Standard 1 Science As Inquiry:
Experiences in grades 5-8 will allow all students to develop the abilities to do scientific inquiry, be able to demonstrate how scientific inquiry is applied, and develop understandings about scientific inquiry.
Benchmark 1
The students will demonstrate abilities necessary to do the processes of scientific inquiry.
Indicator 1
The students will identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Explore properties and phenomena of materials, such as a balloon, string, straw, and tape. Students explore properties and phenomena and generate questions to investigate.
Indicator 2
The students will design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Students design and conduct an investigation on the question, "Which paper towel absorbs the most water?" Materials include different kinds of paper towels, water, and a measuring cup. Components of the investigation should include background and hypothesis, identification of independent variable, dependent variable, constants, list of materials, procedures, collection and analysis of data, and conclusions.
Indicator 3
The students will use appropriate tools, mathematics, technologies, and methods to gather, analyze and interpret data.
Given an investigative question, students determine what to measure and how to measure, and display their results in a graph or other graphic format.
Indicator 4
The students will think critically to make the relationships between evidence and logical conclusions.
Students check data to determine: Was the question answered? Was the hypothesis supported/not supported? Did this design work? How could this experiment be improved? What other questions could be investigated?
Indicator 5
The students will apply mathematical reasoning to scientific inquiry.
Look for patterns from the data of multiple trials, such as rate of dissolving relative to different temperatures. Use observations for inductive and deductive reasoning, such as explaining a person's energy level after a change in eating habits (e.g., use Likert-type scale). State relationships in data, such as variables, which vary directly or inversely.
Indicator 6
The students will communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
Present a report of your investigation so that others understand it and can replicate the design.
Benchmark 2
The students will apply different kinds of investigations to different kinds of questions.
Indicator 1
The students will differentiate between a qualitative and a quantitative investigation.
While observing a decomposing compost pile, how could you collect quantitative numerical, measurable) data? How could you collect qualitative (descriptive) data? What is a quantitative question? (e.g., Is the temperature constant throughout the compost pile?) What is a qualitative question? (e.g., Does the color of the compost pile change over time?) Each student designs a question to investigate. Class analyzes all questions to classify as qualitative or quantitative. After reading a science news article, identify variables and write a qualitative and/or quantitative investigative question related to the topic of the article.
Indicator 2
The students will apply the inquiry process to guide an investigation.
Adapt an existing lab or activity to: write a different question, identify another variable, and/or adapt the procedure to guide a new investigation.
Benchmark 3
The students will analyze how science advances through new ideas, scientific investigations, skepticism, and examining evidence of varied explanations.
Indicator 1
The students will after doing an investigation, generate alternative methods of investigation and/or further questions for inquiry.
Ask "What would happen if. . .?" questions to generate new ideas for investigation.
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will apply process skills to develop an understanding of physical science including: properties, changes of properties of matter, motion and forces, and transfer of energy.
Benchmark 1
The students will understand and demonstrate the transfer of energy.
Indicator 1
The students will observe and communicate how light interacts with matter: transmitted, reflected, refracted, absorbed.
Classify classroom objects as to how they interact with light: a window transmits; black paper absorbs; a projector lens refracts; a mirror reflects.
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will apply process skills to explore and understand structure and function in living systems, reproduction and heredity, regulation and behavior, populations and ecosystems and diversity and adaptations of organisms.
Benchmark 1
The students will model structures of organisms and relate functions to the structures.
Indicator 1
The students will relate the structure of organs and organ systems to their functions.
Identify human body organs and characteristics. Then relate their characteristics to function. Map human body systems, research their functions and show how each supports the health of the human body. Relate an organism's structure to how it works.
Benchmark 2
The students will describe the effects of a changing external environment on the regulation/balance of internal conditions and processes of organisms.
Indicator 1
The students will investigate the effect of a change in environment on behavior of an organism.
Select a variable to alter the environment (e.g., temperature, light, moisture, gravity) and observe the effects on an organism (e.g., pillbug or earthworm). Students could also think of their own behaviors and determine environmental conditions that affect behavior.
Benchmark 3
The students will observe the diversity of living things and relate their adaptations to their survival or extinction.
Indicator 1
The student will associate extinction of a species with environmental changes and insufficient adaptive characteristics.
