Utah
Science Core Curriculum
Seventh
Integrated Science
Science is a way of knowing, a process
for gaining knowledge and understanding of the natural world. The Science Core
Curriculum places emphasis on understanding and using skills. Students should
be active learners. It is not enough for students to read about science; they
must do science. They should observe, inquire, question, formulate and test
hypotheses, analyze data, report, and evaluate findings. The students, as
scientists, should have hands-on, active experiences throughout the instruction
of the science curriculum.
The Science Core describes what students
should know and be able to do at the end of each course. It was developed,
critiqued, piloted, and revised by a community of Utah science teachers,
university science educators, State Office of Education specialists,
scientists, expert national consultants, and an advisory committee representing
a wide diversity of people from the community.
The Core reflects the current philosophy of science education that is
expressed in national documents developed by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science and the National Academies of Science. This Science Core has the endorsement of the
Utah Science Teachers Association. The
Core reflects high standards of achievement in science for all students.
The Core is designed to help teachers
organize and deliver instruction.
Elements of the Core include the following:
ü Each
grade level begins with a brief course description.
ü The
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) describe the goals for science skills and
attitudes. They are found at the
beginning of each grade, and are an integral part of the Core that should be
included as part of instruction.
ü The
SCIENCE BENCHMARKS describe the science content students should know. Each grade level has three to five Science
Benchmarks. The ILOs and Benchmarks
intersect in the Standards, Objectives and Indicators.
ü A
STANDARD is a broad statement of what students are expected to understand.
Several Objectives are listed under each Standard.
ü An
OBJECTIVE is a more focused description of what students need to know and be
able to do at the completion of instruction. If students have mastered the
Objectives associated with a given Standard, they are judged to have mastered
that Standard at that grade level. Several Indicators are described for each
Objective.
ü An
INDICATOR is a measurable or observable student action that enables one to
judge whether a student has mastered a particular Objective. Indicators are not
meant to be classroom activities, but they can help guide classroom
instruction.
ü SCIENCE
LANGUAGE STUDENTS SHOULD USE is a list of terms that students and teachers
should integrate into their normal daily conversations around science
topics. These are not vocabulary
lists for students to memorize.
Seven
Guidelines Were Used in Developing the Science Core
Reflects the Nature of Science: Science
is a way of knowing, a process for gaining knowledge and understanding of the
natural world. The Core is designed to produce an integrated set of Intended
Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for students.
As described in these ILOs, students
will:
·
Use science process and thinking skills.
·
Manifest science interests and attitudes.
·
Understand important science concepts and
principles.
·
Communicate effectively using science language
and reasoning.
·
Demonstrate awareness of the social and
historical aspects of science.
·
Understand the nature of science.
Coherent:
The Core has been designed so that, wherever possible, the science ideas taught
within a particular grade level have a logical and natural connection with each
other and with those of earlier grades. Efforts have also been made to select
topics and skills that integrate well with one another and with other subject
areas appropriate to grade level. In addition, there is an upward articulation
of science concepts, skills, and content.
This spiraling is intended to prepare students to understand and use
more complex science concepts and skills as they advance through their science
learning.
Developmentally Appropriate: The Core takes into account the psychological
and social readiness of students. It builds from concrete experiences to more
abstract understandings. The Core describes science language students should
use that is appropriate to their grade level.
A more extensive vocabulary should not be emphasized. In the past, many educators may have
mistakenly thought that students understood abstract concepts (such as the
nature of the atom) because they repeated appropriate names and vocabulary
(such as “electron” and “neutron”). The Core resists the temptation to describe
abstract concepts at inappropriate grade levels; rather, it focuses on
providing experiences with concepts that students can explore and understand in
depth to build a foundation for future science learning.
Encourages Good Teaching Practices: It is impossible to
accomplish the full intent of the Core by lecturing and having students read
from textbooks. The Science Core emphasizes student inquiry. Science process
skills are central in each standard.
Good science encourages students to gain knowledge by doing science:
observing, questioning, exploring, making and testing hypotheses, comparing
predictions, evaluating data, and communicating conclusions. The Core is
designed to encourage instruction with students working in cooperative
groups. Instruction should connect
lessons with students’ daily lives. The Core directs experiential science
instruction for all students, not just those who have traditionally succeeded
in science classes. The vignettes listed on the Utah Science Home Page at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science
for each of the Core standards provide examples, based on actual practice, that
demonstrate that excellent teaching of the Science Core is possible.
