Core
Science Curriculum Framework
For the Town of
An
Invitation for Students and Teachers
to
Explore Science and Its Role in Society
Content Standards
and Expected Performances
Core Science for
Grades 6-8
THE STANDARDS
FOR SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY, LITERACY AND NUMERACY ARE INTEGRAL PARTS
OF THE CONTENT
STANDARDS FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL IN THIS CLUSTER.
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Grades 6-8 Core Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy How is scientific knowledge created and communicated?
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Content Standards |
Expected Performances |
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SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY ¨
Scientific
inquiry is a thoughtful and coordinated attempt to search out, describe,
explain and predict natural phenomena. ¨
Scientific
inquiry progresses through a continuous process of questioning, data
collection, analysis and interpretation. ¨
Scientific
inquiry requires the sharing of findings and ideas for critical review by
colleagues and other scientists. SCIENTIFIC LITERACY ¨
Scientific
literacy includes speaking, listening, presenting, interpreting, reading and
writing about science. ¨
Scientific
literacy also includes the ability to search for and assess the relevance and
credibility of scientific information found in various print and electronic
media. SCIENTIFIC NUMERACY ¨
Scientific
numeracy includes the ability to use mathematical operations and procedures
to calculate, analyze and present scientific data and ideas. |
C INQ.1 Identify questions that can be answered through
scientific investigation. C INQ.2 Read, interpret and examine the credibility of
scientific claims in different sources of information. C INQ.3 Design and conduct appropriate types of scientific
investigations to answer different questions. C INQ.4 Identify independent and dependent variables, and
those variables that are kept constant, when designing an experiment. C INQ.5 Use appropriate tools and techniques to make observations
and gather data. C INQ.6 Use mathematical operations to analyze and interpret
data. C INQ.7 Identify and present relationships between variables
in appropriate graphs. C INQ.8 Draw conclusions and identify sources of error. C INQ.9 Provide explanations to investigated problems or questions. C INQ.10 Communicate about science in different formats,
using relevant science vocabulary, supporting evidence and clear logic. |
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Grade 6 Core Themes, Content Standards and
Expected Performances Taught in Grade 5 = blue, Taught
in Grade 6 = green, Taught in Grade 7 = red,
Taught in Grade 8 = purple |
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Content Standards |
Expected Performances |
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Properties of Matter – How does the structure of matter
affect the properties and uses of materials? 6.1 - Materials can be classified as
pure substances or mixtures, depending on their chemical and physical
properties. ¨
Mixtures are made of
combinations of elements and/or compounds, and they can be separated by using
a variety of physical means. ¨
Pure substances can be
either elements or compounds, and they cannot be broken down by physical
means. |
C 1.
Describe
the properties of common elements, such as oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, iron and
aluminum. C 2.
Describe
how the properties of simple compounds, such as water and table salt, are
different from the properties of the elements of which they are made. C 3.
Explain
how mixtures can be separated by using the properties of the substances from
which they are made, such as particle size, density, solubility and boiling
point. |
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Matter and Energy in Ecosystems – How do matter and energy
flow through ecosystems? 6.2 - An
ecosystem is composed of all the populations that are living in a certain
space and the physical factors with which they interact. ¨
Populations in
ecosystems are affected by biotic factors, such as other populations, and
abiotic factors, such as soil and water supply. ¨
Populations in
ecosystems can be categorized as producers, consumers and decomposers of
organic matter. |
C 4.
Describe
how abiotic factors, such as temperature, water and sunlight, affect the
ability of plants to create their own food through photosynthesis. C 5.
Explain
how populations are affected by predator-prey relationships. C 6.
Describe
common food webs in different |
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6.3 - Variations in the amount of the
sun’s energy hitting the Earth’s surface affect daily and seasonal weather
patterns. ¨
Local and regional
weather are affected by the amount of solar energy these areas receive and by
their proximity to a large body of water. |
C
7.
Describe
the effect of heating on the movement of molecules in solids, liquids and
gases. C
8.
Explain
how local weather conditions are related to the temperature, pressure and
water content of the atmosphere and the proximity to a large body of water. C
9.
Explain
how the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface causes winds. |
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Science and Technology in Society – How do science and
technology affect the quality of our lives? 6.4 - Water moving across and
through earth materials carries with it the products of human activities. ¨
Most precipitation that
falls on |
C 10.
