2003-04
Grade 6
2004-05 2005-06
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 Lab Safety
Overview of Life
 Characteristics of Living Things
 Necessities of Living Things
 Chemistry of Life
Cells
 Parts of cell
 Function of cell organelles
 Animal vs. plant cell
Human Body
 Organization of Body
 Body Systems (reproductive, integument, muscular, skeletal, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous)
Ecosystems
 Energy flow through ecosystems
 Photosynthesis
 Structure and reproduction of plants
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 Lab Safety
Human Body
 Structure and function of animal cell
 Transport processes of cells
 Digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems
Disease
 Virus vs. bacteria
 How diseases are caused and spread
 Role of immune system in preventing disease and how vaccination and antibiotics enhance immune system
Ecology
 Photosynthesis
 Food webs
 Density and distribution of organisms in ecosystems
Matter
 Atomic structure


Physical and Chemical Properties
Periodic Table


Classification of Matter
Bonding
Ecology
 Photosynthesis
 Food webs
 Density and distribution of organisms in ecosystems
Human Body
 Structure and function of animal cell
 Transport processes of cells
 Digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems
Disease
 Virus vs. bacteria
 How diseases are caused and spread
 Role of immune system in preventing disease and how vaccination and antibiotics enhance immune system
2004-05: Include unit on disease, virus, and bacteria; eliminate overview of life; de-emphasize plants and some body systems; teach cells as part of body systems
2005-06: Include unit on matter; eliminate introduction/CMT review; skills to be taught in context

2003-04
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 CMT preparation
Matter
 Physical vs. chemical properties
 Physical vs. chemical changes
 Periodic Table and the atom
Heat and Temperature
 Temperature scales
 Specific heat
 Heat Transfer
 Effects of heat on matter (phases and phase changes)
Chemical Reactions
 Bonding
 Law of Conservation of Mass
 Types of Chemical reactions
 Balancing Chemical Equations
 Endothermic vs. Exothermic
Waves
 Characteristics of waves
 Electromagnetic spectrum
 Sound vs. noise
 Composition of light
Grade 7
2004-05
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 CMT preparation
Chemistry
 Describing matter
 Classification of matter
 Periodic Table and the atom
 Bonding
 Law of Conservation of Mass
 Types of Chemical reactions
Forces and Motion
 How forces change the velocity of an object
(speed up, slow down, stop, change
 direction)
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Energy and Work
 Relationship between force, distance, and work
 Simple machines and how simple machines are used to make everyday tasks easier to do
 Conservation of energy (potential and kinetic)
 How energy is used to do work
2005-06
Forces and Motion
 How forces change the velocity of an object
(speed up, slow down, stop, change
 direction)
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Energy and Work
 Relationship between force, distance, and work
 Simple machines and how simple machines are used to make everyday tasks easier to do
 Conservation of energy (potential and kinetic)
 How energy is used to do work
Weather and Climate
 How Sun’s energy affects air pressure and influences weather
 Composition of atmosphere and how atmosphere protects Earth
 Climate (and effects of atmospheric temperature and oceanic temperature
Dynamic Earth
 Layers of the Earth
 Role of water cycle on rock cycle
 Plate tectonics: how earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains are formed
 Effect of plate tectonics on rock cycle
2004-05: Include units on force and motion, energy and work; synthesize and streamline chemistry units
2005-06: Include units on weather and climate, dynamic Earth; eliminate introduction/CMT review; skills to be taught in context

2003-04
Grade 8
2004-05 2005-06
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 CMT preparation
Meteorology
 Wind patterns
 Weather vs. Climate
 Air pressure
 Humidity
Geology
 Types of rocks
 Mineral identification
 Rock cycle
 Plate tectonics
Astronomy
 Heliocentric vs. Geocentric
 Star formation and life cycle
 Galaxies
 Earth-Moon-Sun system (tides, moon phases, eclipses)
 Planets/Solar system
Introduction
 Scientific Method
 Measurements
 Lab Safety
Meteorology
 Wind patterns
 Weather vs. Climate
 Air pressure
 Humidity
Life in Outer Space
 Characteristics of planets
 Space program exploration
 Necessities of life and potential to sustain life on other planets
 How technology might help humans sustain life in outer space/other planets
Plate Tectonics
 Radioactivity (overview)
 Convection and circulation in mantle
 Plate movement
 Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building
Motion on Earth and in the Solar System
 Application of Newton’s Laws to motion in solar system
 Measuring and calculating average speed and illustrating motion with graphs of distance vs. time


Effects of gravity on Earth and in space
Sun-Earth-Moon relationships (phases, tides, eclipses)
Life in Outer Space
 Characteristics of planets
 Space program exploration
 Necessities of life and potential to sustain life on other planets
 How technology might help humans sustain life in outer space/other planets
Reproduction and Nutrition
 Nutritional needs of humans (how food is transformed into energy to sustain life)
 Sexual vs. asexual reproduction
 Benefits of sexual reproduction
 Inheritance of traits (genotype vs. phenotype, dominant vs. recessive, sex determination)
Plate Tectonics
 Radioactivity (overview)
 Convection and circulation in mantle
 Plate movement
 Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building
2004-05: Include unit on disease, virus, and bacteria; eliminate overview of life; de-emphasize plants and some body systems; teach cells as part of body systems
2005-06: Include unit on matter; eliminate introduction/CMT review; skills to be taught in context