant. Conduct experiments to determine what affects the buoyancy of an object. Compare the capacities of boats with different shapes, materials and sizes. Create a boat that holds the maximum amount of cargo.
Concepts and Themes • The buoyancy of an object is affected by the type of material it is made out of. • The shape of an object, its positioning on the surface of the liquid, its buoyancy are among the variables that determine if an object sinks or floats.
Vocabulary
Atoms, buoyancy, cargo, float, gas, liquid, mass, matter, material, physical property, sink, solid, state of matter, surface
• That the shape, material, and size of a boat affect its ability to sink or float and the amount of cargo it can carry.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Assessment • Students will predict/identify objects that are buoyant. • Students will compare how various shapes of clay with the same weight float or sink in water. • Students will compare the buoyancy of objects in fresh and salt water. • Students will create boats with different sizes and shapes. • Students will interpret data to determine what size and shape is ideal for a boat.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 2 Overview Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Plant and Animal Populations
Life Science
The student knows about the diversity and unity that characterize life.
The student understands the genetic basis for the transfer of biological characteristics. The student understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival
Investigations
Label/diagram insect body parts. Examine behaviors of animals and determine which organisms are food plants, prey animals and predator animals based on a relative population. Set up experiments that show how a population of an organism changes. Examine and compare different animals that use camouflage as an adaptation for survival.
Concepts and Themes • Insects have certain
adaptations to their ecosystems. • Certain species of animals are herbivores, carnivores, prey or predator. • Organisms live in populations where some are producers while others are consumers. • Camouflage and mimicry are some of the factors that allow animals to survive in their habitats.
Vocabulary
Assessment
Adaptations, camouflage, carnivore, community, consumer, decomposer, ecosystem, endangered, energy, extinct, food chain, habitat, herbivore, interact, living, mimicry, nonliving, nutrients, omnivore, organism, population, predator, prey, producer, species
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Students will predict and set up experiments to find out of an object is a seed or an egg. Students will explore what causes the population of a group of animals to increase or decrease. Students will examine the anatomy of several plants and animals.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 3 Unit & Domain
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
degree Celsius, gram, kilogram, length, liter, milliliter, mass, measurement, volume, capacity, meter, centimeter, standards unit, temperature
Measurement
The student will understand the nature of scientific knowledge. The student will understand the nature of scientific inquiry.
The student will understand the scientific enterprise.
Physical Science Strand
Students learn the need for standard units of linear measurement. Students measure objects with nonstandard units, straws, and then use a meter tape to measure objects in meters and centimeters. Students learn the need for standard units for measuring weight (mass) and use the FOSS balance and plastic gram pieces to weight objects. The students weigh bags of gravel and cooperate to make a kilogram weight. They discover that a sponge can soak up many times its own weight in water. The students learn the need for standard units of volume. Syringes and graduated cylinders calibrated in milliliters are used to measure fluids accurately. Students compare the temperatures of three cups of water using their fingers, which leads to the need for a measurement tool and a standard unit. Students use alcohol thermometers and measure in degrees Celsius.
The meter is the standard metric unit of linear measurement; the centimeter is .01 meter. Length is how far it is from one point to another. The gram is the standard metric unit of weight; the kilogram is 1,000 grams. The weight of an object is how heavy it is. The liter is the standards metric unit of fluid measurement; the milliliter is .001 liter. Volume is the three dimensional space occupied by something. Capacity is the maximum amount of fluid a container can hold. The degree Celsius is the standard metric unit of temperature. Temperature is a measure of how hot of cold something is.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Observe and measure length in meters and centimeters. Observe and measure weight (mass) in grams. Observe and measure fluid capacity in milliliters. Observe and measure temperature in degrees Celsius. organize, record and retrieve information from a record sheet. Compare the results of various measurements.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 3 Unit & Domain Earth Materials Earth Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
crystal, earth, material, geology, mineral, natural, resource, property, hardness, rock, diameter, circumference, depth, mass
The student understands the basic features of the Earth. The student understands basic Earth processes. The student understands basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Students are introduced to the concept of earth materials and the tools and techniques of the geologist by investigating the properties of a homemade mock rock. Students separate it into different ingredients by means such as dissolving in water and evaporation. Students are introduced to minerals as the basic earth materials that make up rocks. They observe, describe and record properties of four minerals and use the scratch test to determine the relative hardness. Students observe the characteristic property of the mineral calcite – the mineral bubbles when placed in an acid such as vinegar. Using this test, students go on a quest to find calcite in four common rocks. Students study the rock granite. The students are challenged to use the properties of five minerals to find out which of the minerals are found in granite.
Rocks can be taken apart into their components. Rocks exhibit a variety of properties, including shape, size, color and texture. Water, settling and evaporation can separate rocks into their components. Rocks are composed of earth materials called minerals that cannot be broken apart any further. Examples of minerals are quartz, fluorite, calcite, and gypsum. Calcite is a mineral that fizzes when placed in acid. Minerals have different properties. Examples of rocks include those comprised of sandstone, limestone, marble and granite. Granite is made up of various minerals. Some mineral properties are color, hardness and luster. Properties of minerals are used to find out which minerals make up a rock.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Record and discuss observations about the properties of various rocks and minerals. Describe how rock minerals separate and settle in water. Arrange minerals based on various properties. Compare results of investigations of properties of different rocks and minerals. Separate one ingredient from a mixture.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 3 Bay Standards Unit & Domain The Human Body • The student knows about the diversity Life-Science and unity that characterize life. Strand •
The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
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bone, skeleton, joint, movement, muscle, stimulus, response, structure, function, system, tissue
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Students investigate the human skeleton with direct observation, photographs, diagrams and models. Students discover how different tissues (bone, muscle, ligament, tendon) work together to provide movement, protection, and structure. Students conduct a systematic investigation to find out how different parts of the body work together to coordinate responses to tactile and visual stimuli.
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The human body is made up of about 206 bones that provide support and protection. Bones are living tissue and come in many sizes and forms. Humans are in a group of animals called vertebrates. Joints are where two bones meet and movement occurs. Different kinds of joints produce different kinds of movements (hinge joints, ball-and-socket, gliding) Muscles power the movement of the body. A stimulus is something that excites a nervous impulse. The smooth predictable action of bones, muscles and central nervous system is called coordination.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Identify and explain the function of a bone from an unknown origin. Know the function of various bones, muscles and types of joints. Identify specific animals by looking at drawings of their skeletons. Identify, compare, and contrast various bones and their function on different animals.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 3 Unit & Domain
The Solar System
Earth and Space Science
Bay Standards Identify celestial objects (stars, sun, moon, planets) in the sky, noting changes in patterns of those objects over time. Select multiple sources of information to help answer questions selected for classroom investigations.