Comprehensive: The Science Core does not cover all topics that
have traditionally been in the science curriculum; however, it does provide a
comprehensive background in science. By emphasizing depth rather than breadth,
the Core seeks to empower students rather than intimidate them with a
collection of isolated and forgettable facts. Teachers are free to add related
concepts and skills, but they are expected to teach all the standards and
objectives specified in the Core for their grade level.
Useful and Relevant: This curriculum
relates directly to student needs and interests. It is grounded in the natural
world in which we live. Relevance of science to other endeavors enables
students to transfer skills gained from science instruction into their other
school subjects and into their lives outside the classroom.
Encourages Good Assessment Practices:
Student achievement of the standards and objectives in this Core is best
assessed using a variety of assessment instruments. The purpose of an assessment should be clear to the teacher as it
is planned, implemented, and evaluated.
Performance tests are particularly appropriate to evaluate student
mastery of science processes and problem-solving skills. Teachers should use a
variety of classroom assessment approaches in conjunction with standard
assessment instruments to inform their instruction. Sample test items, keyed to
each Core Standard, may be located on the Utah Science Home Page http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science.
Observation of students engaged in science activities is highly recommended as
a way to assess students’ skills as well as attitudes in science. The nature of the questions posed by
students provides important evidence of students’ understanding of and interest
in science.
Intended
Learning Outcomes for Seventh Integrated Science
The Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) describe
the skills and attitudes students should learn and demonstrate as a result of
science instruction. They are an
essential part of the Science Core Curriculum and provide teachers with a standard
for evaluation of student learning in science.
Instruction should include significant science experiences that lead to
student understanding using the ILOs.
The main intent of science instruction in Utah is
that students will value and use science as a process of obtaining knowledge based
upon observable evidence.
By the end of
seventh and eight grades students will be able to:
1. Use Science Process and Thinking Skills
a. Observe objects and events for patterns and record both qualitative and quantitative information.
b. Sort and sequence data according to a given criterion.
c. Develop and use categories to classify subjects studied.
d. Select the appropriate instrument; measure, calculate, and record in metric units, length, volume, temperature and mass, to the accuracy of instruments used.
e. When given a problem, plan and conduct experiments in which they:
· Form research questions.
· Discuss possible outcomes of
investigations.
· Identify variables.
· Plan procedures to control
independent variable(s).
· Collect data on the
dependent variable(s).
· Select appropriate format
(e.g., graph, chart, diagram) to summarize data obtained.
· Analyze data and construct
reasonable conclusions.
· Prepare written and oral
reports of their investigation.
f. Distinguish between factual statements and
inferences.
g. Use field guides or other keys to assist in
the identification of subjects studied.
2.
Manifest Scientific Attitudes and Interests
a. Read and look at books and other science
materials voluntarily.
b. Raise questions about objects, events, and
processes that can be answered through scientific investigation.
c. Maintain an open and questioning mind toward
ideas and alternative points of view.
d. Check reports of observations for accuracy.
e. Accept and use scientific evidence to help
resolve ecological problems.
3.
Demonstrate Understanding of Science Concepts and Principles
a. Know
and explain science information specified for their grade level.
b. Distinguish
between examples and non‑examples of concepts that have been taught.
c. Compare
concepts and principles based upon specific criteria.
d. Solve
problems appropriate to grade level by applying scientific principles and
procedures.
4.
Communicate Effectively Using Science Language and Reasoning
a. Provide relevant data to support their
inferences and conclusions.
b. Use precise scientific language in oral and
written communication.
c. Use correct English in oral and written
reports.
d. Use reference sources to obtain information
and cite the sources.
e. Use mathematical reasoning to communicate information.
f. Construct models to describe concepts and
principles.
5.
Demonstrate Awareness of Social and Historical Aspects of Science
a. Cite examples of how science affects life.
b. Give instances of how technological advances
have influenced the progress of science and how science has influenced advances
in technology.
c. Understand the cumulative nature of the
development of science knowledge.
d. Recognize contributions to science knowledge
that have been made by both men and women.
6.
