Middle School

Middle School Comprehensive Science 1/Middle School Comprehensive Science 1 Advanced

1.0 Credit
36 weeks
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Comprehensive Science 1 is the first in a series of three consecutive science classes. Some topics are explored in depth while others are introduced to serve as building blocks for Comprehensive Science 2 and 3. This course provides an introduction to these topics: Force and Energy, The Earth, The Atmosphere, Cells and Life, Classifying Life, and Body Systems.

Major Topics and Concepts

Module 1: Force and Energy
Gravitational Law
Types of Forces
Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
Speed and Motion
Graphing Speed
Energy Transfer

Module 2: The Earth
Landforms
Weathering and Erosion
Shaping the Surface
Spheres of Earth
Heat Transfer
Advanced Heat Transfer Through Earth

Module 3: The Atmosphere
Energy and Temperature
Weather and Climate
Global Weather Patterns
The Water Cycle and Its Effects
The Atmosphere and You
Advanced Predicting Severe Weather

Module 4: Cells and Life
Organization of Organisms
Cells and the Structure of Life
Cell Structure and Functions
Advanced Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Module 5: Classifying Life
Maintaining Balance
Advanced Cell Cycle and Mitosis
Classification
Keys and Kingdoms

Module 6: Body Systems
Nervous and Musculoskeletal
Endocrine and Reproductive
Digestive and Excretory
Respiratory and Circulatory
Infections and Health

Competencies

Force and Energy

Students will demonstrate an understanding of force and energy by summarizing types of forces, explaining strategies for measuring speed and distance, and describing types of energy.

The Earth

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the Earth by describing landforms, explaining the weathering process, and describing the Earth’s ecological system.

The Atmosphere

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the atmosphere by explaining the effects of the atmosphere, explaining principles of climate formation, and explaining the water cycle.

Organization of Organisms

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the organization of organisms by describing the levels of organization in an organism, explaining elements in the human body, and describing the role of cells in living organisms.

Life Classification Systems

Students will demonstrate an understanding of life classification systems by explaining the process of homeostasis, describing the process of classifying organisms scientifically, and explaining the function of a taxonomic key.

Systems of the Human Body

Students will demonstrate an understanding of systems of the human body by explaining the function of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems, explaining the function of the endocrine and reproductive systems, explaining the function of the respiratory and circulatory systems, and explaining the function of the digestive and immune systems.