Investigations
Students will be able to identify the names of the planets and their location in the Solar System. Students will draw circles to reflect the various sizes of the planets. Students will create a scale model that represents the Solar System.
Concepts and Themes While the Solar System is composed of many different types of objects that vary greatly in size, the same set of rules describe the interactions among all of these objects. Models can be used to more easily represent components of the natural world.
Vocabulary
Asteroid, astronomer, atmosphere, axis, comet, crater, day, Earth, ellipse, gas giant, gravity, inner plaet, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, meteor, meteorite, meteoroid, moon, Moon, Neptune, orbit, out planet, phase, planet, Pluto, revolution, revolve, rotate, satellite, Saturn, solar, solar system, space probe, star, Sun, telescope, Uranus, Venus, year
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Assessment
The name and location of planets, as well as their location in our Solar System. Use a compass and the concepts of scale and ratio relative to the size of objects when constructing a model. Understand the relative distance between planets and the sun. Research and share information on planets.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 4 Unit & Domain Mixtures and Solutions Physical Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
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Atom, catalyst, chemical, chemical reaction, chemist, chemistry, citric acid, compound, concentration, crystal, density, dissolve, element, evaporation, fermenting, gas, Global warming, mixture, molecule, Periodic Table. precipitate, reactant, reaction, saturation, solubility, solution, solute, solvent, synthetic, volume, vulcanization
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Students understands basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter.
• The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
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Students investigate basic concepts of chemistry – properties of mixtures and solutions. Students dissolve a solid in a solvent, make observations about concentration and saturation of a solution, find evidence of chemical reactions, evaporation and crystal formation. Students gain experience with laboratory tools and techniques.
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Two or more substances mixed together form a mixture. A solution is formed when a material dissolves in a liquid and cannot be retrieved using a filter. Solubility is a property that substances have of dissolving in solvents. A solution is saturated when as much solid material as possible has dissolved in the liquid. Concentration is a relationship between the amount of dissolved material and the volume of a solvent. The change that occurs when two or more materials are mixed is called a chemical reaction.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Explain the properties of various of various mixtures depending on the number of elements in the solution, its weight, and levels of saturation and concentration. Explain chemical reactions that have been observed.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 4 Unit & Domain Environments Life-Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
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Adapt, algae, asymmetrical, bacteria, biome, camouflage, carnivore, chemical, colonize, consumer, current, decomposer, decomposition, delta, dormant, ecosystem, enzyme, expel, food chain, food web, fungus, genetics, glacier, herbivore, host, immunity, invertebrate, larva, microorganisms, nutrient, omnivore, organism, pampas, parasite, photosynthesis, pollinate, pollination, prarie, precipitation, predator, secondary consumer
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The student knows about the diversity and unity that characterize life. The student understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. The student understands the cycling of matter and flow of energy through the living environment. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
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Students gain experience with living and non-living environmental factors in terrestrial and aquatic systems. Organisms maintained in the classroom are used to develop the concepts of environmental factor, range of tolerance, and optimum conditions for survival of populations. Students observe how organisms respond to environmental conditions and how they change their environment.
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Everything that surrounds an organism makes up its environment. Terrestrial environments make up both living and nonliving factors. Each organism has a set of preferred environmental conditions. Isopods prefer moist, dark environments; beetles prefer dark, dry environments. Organisms have ranges of tolerance for environmental factors. Aquatic environments include living and non-living factors. Carbon-dioxide changes the acidity of water. Brine shrimp eggs hatch in a range of salt concentrations, but hatch best under optimum salt conditions. Plants have different tolerances for salt. In a controlled experiment, one variable is manipulated while others are kept the same.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Explain how various environmental factors such as light, water, temperature and salt impact environments and plant and animal life living in those environments. Explain an organism’s range of tolerance and the distinction between an organism’s optimum and preferred environment . Given various environmental conditions and factors, explain why certain organisms will thrive in certain environments while others may not survive.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 4 Unit & Domain
Electricity and Magnetism
Physical Science
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts and Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
• The student understands basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter • The student understands energy types, sources, and conversions, and their relationship to heat and temperature. • The student knows the kinds of forces that exist between objects and within atoms.
• Students will build series and parallel circuits. • Experience the relationship between the number of turns of wire around an electromagnet core and the strength of the magnetism. • Students will figure out the difference between conductors and insulators Students work with a magnet’s push, pull, and holding power. • Students create electric pencils using wires, a battery, a clip, and some tape. • Students figure out what is and is not magnetic. • Students figure out how to turn on and off a light bulb with a battery, paper clip, tape, and light bulb
• Magnetism and electricity work together and have many uses. • How and why magnets work. • Lightning and what is happening; + and – charges. • Electrical safety • How open and closed circuits work. • Inventions and inventors. • Identifying cause and effect. • What is an electric current? • How electric circuits work • Magnets from electricity.
conductors, insulators, parallel and series circuits, closed and open circuits, magnets, electricity, generators, voltage, magnet fields, North and South Poles, compass, positive and negative charges, permanent, temporary, and natural magnets, lodestones, cobalt, nickel, iron
• Create functional electrical switch using materials given by the teacher. • Build a series and parallel circuit. • Demonstrate how to use a switch and open and close a circuit. • Make an electromagnet. • Demonstrate and show what is and is not magnetic. • Make a list of 25 or more uses of electricity and magnetism. • Explain how a magnet works.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 4 Unit & Domain
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts and Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
Oceans
• The student understands basic features of the Earth. • The student understands the cycling of matter and flow of energy through the living environment. • The student understands the nature of scientific knowledge. • The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
• Students research, write, illustrate, and share information about an ocean animal. • Students collaborate to solve four missions about oceans with a laser disk called “The Great Ocean Rescue.” • Each student becomes an environmentalist, geologists, marine biologist, or oceanographer. They watch “The Great Ocean Rescue” and read the G.O.R. .book to gather information.