Demonstrate Understanding of the Nature of Science
a. Science is a way of knowing that is used by
many people, not just scientists.
b. Understand that science investigations use a
variety of methods and do not always use the same set of procedures; understand
that there is not just one "scientific method."
c. Science findings are based upon evidence.
d. Understand that science conclusions are
tentative and therefore never final.
Understandings based upon these conclusions are subject to revision in
light of new evidence.
e. Understand that scientific conclusions are
based on the assumption that natural laws operate today as they did in the past
and that they will continue to do so in the future.
f. Understand that various disciplines of
science are interrelated and share common rules of evidence to explain
phenomena in the natural world.
|
Science language students should use: |
generalize, conclude, hypothesis, theory,
variable, measure, evidence, data, inference, infer, compare, predict,
interpret, analyze, relate, calculate, observe, describe, classify,
technology, experiment, investigation, tentative, assumption |
Physical, earth, and life science content are
integrated in a curriculum with two primary goals: (1) students will value and use science as a process of obtaining
knowledge based on observable evidence, and (2) students’ curiosity will be
sustained as they develop the abilities associated with scientific inquiry.
Theme
The theme for Seventh Grade Science is structure.
The concept of density is used to help understand the sorting and
distribution of matter on Earth. Seventh graders should begin to relate the
structure of matter to the properties of materials. The "Benchmarks" in the seventh grade Core emphasize
“structure” as an organizing concept to understand matter. All substances are made of smaller parts and
are themselves parts of larger wholes. When parts come together, the whole
often has properties that are very different from its parts. Inherited traits are carried on structures
called genes. Structure is used to
classify plants, animals, rocks, stars, and other things. Classification is a
way to give a unique description to all things.
Inquiry
Seventh
grade students should design and perform experiments, and value inquiry as the
fundamental scientific process. They
should be encouraged to maintain an open and questioning mind to pose their own
questions about objects, events, processes, and results. They should have the
opportunity to plan and conduct their own experiments, and come to their own
conclusions as they read, observe, compare, describe, infer, and draw
conclusions. The results of their
experiments need to be compared for reasonableness to multiple sources of
information. It is important for
students at this age to begin to formalize the processes of science and be able
to identify the variables in a formal experiment.
Good science
instruction requires hands-on science investigations in which student inquiry
is an important goal. Teachers should
provide opportunities for all students to experience many things. Seventh graders should investigate living
organisms at the cellular level through firsthand observations. Students can
find excitement through identifying things such as insects, plants, and rocks
by using field guides. Students should
enjoy science as a process of discovering the natural world.
Seventh grade core concepts should be integrated with concepts and skills from other curriculum areas. Reading, writing, and mathematics skills should be emphasized as integral to the instruction of science. Personal relevance of science in students’ lives is an important part of helping students to value science and should be emphasized at this grade level. Developing students' writing skills in science should be an important part of science instruction in the seventh grade. Students should regularly write descriptions of their observations and experiments. Lab journals are an effective way to emphasize the importance of writing in science.
Providing opportunities for students to gain insights into science related careers adds to the relevance of science learning. Some of the Seventh Grade Science Core objectives expose students to fundamental concepts of genetics; this is an excellent opportunity for students to broaden their understanding of careers in genetics. Resources related to careers in science may be found at the Utah Science Home Page at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science .
Character
Value for honesty, integrity, self-discipline, respect, responsibility, punctuality, dependability, courtesy, co-operation, consideration, and teamwork should be emphasized as an integral part of science learning. These relate to the care of living things, safety and concern for self and others, and environmental stewardship. Honesty in all aspects of research, experimentation, data collection, and reporting is an essential component of science.
Resources for Instruction
This Core was designed using the American
Association for the Advancement of Science’s Project 2061: Benchmarks For
Science Literacy and the National Academy of Sciences’ National Science
Education Standards as guides to determine appropriate content and skills.
The Seventh Grade
Integrated Science Core has three online resources designed to help with
classroom instruction. These resources
include the Sci-ber Text, an electronic science textbook; web resources
listed by Core objective; and the science test item pool. This pool includes multiple-choice
questions, performance tasks and interpretive items aligned to the standards
and objectives of the Seventh Grade Integrated Science Core. These resources are all aligned to the Core
and available on the Utah Science Home Page at http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science.
