Science

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT GOALS FOR OUR STUDENTS

Academies of Education and Empowerment Science Department seeks to provide a rigorous academic and quality laboratory experiences for all students. Our courses are aligned with state standards/common core and are delivered in an environment that provides rich, multimodal opportunities for all students to access content information. Laboratories enhance this environment and allow our students to apply content knowledge to real problems. We strive to educate informed, aware, and scientifically literate citizens.

DEPARTMENT CURRICULUM PLAN
Department Curriculum Plan
Department: Science
Time Frame: First 5 weeks

Class	Unit Title + Texts / Content	Students will be able to… (Common Core Standards Being Addressed)	Culminating Task
Biology/9^th grade	Title: Introduction to Biology and the Scientific Method Scientific Practices - Asking questions and defining problems - Developing and using models - Planning and carrying out investigations - Analyzing and interpreting data - Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and computational thinking - Constructing explanations and designing solutions - Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information	1^st Level – Students will define the problem, learn to recognize and identify the independent and dependent variables along with the control in an experiment. At this level the students will be given simple lab situations to show their understanding by identifying the independent variable, dependent variable and constant in each of the experiments. 2^nd Level – Students will use most of the skills and concepts listed in level two, especially predict, interpret, graph, collect, and make observations. At this level the students will be given data from various labs and asked to interpret and graph the data 3^rd Level – Students will hypothesize, revise, compare, formulate, investigate, and draw conclusions. At this level the students will have to show they can come up with a question or problem and create a hypothesis, formulate an experiment, do the investigation and then come up with some conclusions, and even possibly revise and start again. 4^th Level – Students will design, make connections, synthesize, prove and analyze. At this level the students you would hope could start looking at every day and world problems and seeing how the scientific method could be used to possibly find	At the end of the unit the teacher will be able to give the students an inquiry lab and have them successfully go through all the steps of the scientific method and write up their report in the correct format.

Chemistry

Introduction to Chemistry and the Scientific Method

Chemistry by Holt – McDougal Littell

Scientific Practices

- Asking questions and defining problems

- Developing and using models

- Planning and carrying out investigations

- Analyzing and interpreting data

Using mathematics, information and computer technology, and computational thinking

- Constructing explanations and designing solutions

- Engaging in argument from evidence

Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

1^st Level –

Students will define the problem, learn to recognize and identify the independent and dependent variables along with the control in an experiment.

At this level the students will be given simple lab situations to show their understanding by identifying the independent variable, dependent variable and constant in each of the experiments.

2^nd Level –

Students will be able to make observations, predict, interpret and graph using data collected leading them to a logical conclusion.

At this level the students may be given data from various labs and asked to interpret and graph the data.

3^rd Level –

Students will hypothesize, revise, compare, formulate, investigate, and draw conclusions.

At this level the students will have to show they can come up with a hypothesis, follow the steps of an experiment, do the investigation and then come up with a conclusion.

4^th Level –

Students will design, make connections, synthesize, prove and analyze.

At this level the students are ready to start looking at every day and world problems and seeing how the scientific method could be used to possibly find solutions to the problems of our world. They will hopefully realize this is just not something that scientist do in the lab but can be practiced by all when there is a problem or question.

At the end of the unit I want to be able to give the students an activity or lab and have them successfully go through all the steps of the scientific method and write up their report in the correct format.