• Oceans take up 75% of the Earth. • Salt helps buoyancy. • Oceans are salty because of the rocks and minerals in and around oceans. • All ocean animals adapt to their environment by moving, eating, giving birth, . . . • The ocean has high and low tides. • The farther down you go into the ocean, the colder, darker, and greater the pressure. • The majority of an iceberg is under water. • Environmentalists, geologists, marine biologists, and oceanographers all have important roles in education, understanding, and protecting our oceans and the life in it. • Ocean floors can look like huge mountains and deep trenches. • Submersibles help us gather information from portions of the ocean that cannot be accessed by humans. • Oceans provide us with food, entertainment, transportation, and beauty.
hydrothermal vents, chemosynthesis, bioluminescence, buoyancy, icebergs, Titanic, tides, currents, sunlight, twilight and midnight zones, submersibles, environmentalists, marine biologists, geologists, oceanographers, Robert Ballard, Alvin, SCUBA
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Physical Science
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Students will use numbers, collect, record and compare data to discover the properties of oceans. Students will make and use models and observe variables in the formation of ocean currents. Students will make and use models and participate in investigations to discover how animals adapt to life in the oceans.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 5 Unit & Variables Domain Scientific
Variables
Bay Standards • The student understands the nature of scientific knowledge. •
The student
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The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
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Investigations • Students experiment with • • • •
The student understands the scientific enterprise. •
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Scientific Reasoning Strand
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variables that do and do not affect the behavior of Students experiment with
Students experiment with variables that do or do not affect the behavior of pendulums. The students graph their results and use their graphs to predict the behavior of additional pendulums. Students construct a fleet of paper-cup boats and discover how many passengers (pennies) each will hold before sinking. The variables of boat depth and arrangement of passengers are explored. Students construct rubberband powered airplanes and fly them on a line. They experiment with a number of variables to see how each affects the distance the place travels. Students manipulate small catapults called flippers to investigate the variables that contribute to the highest and longest flips of objects. They conduct controlled experiments and graph their results.
Concepts & Variables are Themes things you can
Vocabulary capacity, controlled experiment, cycle, energy, graph,
Design a controlled experiment and identify problems with
Variables are things
aeronautics, aileron,
Design a controlled
anemometer, astronomer, bank, barometer, circuit, combustion chamber, density, elevator, glider, hydraulics, hypothesis, oceanographer, paleontologist, pendulum, pressurized, prism, rudder, spectrum, supersonic, system, theory, velocity, winch
*Design a controlled experiment and identify problems with sample experiments that are not properly controlled.
*Variables are things that you can change that might affect the outcome of an experiment. *In a controlled experiment, only on variable is changed and the results are compared to a standard. *The length of a pendulum determines the number of swings in a unit of time. *Capacity is the maximum volume of fluid a container can hold. *A system is a set of related objects that can be considered in isolation for study. *In a controlled experiment, a set of investigations is conducted in which only one variable is changed by increments, and results are compared to determine how the changes affects outcomes.
School District of Whitefish Bay
Assessment
* Create a twocoordinate graph and discuss the results of changing an independent variable as seen on the graph. * Isolate a variable and test it in standard increments, and describe the effects as postive or negative indicators as the increment is changed. * Make predictions based on data in a two-coordinate graph. Explain how that prediction was made.
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 5 Unit & Domain Food and Nutrition Life Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts and Core Themes Vocabulary
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The student understands how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival. The student understands energy types, sources, and conversions and their relationship to heat and temperature. Understand the nature of scientific inquiry.
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Students are introduced to fats in the human diet and conduct a fat search using the brown paper technique. Students use yeast metabolism as an indicator of the presence of sugar in foods. They experiment with different kinds of cereals and relate the amount of gas produced by yeast to the amount of sugar in the cereal. They use the sugar test to test mystery foods for the presence of sugar. Students use baking soda as an indicator of the presence of acid. In a closed system, the volume of gas produced by the acid/baking soda reaction is related to the concentration of acids in the sample. Students test foods for general acid content and for a specific acid, vitamin C using indophenol. Student learn that foods are often different combinations of different kinds of nutrients. They assemble hypothetical lunches and analyze them in terms of their fat, carbohydrate, and protein content. They calculate the number of calories contributed by each group and assess the nutritional value of their lunches.
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Foods can contain one of two kinds of fats, saturated (solid at room temperature) and unsaturated (liquid at room temperature). Yeast needs sugar to become active. A product of yeast metabolism is carbon dioxide, the same gas produce by most organisms. Yeast can be used as an indicator of the presence of sugar in foods. Baking soda and acid react chemically to form new products, (carbon dioxide). The sour taste of foods is due to acid. Calories are a measure of the amount of energy in foods. Calories are the amount of energy in foods. Fats have more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein.
acid, calorie, carbohydrate, chemical reaction, indicator, metabolism, nutrient, nutrition
School District of Whitefish Bay
Assessment * Evaluate and support the choice of a meal option that is the most nutritional. Add to or replace elements needed to make a meal balanced in nutritional value. * Describe and discuss the process of metabolism. * Compare and contrast the response of an indicator when it is introduced to varied levels of sugar. * Explain indications of fat content and evaluate a system used to indicate the presence of fat in a variety of foods. * Identify indicators used for fat, sugar and acids and the expected responses. * Demonstrate a test of acid samples using an indicator and discuss the results as they are observed.
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 5 Unit & Domain Levers and Pulleys Physical Science Strand
Bay Standards
Investigations
Concepts & Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
Advantage, effort, fixed pulley, movable pulley, fulcrum, lever classes, load, simple machine
*Identify levers in everyday use. Diagram and label parts as they appear as first, second or third class levers.
The student understands the relationship between forces and motion. The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Students are introduced to levers as devices that help us lift weight or overcome resistance. Students investigate the fulcrum, effort and load of one kind of level (class-1) and conduct experiments with a spring scale to discover the relationships between the parts of lever systems. Students draw and graph their results. Students investigate and diagram class-1, class-2 and class-3 level systems. They investigate common tools to determine how the tools apply levers. Students are introduced to a second simple machine and discover how to set of single-fixed and singlemovable pulleys to lift a load. They use a scale to quantify effort with single pulleys. They go on to set up and diagram multiplepulley systems. Students investigate four pulley systems. They record data on each system. They graph and determine the relationship between the number of ropes pulling on the load and the effort needed to lift it.
A lever iis a tool that provides the used with an advantage. Fulcrum, load, effort, and lever are the components of a lever. When the load is in one position in a class-1 lever, the greater the distance at which the effort is applied, the less effort to lift the load. Fulcrum in the middle is a class-1 lever (crowbar) Load in the middle is a class-2 lever (wheelbarrow) Effort in the middle is a class-3 lever (broom) Two single pulleys can be used to construct a multipulley system. There is a relationship between the number of ropes supporting a load in a pulley system and the effort required to lift a load. There is a cost associated with the advantage in a pulley system.
