Middle School Science

Grade 6 Florida Ecology and Conservation classes are off to a great start this school year! Science classes are beginning the year with an introduction to the scientific method. In order to do this, students will conduct experiments, write lab reports, create data tables and make graphs to display their results. Grade 6 science students are also learning Greek and Latin vocabulary root words and will continue to build on their list throughout the year. Finally, classes are studying native flora and fauna of South Florida by researching and creating a field guide. 

 

The first quarter curriculum will begin with an introduction to the scientific method, metrics, and scientific measurements. Students will explore the metric system and compete against each other to test their familiarity with metric measurement in the Metric Olympics. Additional topics to be covered in quarter one will include hurricane tracking, introducing our mangrove restoration project, and learning about atmospheric and oceanic interactions. Students will dive into hurricane tracking using interactive mapping and current technology. Students will continue their study of Latin’s connection to the scientific language.

In Unit 1, students will review the scientific method and experimental design to build a solid foundation for future research. The unit covers key aspects such as formulating hypotheses, designing controlled experiments, and analyzing data. Students will enhance their graphing skills by creating and interpreting various types of graphs and will practice scientific writing using Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) format in  preparation of formal lab reports conducted throughout the year. 

Grade 8    Accelerated Science:     

Our first unit is a review of the scientific method and experimental design. Students will be practicing their graphing skills and scientific writing through review of current research, preparing them for designing their own experiments, analyzing data and reporting their results in a formal lab report. Our Unit 1 exam will be 8/30.