Life Science (Unit A & D) Students will examine the different types of cells that form all living things. They will be able to differentiate between plant and animal cells and discover how and why cells divide. They will learn the defining characteristics of protists and fungi. Students will also learn about bacteria and viruses. Students will be introduced to the concepts of reproduction, heredity, and evolution. Both asexual and sexual reproduction is investigated and how traits are inherited. Students discover how different organisms reproduce. They also learn about natural selection, variation, and mutation of different organisms.
Earth Science (Unit B & E) Students will examine they ways in which the Earth changes over time. Students understand how the theory of plate tectonics helps explain the shape and positions of the continents, earthquakes, location of mountains, and volcanoes. Students will investigate ocean water, the ocean floor, ocean movement, and the resources of the ocean. Students will discover the makeup and properties of ocean waters and what living things they contain; the features and sediments on the ocean floor; how ocean floor topology changes; what causes movements; and the resources of the ocean.
Physical Science (Unit C & F) Students will observe the properties of materials and how matter changes. Students will classify matter and how energy affects matter. They also learn how energy is involved in the formation of new materials. Students will become familiar with different states of matter, they way atoms are organized into molecules. Students will investigate motion, speed, the pull of gravity, how to make and measure motion, momentum, action-reaction forces, and real-world forces. Students will learn how to measure gravity; how changes in motion result from unbalanced forces; how action-reaction forces act on different bodies; and how motion of objects can be explained.