School District of Whitefish Bay
* Describe the relationship between load and effort and the location of each in relation to the fulcrum. * Discuss strengths and weaknesses of each class of lever. Apply this understanding to real life examples in when each class of level may be useful. * Demonstrate through comparison and contrast the use of a single pulley and a pulley system. * Assess diagrams of pulley systems and discuss why they would or would not work effectively.
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 5 Unit & Domain Solar Energy Earth Science Strand
Bay Standards
The student understands basic features of the earth.
The student understands basic Earth processes.
Investigations
The student understands basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter. The student understands energy types, sources, and conversions and their relationship to heat and temperature.
The student understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
Concepts & Themes
Students observe the changes in shadows over a day and relate the position of the sun in the sky to the shadow that is cast. They make and use a shadow tracker to systematically monitor the position of the sun. Students set up an investigation to find out what happens when solar energy shines on four earth materials, water, sand, dry soil and wet soil. They relate the differences in temperature change to the properties of the materials. Students investigate ways to capture solar energy to hear water in containers and zipbags. They investigate color, surface area of the collector, and covers on the heater. They establish relationships between the variables in the solar water heater and the rate of temperature increase. Students are challenged to discover the most effective way to heat a house with solar energy. They assemble a cardboard model house and investigate variables of window orientation, interior color, heat sink, and insulation. They establish a relationship between the variables in a solar house and the efficiency of the heating.
A compass can be used to orient an object on earth toward magnetic north. The effect of apparent motion of the sun around the earth can be observed by monitoring the size and position of shadows. The relative position of the sun and earth change in a pattern throughout the day. Change in temperature is a measure of energy transfer. Water absorbs and releases energy slowly, making it a good heat sink. Solar energy can be seen (light) and felt (infrared light) by sensory receptors. Solar energy can be absorbed or reflected. Darker collectors absorb more solar energy than lighter. A clear cover on a solar water heater allows energy to enter as light, but does not permit escape of heat. Solar energy is an alternative to fossil fuels. Insulation is a means of holding heat in an enclosed space.
Vocabulary
Assessment
absorb, change, energy transfer, heat sink, insulation, orientation, reflect, shadow, solar, energy, surface area
* Demonstrate understanding of relationships among a light source, object and the shadow it casts
School District of Whitefish Bay
* Evaluate and support explanations why different earth materials cool at different rates. Discuss strengths and weaknesses among the use of varied earth materials. * Determine and develop the most effective design for a solar water heater using knowledge of color, containment and size. * Discuss the effect of solar energy on a home. Assess variables effecting the home for ability to stay cool in summer and warm in winter.
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 6 Overview Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Scientific Method
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Science Inquiry
PHEOC
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Problem Hypothesis Experiment Observations Conclusions
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Use inferences to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences. State what they have learned from their investigations, relating their inferences to scientific knowledge and to data they have collected. Explain their data and conclusions in ways that allow an audience to understand the questions they selected for investigation and the answers they have developed. While conducting investigations, explain the motion of objects by describing the forces acting on them.
Investigations
In order to form a hypothesis, students will research bridge structures and architectural design. Students will devise and carry out a step-bystep experiment to test their hypothesis. Students will make observations, including labeled sketches and diagrams. Students will draw conclusions based on observations and use those as a basis for new hypothesis. Students will communicate by completing three written PHEOC reports.
Concepts and Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
Key terms: compression, tension, mass, trusses, stable, force, action, reaction, problem questions, hypothesis, experimental procedure, observations, conclusions, analysis, constant, control, independent variable, dependent variable Stable structures incorporate compression and tension forces in order to support mass. Tension is a pulling or stretching force. Compression is a pushing force that tends to make things shorter. Some shapes are more stable than others. The truss is a strong structure.
Investigate, apply, evaluate, and improve the design of their bridge structure. Interpret research materials including text and audiovisual sources. Apply research in order to form a hypothesis. Illustrate building observations with labeled sketches Analyze results and draw conclusions. Communicate oral and written ideas and results within the groups, and also to a larger group.
The shape / design / structure of something determines its use. Scientists draw pictures that correctly portray at least some features of the things being described. Clear communication is an essential part of doing science. Scientific investigation, although methodical, is not linear and the scientific method, PHEOC, may be cycled through multiple times while solving a problem question. Communication, group management, conflict resolution, and leadership are an essential part of teamwork.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Through PHEOC students will hypothesize, question, observe, record information, describe and interpret.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 6 Overview Unit & Domain Bay Standards
Ecosystems
Life Science
Show how organisms have adapted structures to match their functions, providing means of encouraging individual and group survival within specific environments. Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet. Using the science themes, explain and predict changes in major features of land, water, and atmospheric systems. Describe through investigations the use of the earth’s resources by humans in both past and current cultures.
Investigations Students set up a terrarium, then an aquarium. Students join the terrarium and the equarium. Students then add animals to the terrarium. Then, students introduce different pollutants into the terrarium and record observations of how those pollutants are distributed through the terrarium, and the impact those pollutants have on the balance of the terrarium.
Concepts and Themes
Vocabulary
Key Terms: acid rain, adapt, analyze, aquarium, aquatic, bud, circus, classify, conclusion, constant, consumer, controlled experiment, cotyledon, data, disrupt, ecology, ecosystems, embryo, entomologist, environment, evidence, exoskeleton, experiment, fossil fuels, frond, fry, gastropods, germination, gravid spot, habitat, hypothesis, invent, Isopod, larva, lateral line, live-bearer, mantle, nymph, opinion, organism, ovipositor, pattern, photosynthesis, pollutant, procedure, producer, radula, respiration, scavenger, sediment, stable, system, tentacle, terrarium, terrestrial, thorax, trade-off, variable, water pollution, watershed, & weight.
