Science

The Science Department is dedicated to teaching the California State Science Standards and incorporating the practices of the new Science Framework. Following is a broad overview of the material covered in the 7th and 8th Grade. Full text of these standards may be found at California Education website.

7th Grade Standards - Focus on Life Sciences

Cell Biology
1. All living organisms are composed of cells, from just one to many trillions, whose details usually are visible only through a microscope.

Genetics
2. A typical cell of any organism contains genetic instructions that specify its traits. Those traits may be modified by environmental influences.

Evolution
3. Biological evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual processes over many generations.

Earth and Life History (Earth Sciences)
4. Evidence from rocks allows us to understand the evolution of life on Earth.

Structure and Function in Living Systems
5. The anatomy and physiology of plants and animals illustrate the complementary nature of structure and function.

Physical Principles in Living Systems (Physical Sciences)
6. Physical principles underlie biological structures and functions.

Investigation and Experimentation
7. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. As a basis for understanding this concept and addressing the content in the other three strands, students should develop their own questions and perform investigations.

8th Grade Standards-Focus on Physical Sciences

Motion
1. The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position.

Forces
2. Unbalanced forces cause changes in velocity.

Structure of Matter
3. Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All forms of matter are composed of one or more of the elements.

Earth in the Solar System (Earth Sciences)
4. The structure and composition of the universe can be learned from studying stars and galaxies and their evolution.

Reactions
5. Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules.

Chemistry of Living Systems (Life Sciences)
6. Principles of chemistry underlie the functioning of biological systems.

Periodic Table
7. The organization of the periodic table is based on the properties of the elements and reflects the structure of atoms.

Density and Buoyancy
8. All objects experience a buoyant force when immersed in a fluid.

Investigation and Experimentation
9. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations.