Science

Department Chair

Lee Fuhrer

 

Course Descriptions

Teachers in grades 6, 7, and 8th grade are required to teach the LPS Science Standards or Objectives, which will be accessed on the district Criterion-Reference Tests (CRTs) given at the end of each quarter. The following indicates the sequence of units for each level.

Science 6 (36 weeks) -

Earth's Changing Surface
Students will investigate the Earth's Surface, land forms, four spheres, and the destructive forces which affect them.

Electricity and Magnetism
During the electricity section, students will investigate electric charge, static electricity, conversion of electrical energy, electrical energy sources, and safety. During the magnetism section, students will study magnets and their characteristics as well as magnetic properties of Earth.

Human Biology
In human biology students will explore the skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, and nervous systems and understand how these systems interact.

Weather and Climate
Students will investigate Earth's atmosphere, weather, climate, and measures for storm safety.

Science 7 (36 weeks) -

Inside Earth
Students will investigate the Earth's interior and related concepts: plate movement, volcanoes, land forms, and the transfer of energy through earthquakes and sound.

Chemical Building Blocks
Students will investigate the properties and phases of matter and the physical and chemical changes in matter.

Living Organisms
In from bacteria to Plants and Animals students will investigate living things and how they are classified as well as characteristics of plants and animal behavior. This unit also has a required performance assessment as part of the CRT that uses inquiry to carry out a scientific investigation on behavior.

Environmental Science
Students will investigate populations and interactions within an ecosystem as well as ecosystems, biomes, and biodiversity.

Science 8 (36 weeks) -

Chemical Interactions
Students will investigate the composition of matter, solutions and suspensions, and chemical and physical changes.

Cells and Heredity
Students will investigate cells, their functions, and processes and their part in modern genetics.

Forces, Motion and Energy
Students will investigate forces, motion, work, machine energy, and power.

Astronomy and Light
Students will investigate the relationships between the earth, moon, and sun; contributions of scientists to astronomy and solar system. Students will also study light and how light behaves.