Interactions within and among living systems cause changes in matter and energy. Organisms are linked to each other and to their environments in a web of relationships. An ecosystem is a community of organisms and its interaction with its environment Organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an ecosystem: producers, consumers, or decomposers. Organisms in an ecosystem have dependent and interdependent relationships, which can be illustrated by food webs. Factors that affect growth and reproduction of organisms in an ecosystem include light, water, temperature, and soil. Natural and human-made events can “disturb” an ecosystem. A pollutant is anything that can harm living organisms when too much of it is released into an ecosystem. Pollution is the condition that results when pollutants interact with the environment. Pollutants can affect the stability of an ecosystem: solutions can be developed to minimize or alleviate the effects of pollutants.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Assessment Use a hand lens, pH paper, measuring devices and other testing equipment appropriately. Conduct, record, and organize daily observations. Plan, implement, and analyze experiments and draw conclusions from the results. Make and test predictions. Identify ecosystems as stable or disturbed and recognize whether the causes of a disturbed ecosystem are natural or human-made. Read for more information about ecosystems and pollution.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 6 Overview Unit & Domain
Water and Weather
Earth Science
Bay Standards Show how organisms have adapted structures to match their functions, providing means of encouraging individual and group survival within specific environments. Show through investigations how organisms both depend on and contribute to the balance or imbalance of populations and/or ecosystems, which in turn contribute to the total system of life on the planet. Using the science themes, explain and predict changes in major features of land, water, and atmospheric systems. Describe through investigations the use of the earth’s resources by humans in both past and current cultures.
Investigations
Concepts / Themes
What is Weather? Student will learn the weather is the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a given time in a given place. Meteorology is the science of weather, and meteorologists are the people who study Earth’s weather. Where’s the Air? Students will learn that the atmosphere is the layers of gases surrounding Earth. Weather happens in the troposphere. The troposphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases. Air is matter; it occupies space, has mass, and can be compressed. Seasons and Sun: Students will learn that Earth’s axis of rotation tilts at an angle of 23.5o and always points at the North Star. The angle which light from the Sun strikes the surface of the Earth is the solar angle. Beam spreading is the increase in an area covered by a beam of light as the solar angle increases. Heat Transfer: students will learn that the Sun is a major source of energy that heats the atmosphere. Heat is kinetic energy of atoms and molecules. Energy moves from one material to another by radiation and conduction. Convection: students will learn density is the ration of a mass to its volume. If two solutions have equal volumes but differ in mass, the one with the greater mass is denser. As matter heats up, it expands, causing the matter to become less dense. Convection is the circulation of fluid (liquid or gas) that results from energy transfer; warm masses rise and cool masses sink. Water in the Air: Students will learn that water changes from liquid to gas by evaporation. Water changes from gas to liquid by condensation. Relative humidity is the percentage of water vapor in air compared to the amount of water vapor needed to saturate that air at a specific temperature. Dew point is the temperature at which air is saturated with water vapor. Student will learn that most of Earth’s water is salt water in the oceans. Fresh water is found in many locations, including the atmosphere, lakes, rivers, groundwater, and glaciers. Air Pressure and Wind: students will learn that pressure exerted in a gas reduces its volume and increases its density. Differential heating of Earth’s surface by the Sun can create high- and lowpressure areas. Wind is a movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. Wind speed is measured with an instrument called an anemometer. Air pressure is represented on a map by contour lines called isobars.
Weather and Climate: students will learn that air masses are large bodies of air that are uniform in temperature and humidity. The boundary between two air masses that meet is called a front. Weather conditions usually change as a front passes by. Weather is the condition of the atmosphere at a specific time and location; climate is the average weather condition over a long period of time in a region.
Weather is the condition of Earth’s atmosphere at a given time in a given place. The atmosphere is the layers of gases surrounding the Earth. The relationship between the shape of the Earth and the Sun affect weather around the world. Heat is transferred from the Sun to Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. The distribution of water over Earth is cyclical- the water cycle.
Air masses are large bodies of air that are uniform in temperature and humidity.
Vocabulary
Assessment
absorbed, air, air pressure, altimeter, anemometer, aneroid barometer, aphelion, atmosphere, atmospheric pressure, axis, barometer, bimetallic strip, blizzards, carbon dioxide, cirrus, compass, condensation nuclei, conduction, convection, convection cell, cubic centimeter, cumuliform, cumulus, density, dew point, downburst, drought, dust devils, dust storms, equinoxes, exosphere, fall, flash floods, floods, equinox, glacier, hail, humidity, hurricane, hydrometer, ionosphere, jet contrail, kinetic energy, lightning, liquid crystals, mass, matter, mesosphere, methane, microburst, millibars, nitrogen, oxygen, ozone, perihelion, permanent gases, photosynthesis, prevailing wind direction, radiant energy, radiosonde, rays, relative humidity, reradiate, revolution, rotation, saturated, sea breeze, sea level, severe weather, solar energy, spring equinox, step leaders, straight-line winds, stratiform, stratosphere, stratus, summer solstice, temperature, thermometer, thermosphere, thunder, thunderstorms, troposphere, typhoon, variable gases, water vapor, weather factors, wind, winter solstice.
Students use weather instruments to measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity and wind direction.
Students will conduct experiments to determine that air has mass.
Students will graph monthly daylength data for a single location to look for a pattern. Students will use an Earth globe and light bulb to model daily and seasonal variations in day length. Students will also use light sources and surfaces to model beam spreading.
Students will use thermometers to measure the temperature of materials, measure the heating and cooling of earth materials, and design and conduct experiments to observe heat transfer by conduction.
Students will layer salt solutions to determine relative density, use mass and volume data to calculate densities, and observe convection in liquid and gas environments.
Students will use ice water to cool air to produce condensation, measure changes in temperature due to evaporation, observe changes in temperature due to pressure change, determine dew point by cooling water in a container until condensation occurs on the container, and use pressure to produce a cloud in a bottle.
Students will apply pressure to a system and observe the compression of gas, build an anemometer and use it to gather wind-speed data for mapping, and interpret a pressure map.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Students will set up a solar-heated bag to model the formation of an air mass, and observe the interaction of two liquids of different densities as a model for frontal boundaries.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 6 Overview Unit & Domain
Bay Standards
Properties of Matter
Physical Science
Observe, describe, and measure physical and chemical properties of elements and other substances to identify and group them according to properties. While conducting investigations, use the science themes to develop explanations of physical and chemical interactions and energy changes. Design and safely conduct investigations that provide reliable quantitative or qualitative data. Use inferences to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences. Use accepted scientific knowledge, models, and theories to explain their results and to raise further questions about their investigations. State what they have learned from their investigations, relating their inferences to scientific knowledge and to data they have collected. Explain their data and conclusions.
Investigations
Students will rotate through 8 inquiry stations to briefly explore properties of matter including different states, changes of state, mass and volume, floating and sinking, thermal expansion, mixtures, solubility and insolubility, and chemical reactions. Students will investigate the relationship between mass, volume and density by completing 5 related inquiries. Students will investigate the effect of temperature change and heat on matter. Students will discover that mass is conserved during phase change. Students will conduct research on major material that make up a simple manufactured object, create an exhibit and give an oral presentation. Students will classify substances as either pure or mixtures. Students investigate components of solutions and solubility. Students distinguish between elements and compounds, and classify elements according to common characteristics. Students investigate how metals and nonmetals have different chemical behavior. Students summarize the conservation of mass for changes of state, dissolving, and chemical reactions as a law of conservation of mass.