Explain
the role of septic and sewage systems on the quality of surface and ground
water. C
11. Explain how human activity may impact
water resources in |
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Grade 7 Core Themes, Content Standards and
Expected Performances Taught in Grade 5 = blue, Taught
in Grade 6 = green, Taught in Grade 7 = red,
Taught in Grade 8 = purple |
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Content Standards |
Expected Performances |
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7.1 - Energy
provides the ability to do work and can exist in many forms. ¨
Work is the process of
making objects move through the application of force. ¨
Energy can be stored in
many forms and can be transformed into the energy of motion. |
C 12. Explain the relationship among force,
distance and work, and use the relationship (W=F x D) to calculate work done
in lifting heavy objects. C 13. Explain how simple machines, such as
inclined planes, pulleys and levers, are used to create mechanical advantage. C 14. Describe how different types of stored
(potential) energy can be used to make objects move. |
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7.2 - Many organisms,
including humans, have specialized organ systems that interact with each
other to maintain dynamic internal balance. ¨
All organisms are
composed of one or more cells; each cell carries on life-sustaining
functions. ¨
Multicellular organisms
need specialized structures and systems to perform basic life functions. |
C
15. Describe the basic structures of an animal
cell, including nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria and cell membrane, and how
they function to support life. C
16. Describe the structures of the human
digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems, and explain how they function
to bring
oxygen and nutrients to the cells and expel waste materials. C
17. Explain how the human musculo-skeletal
system supports the body and allows movement. |
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7.3 - Landforms are the result of the
interaction of constructive and destructive forces over time. ¨
Volcanic activity and
the folding and faulting of rock layers during the shifting of the Earth’s
crust affect the formation of mountains, ridges and valleys. ¨
Glaciation, weathering
and erosion change the Earth’s surface by moving earth materials from place
to place. |
C 18. Describe how folded and faulted rock layers
provide evidence of the gradual up and down motion of the Earth’s crust. C 19. Explain how glaciation, weathering and
erosion create and shape valleys and floodplains. C 20. Explain how the boundaries of tectonic
plates can be inferred from the location of earthquakes and volcanoes. |
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7.4 - Technology allows us to improve food
production and preservation, thus improving our ability to meet the
nutritional needs of growing populations. ¨
Various microbes
compete with humans for the same sources of food. |
C
21. Describe how freezing, dehydration, pickling and
irradiation prevent food spoilage caused by microbes. |
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Grade 8 Core Themes, Content Standards and
Expected Performances Taught in Grade 5 = blue, Taught
in Grade 6 = green, Taught in Grade 7 = red,
Taught in Grade 8 = purple |
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Content Standards |
Expected Performances |
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Forces and Motion – What makes objects move the way they
do? Click here to learn more. ¨
The motion of an object can be described by its
position, direction of motion and speed. ¨
An unbalanced (net)
force acting on an object changes its speed and/or direction of motion. ¨
Objects moving in circles must experience force acting
toward the center. |
C 22.
Calculate the
average speed of a moving object and illustrate the
motion of objects in graphs of distance over time. C 23.
Describe the qualitative relationships among force, mass
and changes in motion. C 24.
Describe the
forces acting on an object moving in a circular path. |
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Heredity and Evolution – What processes are responsible
for life’s unity and diversity? ¨
Heredity is the passage of genetic information from one
generation to another. |
C 25. Explain the similarities and differences in cell
division in somatic and germ cells. |
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8.3 - The solar system is
composed of planets and other objects that orbit the sun. ¨
Gravity is the force
that governs the motions of objects in the solar system. ¨
The motion of the Earth
and moon relative to the sun causes daily, monthly and yearly cycles on
Earth. |
C 28.
Explain
the effect of gravity on the orbital movement of planets in the solar system. C 29.
Explain
how the regular motion and relative position of the sun, Earth and moon
affect the seasons, phases of the moon and eclipses. |
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Science and Technology in Society – How do science and
technology affect the quality of our lives? 8.4 - In the design of structures there is a
need to consider factors such as function, materials, safety, cost and
appearance. ¨
Bridges can be designed
in different ways to withstand certain loads and potentially destructive
forces. |
C 30.
Explain
how beam, truss and suspension bridges are designed to withstand the forces
that act on them. |