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    Science Overview 6-8

    • Science Philosophy

       

       

      District 203 believes in a student-centered environment that will spark imagination and curiosity through inquiry-driven investigations and inspire critical interpretation of science information.

      Students will actively participate in science and engineering practices to understand the core ideas and connections between physical, Earth and space, and life science and to understand, use, and interpret scientific explanations of natural phenomena.

      Students will be empowered to draw, share, and defend conclusions based on evidence and design solutions that can be applied to the world around them.

       
      The Three Dimensions of Science Learning

       

      Within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), there are three distinct and equally important dimensions to learning science—Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. These dimensions are combined to form each standard—or performance expectation—and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. 

       

      6-8 Science Overview

       

      Below is the progression of learning for science in District 203 for junior high.

      Science & Engineering Practices
      • Asking Questions & Defining Problems     
      • Developing & Using Models
      • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
      • Using Mathematical & Computational Thinking
      • Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions Engaging in Argument from Evidence
      • Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information
      Timeframe & Connections 6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
      Crosscutting Concepts
      Systems & System Models
      Energy & Matter
      Stability & Change
      Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
      Structure & Function 
      Structure & Function
      Patterns
      Cause & Effect 
      Trimester 1
      Disciplinary
      Core Ideas 
      Weather & Climate
      • The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
      • Weather & Climate
      • Natural Hazards
      • Global Climate Change
      Geologic Time & Plate Tectonics
      •  The History of Planet Earth
      • Earth Materials & Systems
      • Plate Tectonics & Large-Scale System Interactions
      Astronomy
      • The Universe & Its Stars
      • Earth & the Solar System
      • Types of Interactions (gravity)  
      Evidence of Evolution
      • Growth & Development of Organisms
      • Inheritance of Traits
      • Variation of Traits
      • Evidence of Common Ancestry & Diversity
      • Natural Selection
      • Adaptation  
      Trimester 2
      Disciplinary
      Core Ideas 
      Ecosystems
      • Cycles of Matter & Energy Transfer in Ecosystems
      • Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning & Resilience
      • Energy in Chemical Processes & Everyday life   
      Matter & Chemistry  
      • Structure & Properties of Matter
      • Chemical Reactions
      • Definitions of Energy
      • Developing Possible Solutions
      • Optimizing the Design Solution 
      Energy, Forces, Waves
      • Types of Interactions
      • Definitions of Energy
      • Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer
      • Wave Properties
      • Electromagnetic Radiation
      • Information Technologies & Instrumentation  
      Trimester 3
      Disciplinary
      Core Ideas 
      Forces
      • Forces & Motion
      • Definitions of Energy  
      • Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer
      Cells-Biochemistry
      • Structure & Function
      • Organization for Matter & Energy Flow in Organisms
      • Information Processing 
      Human Impact 
      • Natural Resources
      • Human Impacts on Earth Systems
      • Earth Materials & Systems