Concepts / Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
Mass, volume and density are properties of liquids and solids.
Practice safe and appropriate laboratory techniques.
Gases have mass, volume, and density.
Density varies with temperature.
Follow written / oral instructions to perform various inquiries on the properties of matter.
The way substances behave when heated is a characteristic property.
Make predictions using background knowledge.
The effect of heat and temperature on matter; phase change
Make accurate measurements of temperature, volume, mass, length.
Melting and boiling points are characteristic properties.
Record measurements and data in a data table.
Mass is conserved during phase change.
Read and interpret data in a data table.
Calculate density.
Matter exists as pure substances and mixtures.
Accurately record detailed observations and results.
Solubility is a characteristic property. Mass is conserved during dissolving.
Explain observations using their own words and ideas.
Plot and interpret line graphs.
Volume is not conserved during dissolving.
Solubility can be used to separate soluble and insoluble substances.
Design, conduct, and analyze experiments and draw conclusions from the results.
Identify sources of experimental error.
Apply gained knowledge to research, design and create an exhibit, plan and give an oral presentation.
Classify substances.
Design a standardized procedure and construct a scoring rubric for a fair test.
Matter is characterized by physical and chemical properties such as appearance, density, melting and boiling points, and chemical behavior. Matter cannot be created or destroyed, however, matter can be converted from one form to another. The choice of a material for a particular function is partly determined by the characteristic properties of the matter that makes up the material. Classification allows scientists to logically organize complex systems. Items that are classified together have at least one common characteristic.
Soluble substances can be separated using chromatography.
Solutes can alter the properties of solvents; aqueous solutions and alloys are investigated.
Compounds have properties different from those of the elements from which they are composed.
Elements are pure substances that cannot be broken down.
Elements can combine to make compounds; a synthesis reaction is investigated.
Properties of elements and compounds determine their technological applications
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 7 Overview Unit & Domain
Earth History
Earth Science
Bay Standards
Investigations
Students will make inferences to help decide possible results of their investigations, use observations to check their inferences.
Students will observe and compare two locations in the Grand Canyon and make the connection between the layers of the Colorado Plateau. Students will model the processes of erosion and deposition and how they contribute to the formation of sedimentary rock.
Students will use accepted scientific knowledge, models, and theories to explain their results and to raise further questions about their investigations.
Students will observe fossils from the Grand Canyon and use this information to interpret the sequence of environments that existed in that region in the past. Students will apply the concept of a time line to the Earth’s geologic history in order to determine the relative age of rocks. Students will use fossil evidence to support the age of sedimentary rocks. Students will use their observations and compare properties of the three rock types to understand and develop the rock cycle. Use geologic evidence to establish the history of earth. Examples: Atmospheric composition, changes in earth’s surface, fossil evidence, relative age and type of rocks…
Students will describe how scientific knowledge and concepts have changed over time in the earth and space, life and environmental, and physical sciences. Students will analyze the geologic and life history of the earth, including change over time, using various forms of scientific evidence.
Students will explain and predict changes in major features of land, water, and atmospheric systems.
Use the themes of systems, change, and organization to describe and explain how land forms are a result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces and how these factors contribute to the forming and changing of earth and its atmosphere. (Constructive forces include crustal deformation, volcanic eruption, and deposition of sediment, while destructive forces include weathering and erosion.)
Concepts / Themes • Earth processes we see today are similar to those that occurred in the past. Fossils provide important evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed. Landforms are the result of a combination of constructive forces and destructive forces. The rock cycle involves old rocks that break down to form the source of sediments that are buried, compacted, heated, and often recrystallized into new rocks.
Vocabulary
Assessment
abrasion, ecology, landform, precambrian, absolute age, eon, lava, rapids, basin, epoch, law of fossil succession, reef limestone, beach, era, layer, relative age, bedding, erosion, lithification, rock, calcite, exposure, lithosphere, rock cycle, canyon, extrusive, magma, salol, Cenozoic, fault, mantle, sample, chalk, flood, matrix, sediment, composition, floodplain, Mesozoic, sedimentary rock, constructive processes, formation, Metamorphic rock, solution, convection, fossil, mineral, sorting, Coquina, frosted, molten, stalactite, core, geology, monocline, stalagmite, correlate, geological time, mountain, strata, crossbedding, geoscientist, Öolith, stratigraphy, cross-section, geosphere, outcrop, superposition, crust, headwaters, oxidation, travertine, crystal, historical geology, Paleontologist, tufa, debris fan, Igneous rock, paleontology, uniformitarianism, delta, index, Paleozoic, uplift, deposition, index fossil, valley, destructive processes, intrusive, plain, weathering
School District of Whitefish Bay
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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.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 7 Overview Unit & Domain
Bay Standards
Electrical Energy and Circuit Design
Physical Science
Students will explain the behaviors of various forms of energy by using the models of energy transmission, both in the laboratory and in real-life situations. Students will defend explanations and models by collecting and organizing evidence that supports them and critique explanations and models by collecting and organizing evidence that conflicts with them. Students will explain ways in which science knowledge is shared, checked, and extended, and show how these processes change over time. Students will explain how the general rules of science apply to the development and use of evidence in science investigations, modelmaking, and applications..
Investigations
Electrical Energy - Students begin by investigating static and current electricity and the transfer of energy. They build electric circuits, use ammeters and voltmeters to measure current and voltage, and calculate the power in devices in series and parallel circuits. They draw schematic diagrams of circuits and develop a model for electricity, using a water flow analogy. Electrical Components - Students apply what they have learned about current, voltage, and power to calculate the total amount of energy an electrical device uses when it operates for a period of time. Students examine a series of devices (containing resistors, capacitors, diodes, wires, and solar cells) and identify the function of each component in the circuit. Electrical Systems - Students identify general properties of systems by focusing on familiar systems and on the use of feedback in control systems. They construct a thermostat using a bimetallic strip to control a fan and thus the temperature of the strip. They are challenged to use what they have learned about circuit components to build an electric circuit to perform a specific function and to make a class presentation of their system. Students will do an energy inventory of their homes and calculate the cost of using various electrical devices. The culminating assessment for the unit requires students to identify an electrical component in a circuit in a sealed box.
