Science Overview High School

  • 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.


    High School Science Overview


    Below is the progression of learning for science in District 203 for high school.
     
    Science & Engineering Practices
    		Crosscutting Concepts
    Asking Questions & Defining Problems
    Developing & Using Models
    Planning & Carrying our Investigations
    Analyzing & Interpreting Data
    Constructing Explanations & Designing Solutions Engaging in
       Argument from Evidence
    Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information 

    Patterns
    Cause & Effect: Mechanism & Explanation
    Scale Proportion & Quality
    Systems & System Models
    Energy & Matter: Flows, Cycles, & Conservation
    Structure & Function
    Stability & Change 

     Disciplinary Core Ideas
    GradeSemester 1Semester 2
    9th Grade
    Chemistry
    Honors Chemistry

    Unit 1: Matter and Its Interactions
    Unit 2: Organization of the Periodic Table
    Unit 3: Bonding and IMF 

    Unit 4: Reactions, Moles, and Stoichiometry
    Unit 5: Thermochemistry
    Unit 6: Light, Stars, and Nuclear Energy 

    10th Grade
    Biology
    Honors Biology 

    Unit 1: The Cycling of Matter
    Unit 2: Energy
    Unit 3: Mitosis, Cell Cycle, and DNA 

    Unit 4: Protein Synthesis, Meiosis, and Genetics
    Unit 5: Evidence for Evolution
    Unit 6: Mechanics for Evolution 

    11th Grade
    Physics 

    Unit 1: Mechanics
    Unit 2: Fields 

    Unit 3: Waves
    Unit 4: Human Impact