Students use various objects to model bird beaks, such as spoons, toothpicks, clothespins. Students use "beaks" to "eat" several types of food, such as cereal, marbles, raisins, noodles. When "food" sources change, those species that have not adapted die.
Standard 4 Earth And Space Science:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will apply process skills to explore and develop an understanding of the structure of the earth system, earth's history, and earth in the solar system.
Benchmark 1
The students will understand that past and present Earth processes are similar.
Indicator 1
The students will understand the dynamics of Earth's constructive and destructive forces over time.
Construct models of rock types using food. Peanut brittle without the peanuts can illustrate a molten material crystallizing to form a solid substance similar to an igneous rock. Use an acid (vinegar or dilute HCl) to show the chemical similarity of limestone rock and fossilized shells. Students take a piece of sandstone and apply destructive forces to change it into sand. Observe the effects of weathering on various rock types.
Benchmark 2
The students will identify and classify planets and other solar system components.
Indicator 1
The students will compare and contrast the characteristics of the planets.
Search reliable Internet sources for current information. Create a graphic organizer to visualize comparisons of planets.
Indicator 2
The students will develop understanding of spatial relationships via models of the Earth/moon/planets/sun system to scale.
Model the solar system to scale in a long hallway or school yard using rocks for rocky planets and balloons for gaseous planets. Designate a large object as the sun. Model the Earth/moon/sun system to scale with the question: If the Earth were the size of a tennis ball, how big would the moon be? How big would the sun be? How far apart would they be?
Indicator 3
The students will identify smaller components of the solar system such as asteroids and comets.
Identify and classify characteristics of asteroids and comets.
Standard 5 Science And Technology:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will demonstrate abilities of technological design and understandings about science and technology.
Benchmark 1
The students will develop understandings of the similarities, differences, and relationships in science and technology.
Indicator 1
The students will evaluate limitations and trade-offs of technological solutions.
Select a technology to evaluate. List uses, limitations, possible consequences.
Indicator 2
The students will identify contributions to science and technology by many people and many cultures.
Using a map of the world, mark the locations for people and events that have contributed to science.
Standard 6 Science In Personal And Environmental Perspectives:
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students will apply process skills to explore and develop an understanding of issues of personal health, population, resources and environment, and natural hazards.
Benchmark 1
The students will make decisions based on scientific understanding of personal health.
Indicator 1
The students will identify individual nutrition, exercise, and rest needs based on science.
Design, implement, and self-evaluate a personal nutrition and exercise program.
Indicator 2
The students will use a systemic approach to thinking critically about personal health risks and benefits.
Compare and contrast immediate benefits of eating junk food to long term benefits of a lifetime of healthy eating. Evaluate the risks and benefits of foods, medicines, and personal products. Evaluate and compare the nutritional and toxic properties of various natural and synthetic foods.
Benchmark 2
The students will understand that natural hazards are dynamic examples of Earth processes which cause us to evaluate risks.
Indicator 1
The students will evaluate risks and define appropriate actions associated with natural hazards.
Find news articles that show inadvisable risks taken in a natural hazard situation.
Standard 7 History And Nature of Science:
Experiences in grades 5-8 will allow all students to examine and develop an understanding of science as a historical human endeavor.
Benchmark 1
The students will develop scientific habits of mind.
Indicator 1
The students will display open-mindedness to new ideas.
Share interpretations that differ from currently held explanations on topics such as global warming and dietary claims. Evaluate the validity of results and accuracy of stated conclusions.
Indicator 2
The students will base decisions on evidence.
Review results of individual, group, or peer investigations to assess accuracy of conclusions based upon data collection and analysis and use of evidence to reach a conclusion.
Benchmark 2
The students will research contributions to science throughout history.
Indicator 1
The students will recognize that new knowledge leads to new questions and new discoveries.
Discuss recent discoveries that have replaced previously held knowledge, such as safety of freon or saccharine use, knowledge concerning the transmission of AIDS, cloning, Pluto's status as a planet.
Indicator 2
The students will replicate historic experiments to understand principles of science.
Rediscover principles of electromagnetism by replicating Oerstad's compass needle experiment. (Compass needle deflects perpendicular to current carrying wire.)
Indicator 3
The students will relate contributions of men and women to the fields of science.
Research the contributions of men and women of science, create a timeline to demonstrate the ongoing contributions of dedicated scientists from across ethnic, religious and gender lines.
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