Concepts / Themes • Electrical energy and electrical circuits provide a means to transfer electrical energy to devices that transform it into other forms of energy, such as heat, light and sound. Various electrical devices provide different functions within electrical circuits. Students determine the characteristics common to all systems.
Vocabulary
Assessment
Electrical energy can be transferred and transformed.
Like objects repel each other, opposites attract.
A closed path is needed for electricity to be transferred in an electrical circuit.
Electrical energy is transferred in a circuit when there is current in the circuit.
A simple series circuit has one closed path; a parallel circuit has multiple closed paths.
Current flows in one direction.
Different electrical appliances use different electrical energy rates.
ammeter, ampere, bimetallic, capacitor closed circuit, open circuit, parallel circuit, conductor, current, diode, electric charge, electrical circuit, electron, feedback, geothermal power, ground, hydroelectric power, incandescent, insulator, joule kilowatt-hour, ohm, power, renewable, energy, resistance, schematic, semiconductor, sensor, solar cell, volt, watt
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Draw and build an electrical circuit using different energy sources. Measure inputs and outputs throughout a system. Design a circuit to control or monitor devices as described in a design brief. Plan electrical energy inventory of a home. Develop conclusions based on evidence from observations. Identify electrical components according to how they function in circuits. State what they have learned from their investigations, relating their inferences to scientific knowledge and to data they have collected.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 7 Overview Unit & Domain
The Human Body
Bay Standards
Life Science
Students will use models and explanations to predict actions and events in the natural world. Students will describe types of reasoning and evidence used outside of science to draw conclusions about the natural world. Students will design and safely conduct investigations that provide reliable quantitative or qualitative data, as appropriate, to answer their questions. Students will explain the ways in which scientific knowledge is useful and also limited when applied to social issues.
Investigations
The Digestive System Students trace nutrients as they are processed by the digestive system, pass into the blood, and are transported to body cells. The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems Students explore the breathing mechanism: how oxygen enters the body, passes into the blood, and is transported to body cells, where it combines with digested food to release energy. An exploration of the transport system—the heart and blood vessels— focuses on how oxygen and nutrients are transported to body cells and how wastes are carried away for eventual elimination. Students then use a siphon-pump model to explore the doublepump action of the heart, which leads to an investigation of heart rate and the factors that affect it. The Musculoskeletal System - This series of lessons deals with the use, by the musculoskeletal system, of the energy released during respiration. Students investigate the nature of joints and how muscles, bones, and nerves work together.
Concepts / Themes
Digestion is a process of the transformation of food into energy. Your respiratory and circulatory systems work with the digestive system so oxygen can react with the nutrients to release energy for life activities. The Musculoskeletal System uses the energy released by cellular respiration.
Vocabulary
Assessment
The mechanics of digestion, chemical digestion, and adsorption of digested nutrients. The components and function of the following systems: Digestive, Respiratory, Circulatory, and Musculoskeletal. The factors affecting heart rate and blood pressure. The mechanics of breathing and cellular respiration. The mechanics of muscles, joints and bones.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Calculate capacity (lung) and surface area (small intestine) and how it relates to the human body. Explain how the different systems in the body work together. Compare combustion and cellular respiration. Explain how muscles and joints work together to create movement. Collect data, defend the validity of the experimental design, and results.
Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 8 Overview Unit & Domain
Organisms From Macro to Micro
Life Science
Bay Standards Compare form and function of various organisms’ adaptations as related to their environments; Investigate natural selection and the concept of Evolutionary Theory Investigate a variety of cells using microscopes and illustrations; Compare and contrast structure and function of specialized cells.
Investigations
Show how different structures both reproduce and pass on characteristics of their group. Investigate external/internal stimuli on organisms using themes of equilibrium and constancy.
Conduct experiments that will generate both qualitative and quantitative data. Compare the results to known science concepts, models, or theories to determine the accuracy of their results. Explain their data and conclusions in ways that allow an audience to understand the questions they selected for investigation and the answers they have developed.
Prepare a slide and use a microscope to view all or part of an organism. Observe, draw, label and describe all or part of a living thing. Establish aquatic and terrestrial environments, and care for the Cabbage Butterfly, pond creatures, and Wisconsin Fast Plants throughout their life cycles. Dissect a flower and identify its structures. Observe a living thing, and determine how the environment affects the organism. Research an organism and determine the relationship between its structures and functions, which allow it to survive in its habitat.
Concepts / Themes
The cell is the basic unit of all living things.
Cells come from other cells, and inherit their characteristics from the parent cells.
Organisms grow throughout their life cycles, and develop structures that have specific functions for the organism.
Vocabulary
Assessment
The Cell Cycle occurs in specific stages, including interphase, prophase, metaphase, telophase, and cytokinesis. Cells divide through mitosis, which produces daughter cells identical to the parent cells Eukaryotic cells are made of cytoplasm, membrane-bound organelles.
Organisms within an ecosystem are interdependent on each other and their environment for their survival.
Plants have special structures, such as flowers with ovules and ovaries, the leaf, with chloroplasts and stomata, seeds with seed coat, cotyledons, and embryos.
The classification of organisms is determined by their evolutionary history, which determines their genetic and structural similarities.
Meiosis is the process where chromosomes replicate and segregate into sex cells capable of reproduction Seeds are produced in a flower through pollination and fertilization of an egg. Flowering plant life cycles include germination, growth, flowering, and seed production. The butterfly life cycle includes development from the egg, larval stages described as instars, chrysalis, where metamorphosis into adulthood occurs
Explain the results of an investigation to others using multiple forms of communication such as oral presentation or written report; Use collected data to support and explain scientific inferences; Explain their results by using the scienctific concepts being learned. For example: Develop both a written and graphical dichotomous key View, observe and/or prepare a slide Develop a report and present the findings to the class. Create a model representing the stages of mitosis. Construct and maintain,a habitat and observe pond organisms. Construct, maintain, and observe Wisconsin Fast Plants throughout 2 generations of its life cycle.
Animals are classified into groups such as annelids (black worms and earthworms), arthropods (Cabbage butterfly and WOW Bugs), and vertebrates. Fungi can be classified into molds and mushrooms, Protists can be classified into various protozoans including paramecium, euglena, daphnia, amoeba, and others.
A dichotomous key is a tool used by biologists to determine the classification of a specimen.
There are two additional, shorter, units in 8th grade that review key principles of measurement and review the components of atomic structure and the periodic table.
