Oyster Adams Bilingual School 

 

7th grade Life Science

8th Grade Physical Science

 

Mr. Hoeksema

 

 

 

 

 

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Welcome to the wiki! Here you will find valuable information regarding your class including course documents and schedules. 

 

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Click below to find out information related to the 2012 Science Fair

SCIENCE FAIR 2012

 

 

 

 

 

Organization of the Learning Standards

 

The goal of science education is to teach students the fundamental concepts of the earth, life, and physical sciences and the connections across these domains. Each of the divisions of science has its particular approach and domain, and when taken together they present a coherent view of the world. We encourage an understanding that much of the scientific work done in the world draws on multiple disciplines. Connecting the domains of natural science with one another — and with mathematical study — and then making practical applications through technology is a goal of science education.

 

Another goal is to teach students about the active process of investigation and the critical review of evidence. Gathering and evaluating information, perceiving patterns, and then devising and testing possible explanations about the scientific content they are learning prompts students to become independent and critical thinkers. In addition to “hands-on” experiences, students require “minds-on” experiences. Rigorous science methods and thought processes have application well beyond the bounds of science to support learning goals in all subject areas and pathways in life. Thus scientific investigation in the early grades begins with simple exploration and progresses to increasingly organized and sophisticated science investigations in higher grades. Students need to draw on all of these skills, habits of mind, and subject matter knowledge to participate fully in the intellectual and civic life of American society, and for further education in those areas if they seek it.

 

At the middle school level, the standards adopt a discipline-based approach. Specifically:

 

• Grades 6 through 8 focus on one of each of the domains: Grade 6 on earth sciences; grade 7 on life sciences; grade 8 on physical sciences. Standards are listed under key areas of study, noted by topic headings (e.g., human body, kinetic energy).

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO EFFECTIVE SCIENCE EDUCATION

 

 

The guiding principles present a set of tenets about effective pre-K through grade 12 programs and instruction in science. These principles articulate some ideals of teaching and learning, and administering effective science programs in the D.C. Public Schools. They show how educators may create educational environments characterized by curiosity, persistence, respect for evidence, and open-mindedness, balanced with healthy skepticism and a sense of responsibility.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE I

 

Scientific explanations are always subject to change in the face of new evidence.

 

Ideas with the most durable explanatory power become established theories. A key criterion of science is that it provides a clear, rational, and succinct account of patterns in nature that are based on data gathering and analysis and other evidence obtained through direct observations or experiments, and reflect inferences that are broadly shared and communicated.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE II

 

An effective program in science is integrally related to mathematics.

 

Mathematics is an essential tool for scientists and engineers because it specifies in precise and abstract (general) terms the many attributes of natural phenomena and manmade objects and the nature of relationships among them. Mathematics also facilitates precise analysis and prediction.

 

Because of the central importance of mathematics to science, all teachers, curriculum coordinators, and others who help to implement these standards must be aware of the level of mathematical knowledge needed for each science course at the high school level and ensure that the appropriate mathematical knowledge has already been taught or, at the least, is being taught concurrently.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE III

 

An effective program in science addresses students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions.

 

Teachers must be skilled at unearthing inaccuracies in students’ prior knowledge and observations, and in devising experiences that will challenge those mistaken beliefs and redirect student learning along more productive routes.

 

Children can hold onto misconceptions, even while reproducing “correct answers” to questions. For example, young children may repeat that the earth is round (as they have been told) while continuing to believe that the earth is flat, which is what they can see for themselves.

 

The students’ natural curiosity provides one entry point for learning experiences designed to remove students’ misconceptions in science.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE IV

 

Investigation, experimentation, and problem solving are central to effective science education.

 

Investigations introduce students to the nature of original research, increase students’ understanding of scientific and technological concepts, promote skill development, and provide entry points for all learners. Puzzlement and uncertainty are common features in experimentation. Students need time to examine their ideas as they learn how to apply them to explaining a natural phenomenon or solving a design problem.

