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Science Curriculum
Listed below are the questions which your students will learn to answer as they move through the SCSD Science and Technology Program from Kindergarten through 12th Grade.
Kindergarten
Living Environment
- How can you recognize living things?
- How is one generation similar to the previous or the following generation?
- How do living things adapt to survive in their environment?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- How do plants and animals respond to their environment?
- What is the relationship between plants, animals and their environment?
- How have human decisions and activities been helpful or harmful to the environment?
Physical Setting
- How can the movement of the Earth and celestial bodies be observed and measured over time?
- What impact does this have on daily life?
- How do air, water, and land interact?
- How can matter be described?
- How does energy change things?
- How do energy and matter interact to create change in motion?
Scientific Inquiry/Mathematical Analysis
- What do I need to know? How can I find out?
- How many? How much? How do you know?
- What makes it work? How can I make it?
1st Grade
Living Environment
- How can you recognize living things?
- How is one generation similar to the previous or the following generation?
- How do living things adapt to survive in their environment?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- How do plants and animals respond to their environment?
- Are human decisions and activities helpful or harmful?
- What is the relationship between plants, animals and their environment?
Physical Setting
- How do energy and matter interact to create change in motion?
- How can the movement of the Earth and celestial bodies be observed and measured over time?
- How do air, water, and land interact?
- How can matter be described?
- How does energy change things?
Scientific Inquiry/Mathematical Analysis
- What do I need to know? How can I find out?
- How many? How much? How do you know?
- How can matter be described?
- What makes it work? How can I make it?
2nd Grade
Living Environment
- How can you recognize living things?
- How is one generation similar to the previous or the following generation?
- How do living things adapt to survive in their environment?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- How do plants and animals respond to their environment?
- What is the relationship between plants, animals and their environment?
- Are human decisions and activities helpful or harmful?
Physical Setting
- How can the movement of the Earth and celestial bodies be observed and measured over time?
- How do air, water, and land interact?
- How can matter be described?
- How does energy change things?
- How do energy and matter interact to create change in motion?
Scientific Inquiry/Mathematical Analysis
- What do I need to know? How can I find out?
- How many? How much? How do you know?
- How can matter be described?
- What makes it work? How can I make it?
3rd Grade
Living Environment
- How can you recognize living things?
- How do living things adapt to survive in their environment?
- How is one generation similar to the previous or the following generation?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- How do plants and animals respond to their environment?
- What is the relationship between plants, animals and their environment?
- Are human decisions and activities helpful or harmful?
Physical Setting
- How can the movement of the Earth and celestial bodies be observed and measured over time?
- How do air, water, and land interact?
- How can matter be described?
- How does energy change things?
- How do energy and matter interact to create change in motion?
Scientific Inquiry/Mathematical Analysis
- What do I need to know? How can I find out?
- How many? How much? How do you know?
- How can matter be described?
- What makes it work? How can I make it?
4th Grade
Living Environment
- How can you recognize things?
- How is one generation similar to the previous and the following one?
- How do living things adapt to survive in their environment?
- What sustains the continuity of life?
- How do plants and animals respond to their environment?
- What is the relationship between plants, animals, and their environment?
- Are human decisions and activities helpful or harmful?
Physical Setting
- How can the movement of the Earth and celestial bodies be observed and measured over time?
- How do air, water, and land interact?
- How can matter be described?
- How does energy change things?
- How do energy and matter interact to create change in motion?
Scientific Inquiry/Mathematical Analysis
- What do I need to know? How can I find out?
- How many? How much? How do you know?
- How can matter be described?
- What makes it work? How can I make it?
5th Grade
Unit 1: Connecting Math and Science
- Why is important to have an understanding of mathematics as it relates to science?
Unit 2: Scientific Inquiry
- How do scientists answer questions and solve problems?
Unit 3: Body Systems
- How do the interactions of different organs and organ systems help maintain regulation?
Unit 4: Comparing Plants and Animals
- What structures in plants and animals are similar in function and how does this lead to classification?
Unit 5: Ecosystems and Energy Flow
- How do organisms interact with each other and their environment, and what impact do humans have on these interactions?
6th Grade
Unit 1: Connecting Math and Science
- Why is important to have an understanding of mathematics as it relates to science?
Unit 2: Scientific Inquiry
- How do scientists answer questions and solve problems?
Unit 3: Stars and Our Sun
- What are stars and what star is the center of our universe?
Unit 4: Planets
- What affect does gravity have on Earth and all celestial bodies?
Unit 5: Earth
- How does Earth’s movement affect our environment?
Unit 6: Atmosphere
- How is our atmosphere organized?
Unit 7: Hydrosphere
- How does water cycle through our environment?
Unit 8: Weather
- What happens when air of different temperatures and humidity levels meet?