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 8 Overview Unit & Domain
Energy Machines and Motion
Physical Science
Bay Standards While conducting investigations, explain the motion of objects by describing the forces acting on them. Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of motion by conducting investigations of speed, velocity, acceleration, friction, and momentum; Describe kinetic and potential energy; Investigate energy transformations.Example include chemical to electrical energy in a battery and Gravitational Potential to Kinetic Energy in motion Identify questions that can be answered with available equipment, resources, scientific tools, logical reasoning, and/or dichotomous keys; Determine which is the most logical equipment to use when answering a question in science; Determine if the questions asked are testable. Identify data and locate sources of information including their own records to answer the questions being investigated. Design and safely conduct investigations that provide reliable quantitative or qualitative data, as appropriate, to answer their questions. Decide what are the most logical results for an investigation; Verify (either accept or reject) the decided results through experimentation.
Investigations Build a battery Charging and discharging a battery. (to show energy storage and transformation) Measuring the force of friction with different variables. Measuring the force of a motor (7.1), the work done by a motor (8.1, 8.2) and the power of a motor (9.1). Measuring Forces or Work on a Cart on an Inclined Plane Using Pulleys to do Work Balancing a Lever and Lifting a Sled With a Lever Mechanical Advantage (14.1) and Efficiency (15.1) of a Machine The Roller Coaster Project: Design, Build and Present A Roller Coaster Measuring a Fan Car’s (18.2) and Mousetrap Car (19.2) Speed Observing the motion of a Roller Coaster Car (kinetic and potential)
Concepts / Themes Graphs can be used to develop insights and determine relationships between sets of data. Energy is conserved when it is stored, used, or transformed within a system. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it is transformed among heat, light, sound, mechanical, chemical, nuclear, and electrical energy.
Simple machines, such as levers, pulleys, and inclined planes, provide a mechanical advantage or allow us to do work more efficiently. Objects move according to the principles described in Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity.
Vocabulary
Assessment
energy, work, power, mass, electrolyte, conversion, proportionality, weight, magnitude, friction, force, frictional force, applied force, maximum force, work, potential energy, kinetic energy, inertia, machine, work, pulley, lever, effort arm, force arm, fulcrum, inclined plane terminal velocity, speed, efficiency, elastic force, ideal mechanical advantage, actual mechanical advantage,
Explain the results of an investigation to others using multiple forms of communication such as oral presentation or written report; Use collected data to support and explain scientific inferences; Explain their results by using the scienctific concepts being learned. For example: Measure force, time intervals and distances accurately. Calculate speed, acceleration, work, power, and mechanical advantage and efficiency of a machine. Apply various motion and energy related concepts to a roller coaster of their own design. Hypothesize to carry out individual investigations for various simple machines. Design, conduct, observe, and interpret the results of an investigation. Collect and record valid data and make tables/graphs to display that data Communicate the results and conclusions of their experiments.
Labs Demonstrating
Newton’s 1st. 2nd, and rd 3 Laws
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
Grade 8 Overview Unit & Domain Catastrophic Events
Earth Science
Bay Standards Use the themes of systems, change, and organization to describe and explain how land forms are a result of a combination of constructive and destructive forces and how these factors contribute to the forming and changing of earth and its atmosphere. Describe underlying structures of earth that cause changes in the earth’s surface. Emphasize the themes of change, systems, and models to investigate how uneven distribution of solar energy causes convection (of water and air) which influences climate, weather, and ocean currents. Design, test, and revise a model, machine, or device. Use models and explanations to predict actions and events in the natural world. (Examples: Plate tectonics, succession, weather data/maps and weather events…)
Investigations Fully explore a single catastrophic event (Hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or volcanic eruption) and its effect on society. Investigating rates of heating and cooling Investigating the Effects of Colliding Air Masses Testing The Motion of Waves Designing and Building an Earthquake Resistant House Recording Vibrations With A Seismograph Locating The Epicenter of an Earthquake Investigating Faults With Models Modeling Convection In The Mantle Investigating Magma/Lava and New Land Forms Investigating Viscosity and Volcano Type
Concepts / Themes
Vocabulary
Assessment
Heat can be transferred by conduction, convection and radiation
Heat Transfer occurs through Convection, Conduction, and Radiation
Convection is a driving force in weather, and plate tectonic events such as earthquakes and volcanoes
Hurricanes and Tornadoes are created by major storm systems
Plate movements and volcanoes change the earth’s surface over time.
Earthquakes occur due to plate movements, at boundaries called Faults. The location of the movement is the Focus, and the Epicenter is at the surface above the Focus
Surfaces of the earth unevenly absorb and reflect the sun’s energy. Air takes on the conditions of the surface over which it moves. Warm air rises, cool air sinks. Ocean currents move heat around the globe and affect global weather. Energy by an earthquake travels in waves. Land formation is one of the constructive effects of volcanic activity. Properties of rocks include color, mineral composition, and texture. Texture is affected by rate of crystallization. Natural catastrophic events present environmental, personal and societal challenges such as habitat changes, property damage, and loss of life.
The Earth is made of plates which broke apart the super continent known as Pangaea
Earthquakes create Primary, Secondary, and Surface Waves that travel through the Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mantle and Outer Core Plate boundaries can be classified as divergent, convergent, or transform, making reverse, normal and strike-slip faults. Features found at plate boundaries include mid oceanic ridges, subduction zones, and mountain building. The earth’s rocks experience different changes when exposed to tectonic forces. The changes seen will depend on how brittle or ductile the rock is, and the rock’s elasticity, which determines the amount of stress it can hold before deformation occurs. Scientists use barometers, thermometers, and anemometers to collect information about the atmosphere, and seismographs to collect information about land movements Cinder Cone, Composite, and Shield are three types of volcanoes
Explain the results of an investigation to others using multiple forms of communication such as oral presentation or written report; Use collected data to support and explain scientific inferences; Explain their results by using the scienctific concepts being learned. For example: Read a seismogram Read maps related to weather and plate boundaries/movements/ volcanic activity Locate, analyze, and synthesize information on a historical catastrophic event to present to an audience Use models to represent various faults and plate boundaries, and volcanic forces Construct an earthquake resistant model home and observe how it reacts to simulated earthquake waves
Magma and Lava are the liquid rock that form volcanoes The composition of the magma/lava determine the type of volcano formed
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview
There are two additional, shorter, units in 8th grade that review key principles of measurement and review the components of atomic structure and the periodic table.
End of Document – For additional information on methods of instruction, see the document K-8 Science Overview
School District of Whitefish Bay
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Grade K-8 Science Content Overview