Forest Ridge School District 142
Science Overview
Grade: Seventh Grade
Unifying Theme: Stability & Change
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How can we investigate the conditions of stability and change within designed
and natural systems?
Scientific Inquiry
Engineering
The Nature of
Science
Habits of Mind
Life Science
Structure &
Function of
Living Systems
Environments
Health
Physical Science
Force & Motion
Frontiers of
Science &
Technology
Natural Resources
Scientific Inquiry
Scientific inquiry is a
dynamic process that is not
limited to one scientific
method.
Living systems at all
levels of
organization
demonstrate the
complimentary
nature of structure
and function.
The motion of an object
is described by its
relative position,
direction of movement,
and its speed.
Inquiry engages learners in
asking scientifically
oriented questions,
gathering and prioritizing
evidence, formulating
explanations, making
connections to scientific
knowledge and
communicating and
justifying explanations.
Engineering
Design systems have
interacting parts that can
be analyzed by
investigating the
complexity of inputs and
outputs and their
relationship to the
feedback loop.
Technological
design/engineering is a
dynamic problem-solving
process that engages
designers in proposing
solutions, testing,
analyzing and modifying
designs.
The Nature of Science
IL Standards 13A & B
Science is an imaginative
endeavor that is subject to
modification as new
information challenges
current theories. It
involves the collection of
data, the use of logical
reasoning, argumentation
and the devising of
hypotheses and
Important levels of
organization of
structure and
function include
cells, organs,
tissues, organ
systems, whole
organisms and
ecosystems.
The cell is the
fundamental unit of
life. Most organisms
are single cells:
other organisms are
multi-cellular
(animals/plants).
Forces affect the
movement, speed and
direction of objects.
The forces acting on
natural and human
made structures can be
analyzed using
simulations, models,
and games to
demonstrate the
principles of motion and
the effects of collisions.
(NSES)
Motion in the universe
can be explained by the
same few rules.
Earth/Space
Science
Dynamic Changing
Earth/Catastrophic
Events
Hazards
The earth is a complex and
dynamic 4.6 billion year-old
system of rock, water, air
and life.
Scientists have used indirect
evidence from fossil beds,
sedimentary rocks, volcanic
flows and glacial deposits to
support that the earth is 4.6
billions years old.
The earth is made up of four
systems, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere and
geosphere. The earth works
in cycles.
The solid earth is layered
with a lithosphere, a hot
Cells carry on many
functions needed to
sustain life.
convecting mantle, and a
Specialized cells
perform specialized
functions in multicellular organisms.
The earth’s lithosphere is
Change Over Time
All forms of life
change over time by
natural selection.
The unity among
organisms becomes
apparent from an
analysis of internal
structures, the
similarity of their
chemical processes
and evidence of
common ancestry.
dense metallic core.
broken into plates and faults
that move constantly. The
plates are the top part of a
giant convection cell.
The surface of the earth is
constantly changing as a
result of constructive and
destructive forces.
The earth processes,
movement in plates and
changes of atmospheric
Forest Ridge School District 142
explanations informed by
evidence.
Habits of Mind
Scientists keep
honest/unbiased, clear and
accurate records, value
hypotheses and
understand that more than
one explanation can be
given for the same
evidence.
Scientists value the role of
computation and
estimation in their work.
Scientists use a variety of
tools to inform their
observations.
Scientists organize
information using tables,
graphs, diagrams and
symbols.
Scientists question claims
based on vague
attributions and are
skeptical of arguments
based on small data
samples.
Scientists embrace
unexpected results.
The earth’s present
day species
developed from
earlier distinctive
different species
through gradual
processes over
many generations.
Extinction of species
is common; most of
the species that
have lived on earth
no longer exist.
conditions are similar to
those that have occurred in
the past.
Earth’s history has been
punctuated by occasional
catastrophic events.
Convection plays a role In
hurricanes, tornadoes,
thunderstorms, earthquakes
and volcanoes.