The hands-on nature of science learning increases the need for teachers to use appropriate precautions in the classroom and field. Proper handling and disposal of chemicals and microorganisms is crucial for a safe classroom.
Appropriate Use of Living Things in the Science Classroom
It is important to maintain a safe, humane environment for animals in the classroom. Field activities should be well thought out and use appropriate and safe practices. Student collections should be done under the guidance of the teacher with attention to the impact on the environment. The number and size of the samples taken for the collections should be considered in light of the educational benefit. Some organisms should not be taken from the environment, but rather observed and described using photographs, drawings, or written descriptions to be included in the student’s collection. Teachers must adhere to the published guidelines for the proper use of living things, equipment, and chemicals in the classroom. These guidelines are available on the Utah Science Home Page.
The Most Important Goal
Science instruction should
cultivate and build on students’ curiosity and sense of wonder. Effective science instruction engages
students in enjoyable learning experiences.
Science instruction should be as thrilling an experience for a student
as opening a rock and seeing a fossil, watching the colors change in a chemical
reaction, or observing the consistent sequence of color in a rainbow. Science is not just for those who have
traditionally succeeded in the subject, and it is not just for those who will
choose science-related careers. In a world of rapidly expanding knowledge and
technology, all students must gain the skills they will need to understand and
function responsibly and successfully in the world. The Core provides skills in
a context that enables students to experience the joy of doing science.
Seventh Grade Integrated Science Core Curriculum
Science Benchmark
All matter is made up of
atoms that are far too small to see.
Atoms are in perpetual motion and the more energy they contain the
faster they move. Atoms combine to form
molecules. Matter is made up of atoms
and molecules that have measurable mass, volume, and density. Density is a measure of the compactness of
matter. Density determines the way
materials in a mixture are sorted. This
property of matter results in the layering and structure of Earth’s atmosphere,
water, crust, and interior.
Models are used to describe
the structure of Earth.
STANDARD I: Students
will understand the structure of matter.
Objective
1:
Describe the structure of matter in terms of atoms and molecules.
a. Recognize
that atoms are too small to see.
b. Relate
atoms to molecules (e.g., atoms combine to make molecules).
c. Diagram
the arrangement of particles in the physical states of matter (i.e., solid,
liquid, gas).
d. Describe
the limitations of using models to represent atoms (e.g., distance between
particles in atoms cannot be represented to scale in models, the motion of
electrons cannot be described in most models).
e. Investigate
and report how our knowledge of the structure of matter has been developed over
time.
a. Use
appropriate instruments to determine mass and volume of solids and liquids and
record data.
b. Use
observations to predict the relative density of various solids and liquids.
c. Calculate
the density of various solids and liquids.
d. Describe
the relationship between mass and volume as it relates to density.
e. Design
a procedure to measure mass and volume of gases.
a. Identify
evidence that particles are in constant motion.
b. Compare
the motion of particles at various temperatures by measuring changes in the
volume of gases, liquids, or solids.
c. Design
and conduct an experiment investigating the diffusion of particles.
d. Formulate
and test a hypothesis on the relationship between temperature and motion.
e. Describe
the impact of expansion and contraction of solid materials on the design of
buildings, highways, and other structures.
a. Compare
the density of various objects to the density of known earth materials.
b. Calculate
the density of earth materials (e.g., rocks, water, air).
c. Observe
and describe the sorting of earth materials in a mixture based on density and
particle size (e.g., sorting grains of sand of the same size with different
densities, sort materials of different particle size with equal densities).
d. Relate
the sorting of materials that can be observed in streambeds, road cuts, or
beaches to the density and particle size of those materials.
e. Design
and conduct an experiment that provides data on the natural sorting of various
earth materials.
Objective 2: Analyze how density affects Earth's
structure.
a. Compare
the densities of Earth's atmosphere, water, crust, and interior layers.
b. Relate
density to the relative positioning of Earth’s atmosphere, water, crust, and
interior.
c. Model
the layering of Earth's atmosphere, water, crust, and interior due to density
differences.
d. Distinguish
between models of Earth with accurate and inaccurate attributes.
|
Science language students should use: |
atmosphere, atom, crust, density, diffusion,
gas, liquid, models, mass, matter, molecule, particle, solid, temperature,
heat energy, volume |
Science Benchmark
Living things
are made of smaller structures whose functions enable the organisms to survive.
