Science Scope & Sequence

Overview of Scope and Sequence 

Kindergarten

Trees

• explore trees
• observe tree parts, investigate leaves, and keep scrapbooks

Paper

• investigate paper
• focus on properties
• make paper constructions
• make paper

Animals Two by Two

• observe, describe, and compare the organism to a similar one

Wood

• compare properties of different woods
• investigate wood in water, discover what it takes to sink
• take wood apart and explore results of sawdust and wood shavings

Fabric

• explore fabrics in everyday environment
• investigate properties, and interactions
• create something useful

Grades 1 & 2

New Plants

• become familiar with structures of flowering plants, and propagate new plants
• grow new plants from seed
• plant monocots and dicots
• grow plants from cuttings

Insects

• observe life cycle of number of insects and compare and record Solids and Liquids
• learn and investigate two states of matter

Balance and Motion

• explore balance, counter balance, and stability

Pebbles, Sand, and Silt

• sort, compare and seriate rocks
• demonstrate how people use earth materials in daily lives

Air and Weather

• monitor weather
• explore properties of air
• construct devices that use moving air to function

Grades 3 & 4

Structures of Life

• germinate seeds
• keep and observe crayfish

Human Body

• study basic structural systems of bodies

Physics of Sound

• experience sound sources, receivers, amplification, pitch and directionality
• develops central idea of vibration

Magnetism and Electricity

• explores permanent magnetism, simple electrical circuitry and electromagnetism
• make telegraph units

Earth Materials

• experience simulated and real rocks
• investigate minerals and properties and learn techniques used by geologists

Water

• investigate surface tension, freezing, expansion, density, evaporation, and condensation
• consider water quality and processes water is recycled

Measurement

• work in metric system
• learn standard units used, meter, gram, liter, and degree Celsius

Ideas and Inventions

• investigate and apply techniques of rubbing, chromatography, fingerprinting, and mirror imagery to produce creations

5th and 6th grade topics, year 1

Students engage in an in-depth study of:

• human biology and health
• natural history of Minnesota
• agriculture

5th and 6th grade topics, year 2

Students engage in an in-depth study of:

• meteorology
• geology
• astronomy

7th and 8th grade topics

Year 1, students engage in an in-depth study of:

• diversity of life
• evolution
• ecology

Year 2, students engage in an in-depth study of:

• chemistry
• physics

Grades 5/6

Year 1 Theme: Humans and their interactions with the world around them

Overall goals: One of the main foci of this year will be choices. Students should begin to understand that we make choices every day and that these choices affect our own health, our communities’ health, and the health of our world.

Year 2 Theme: earth sciences

Overall goals: develop understanding of the Earth and Universe as dynamic systems

Grade 7/8

Year 1 Theme: life sciences

Overall goals: develop understanding of organisms and living systems

Year 2 Theme: physical and chemical sciences

Overall goals: develop understanding of the physical composition of our world

Benchmarks

Because the quality of life will be significantly influenced by science and technology in the 21st century, it is important for students to become scientifically literate. They will need to be able to make thoughtful decisions concerning environmental protection, energy sources and distribution, defense, food production, use and quality of water, resource management, and numerous other issues that involve science information and reasoning. (FromFOSS manual.)

By the completion of 4th grade students should be able to:

• sort, order, seriate and classify various materials.
• design and execute experiments
• make predictions and test results
• observe and record observations and draw conclusions
• collaborate in groups of four which each member contributes to data collection, data analysis and reporting of results
• draw life cycle of plants and insects
• demonstrate principles instructed in above units through diagrams or writing or examples

By the completion of eighth grade the student should be able to:

In scientific inquiry:

• perform scientific inquiry
• utilize a variety of measuring devices
• distinguish between observation and inference
• collect and report data in appropriate units
• create tables and graphs from data
• use tables and graphs to make predictions
• apply safe investigative techniques

In physical sciences:

• measure size, temperature, volume, mass, distance, velocity, and acceleration in metric units
• name and provide examples of the different states of matter
• explain properties of solids, liquids, and gasses
• relate volume, pressure, and temperature of gasses
• differentiate between chemical and physical changes
• differentiate between potential and kinetic energy
• recognize the role of energy in our world

In earth sciences:

• locate the Earth, other planets, the Sun, and the Moon on a map of the Solar System
• explain why there are seasons and why day length changes through the course of a year
• relate units of time (day, month, season, and year) to motions of the Earth, Sun, and Moon
• describe the influence of land masses and oceans upon weather systems
• discuss factors used for predicting weather
• explain rock and water cycles of the Earth

In life sciences:

• describe the characteristics of living organisms
• name the principal organs of the human body and their respective functions
• recognize the ways in which humans interact with the living world
• identify the nature of heredity
• relate natural selection and evolution