Unit 9: Climate
- Why do different locations have certain types of climates?
Unit 10: Weathering and Erosion
- What happens when air, land, and water meet?
Unit 11: Rocks
- How can rocks help explain history?
Unit 12: Crustal Movement
- How do crustal movements affect landforms?
Unit 13: Pollution
- How does use and misuse of resources affect the Earth?
Grade 7
Unit 1: Connecting Math and Science
- Why is important to have an understanding of mathematics as it relates to science?
Unit 2: Scientific Inquiry
- How do scientists answer questions and solve problems?
Unit 3: Atoms and Molecules
- What are all materials made of?
Unit 4: Matter
- What is matter?
Unit 5: Periodic Table
- What are the common characteristics of elements and how are they organized?
Unit 6: Temperature (Heating and Cooling)
- How are the molecules of substances affected as they are heated and cooled?
Unit 7: Physical/Chemical Properties and Reactions
- How do chemical and physical properties differ, and what reactions take place?
Unit 8: Energy
- What are the sources of energy and how can it be transformed?
Unit 9: Waves
- How do waves help us to see, hear, cook and live our everyday lives?
Unit 10: Electricity and Magnetism
- How is magnetism related to electricity?
Unit 11: Force and Motion
- What are the effects of forces on the motion of objects?
Unit 12: Machines
- What are simple machines and how do they help us every day life?
Grade 8 - 2011 Curriculum
Unit 1: Connecting Math and Science
- Why is important to have an understanding of mathematics as it relates to science?
Unit 2: Scientific Inquiry
- How do scientists answer questions and solve problems?
Unit 3: Organization of Life
- What is the most basic unit of life and how does it function?
Unit 4: Reproduction
- What are the similarities and differences between how different organisms reproduce?
Unit 5: Genetics
- How does genetic information pass from parent to offspring and contribute to a change in species over time?
Unit 6: Cellular Energy
- How do organisms obtain and use energy?
Unit 7: Review for NYS 8th Grade Science Exam
High School Science
Living Envirionment
- Unit 1: Nature of Science
- Graphing
- Characteristics of Life
- Lab Safety
- Scientific method
- Microscopes
- Measurement
- Unit 2: Cells
- Structure/function
- Osmosis/diffusion
- Unit 3: Cell Processes
- Photosynthesis
- Respiration
- Unit 4: Cellular Reproduction
- Mitosis (asexual)
- Meiosis (sexual)
- Unit 5: Human Physiology
- Enzymes
- Biochem (compounds)
- Feed-back
- Immune system
- Reproduction
- Unit 6: Genetics
- DNA structures
- protein synthesis
- Unit 7: Genetic Energy / Technology:
- Unit 8: Evolution
- Mutations (sexual rep.)
- evidence
- natural selection
- Phylogenetic trees
- Unit 9: Ecology
- human impact
Earth Science
- Unit 1: Science Skills
- observation and inference
- measurement
- density
- graphing
- rate of change
- lab safety
- states of matter
- Unit 2: Earth's Dimensions
- Earth's size and shape
- latitude and longitude
- Earth's structure
- field maps
- topographic maps
- gradient
- Unit 3: Astronomy
- origin, age and structure of universe
- Big Bang Theory
- star classification
- eccentricity
- comets, asteroids, and meteors
- galaxies
- Doppler effect
- electromagnetic energy
- origin, age and structure of solar system
- models of solar system
- time
- apparent motions of celestial objects
- seasons
- moon phases
- rotation vs. revolution
- angle of insolation
- duration of insolation
- Unit 4: Weather and Atmosphere
- types of energy transfer
- temperature and heating
- atmospheric structure and circulation
- atmospheric variables
- weather instruments
- water cycle
- air masses and fronts
- circulation patterns
- storms/severe weather
- forecasting weather
- Unit 5: Water and Climate
- climate controls
- specific heat of water
- orographic effect
- ocean currents
- planetary wind belts
- heat budget
- climate change
- water cycle
- Unit 6: Rocks and Minerals
- mineral resources
- mineral identification
- igneous rocks
- sedimentary rocks
- metamorphic rocks
- rock cycle
- mining/natural resources
- Unit 7: Weathering, Erosion and Deposition
- porosity and permeability
- types of weathering
- agents of erosion
- factors causing deposition
- sorting of sediments
- glaciers
- evolution of streams and rivers
- landscape regions
- Unit 8: Dynamic Earth
- earth's interior
- convection cycles
- plate tectonics
- evidence of plate movement
- earthquakes
- volcanoes and tsunamis
- Unit 9: Geologic History
- landscape characteristics
- bedrock geology
- absolute dating
- relative dating
- rock record/fossils
- evolution of life