The basic unit of structure in all living things is the cell. Cells combine to form tissues that combine
to form organs. While all cells have common structures, there are differences
between plant and animal cells. Cell details are usually visible only through a
microscope.
Reproduction
passes information from parent to offspring. Asexual reproduction requires one
parent and produces nearly identical offspring. Sexual reproduction requires two parents, and provides variety in
a species. This variety may allow the
species to adapt to changes in the environment and help the species survive. A
species may change due to the passing of traits naturally or by techniques used
and developed by science. Genetic information is passed on in a predictable
manner.
a. Use
appropriate instruments to observe, describe, and compare various types of
cells (e.g., onion, diatoms).
b. Observe
and distinguish the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, chloroplast, and
cytoplasm of cells.
c. Differentiate
between plant and animal cells based on cell wall and cell membrane.
d. Model
the cell processes of diffusion and osmosis and relate this motion to the
motion of particles.
e. Gather
information to report on how the basic functions of organisms are carried out
within cells (e.g., extract energy from food, remove waste, produce their own
food).
a. Order
the levels of organization from simple to complex (e.g., cell, tissue, organ,
system, organism).
b. Match
a particular structure to the appropriate level (e.g., heart to organ, cactus
to organism, muscle to tissue).
c. Relate
the structure of an organ to its component parts and the larger system of which
it is a part.
d. Describe
how the needs of organisms at the cellular level for food, air, and waste
removal are met by tissues and organs (e.g., lungs provide oxygen to cells,
kidneys remove wastes from cells).
Objective 1:
Compare how sexual and asexual reproduction
passes genetic information from parent to offspring.
a. Distinguish
between inherited and acquired traits.
b. Contrast
the exchange of genetic information in sexual and asexual reproduction (e.g.,
number of parents, variation of genetic material).
c. Cite
examples of organisms that reproduce sexually (e.g., rats, mosquitoes, salmon,
sunflowers) and those that reproduce asexually (e.g., hydra, planaria,
bacteria, fungi, cuttings from house plants).
d. Compare
inherited structural traits of offspring and their parents.
a. Predict
why certain traits (e.g., structure of teeth, body structure, coloration) are
more likely to offer an advantage for survival of an organism.
b. Cite
examples of traits that provide an advantage for survival in one environment
but not other environments.
c. Cite
examples of changes in genetic traits due to natural and manmade influences
(e.g., mimicry in insects, plant hybridization to develop a specific trait,
breeding of dairy cows to produce more milk).
d. Relate
the structure of organs to an organism’s ability to survive in a specific
environment (e.g., hollow bird bones allow them to fly in air, hollow structure
of hair insulates animals from hot or cold, dense root structure allows plants
to grow in compact soil, fish fins aid fish in moving in water).
|
Science language students should use: |
acquired trait, asexual reproduction,
genetics, nucleus, organ, organism, osmosis, system, tissue, inherited trait,
offspring, sexual reproduction, cytoplasm, diffusion, membrane, chloroplast,
cell, cell wall |
Science Benchmark
Classification schemes
reflect orderly patterns and observable distinctions among objects and organisms.
One of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants and
animals.
Biologists consider an
organism's structural features more important for classifying organisms than
behavior or general appearance.
Geologists classify earth materials based upon structure. Chemists classify matter based upon
structure. Classification systems may
change as science develops new knowledge.
a. Categorize
nonliving objects based on external structures (e.g., hard, soft).
b. Compare
living, once living, and nonliving things.
c. Defend
the importance of observation in scientific classification.
d. Demonstrate
that there are many ways to classify things.
a.
Using a provided classification scheme, classify
things (e.g., shells, leaves, rocks, bones, fossils, weather, clouds, stars,
planets).
b.
Develop a classification system based on
observed structural characteristics.
c.
Generalize rules for classification.
d.
Relate the importance of classification systems
to the development of science knowledge.
e.
Recognize that classification is a tool made by
science to describe perceived patterns in nature.
a. Identify
types of organisms that are not classified as either plant or animal.
b. Arrange
organisms according to kingdom (i.e., plant, animal, monera, fungi, protist).
c. Use
a classification key or field guide to identify organisms.
d. Report
on changes in classification systems as a result of new information or
technology.
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Science language students should use: |
classification, classification key, kingdom,
organism, species |