 

Opportunities for students to reflect on their own ideas, collect evidence, make inferences and predictions, and discuss their findings are all crucial to growth in scientific understanding.

 

When possible, students should also replicate in the classroom important experiments that have led to well-confirmed knowledge about the natural world. By carefully following the thinking of experts, students can learn to improve their own problem-solving efforts.

 

(1) Guiding Principles II-VI were edited and adapted from the Massachusetts Framework

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE V

 

Students need opportunities to talk about their work in focused discussions with peers and with those who have more experience and expertise.

 

Scientists work as members of their professional communities where ideas are tested, modified, extended, and reevaluated over time. Thus, the ability of scientists to convey their ideas to others is essential for these advances to occur. This communication can occur informally, in the context of an ongoing student collaboration or online consultation with a scientist or engineer, or more formally, when a student presents findings

 

from an individual or group investigation. Effective communication of scientific and technological ideas requires practice in making written and oral presentations, fielding questions, responding to critiques, and developing replies.

 

 

GUIDING PRINCIPLE VI

 

Implementation of an effective science program requires district-wide planning, collaboration with experts, appropriate materials, support from parents and community, and ongoing professional development.

 

Middle school teachers have the right to expect that students coming from different elementary schools share a common set of experiences and understandings in science, and that the students they send on to high school will be well prepared for what comes next. Implementation also requires extensive professional development. Teachers must have the content knowledge and the pedagogical expertise to use the materials in a way that enhances student learning. A well-planned program for professional development should provide for both content learning and content-based pedagogical training. At the secondary level, each area of science study needs to be taught by teachers who are certified in that area.

 

Introduction of a new science program can be more effective when families and community members are brought into the selection and planning process. Parents who have a chance to examine and work with the materials in the context of family nights or science fairs or other occasions will be able to better understand and support their children’s learning. The District of Columbia is particularly fortunate to have much local talent from the science community willing and able to lend expertise to assist with the implementation of the new standards. Teachers and administrators should invite scientists, engineers, higher education faculty, representatives of local businesses, and museum personnel to help evaluate the planned curriculum and enrich it with community connections.

 

The science standards that appear on the following pages present a vision of a scientifically literate student population prepared to meet the demands of our 21st century world. To achieve this vision will require a vast and significant process that will extend over many years and will require hard work. In using this document to guide that work, we have the opportunity to demonstrate to the nation, here in its capital, that our students – America’s students– can compete anywhere in the world in the all-important disciplines of science. The district is up to the challenge.

 

 

 

How To Succeed In The Sciences

 

By: Stephen Arnold / Adapted by: Jason Hoeksema

 

 

Perhaps the most important factor in your success or failure in a science class is your attitude.  Students come into a science course with many thoughts and apprehensions:  

 

"I'm worried that the course will be hard for me." -  That's okay.  Following the suggestions and guidance here should help.  Science courses are harder than many other courses.  They may require a different approach to study.  Most worthwhile things require work and effort.

 

"I shouldn't have to take a course in science because I'm not interested in science."  -  Especially in the modern world, everyone needs a basic idea of how science works.  Most people need to understand how things work in order to appreciate the world around them.  Our society needs people like you who will be educated in scientific concepts when the time comes to vote on measures affecting scientific issues such as pollution and global warming to gravity and dark matter.  We cannot afford to have a society in which only a handful of citizens know anything about motion, energy, heat, light, and electricity.

 

"All I want to do is pass and get out of this course" - This is a common attitude, but a poor one.  As shown above, it is important that you learn at least the basics of science.  Your goal should be to learn as much as you can.  Do not let any grade become your goal.  A grade is poor motivation. Let the knowledge gained be your motivation.

 

"Why should I go to class?" -  Going to class and being on time is extremely important. Your instructor is there to help you to learn the material.   There will likely be portions of the material that you will find difficult to understand on your own. That is where your instructor comes in, to explain those areas to you.  Many examples will be presented to show you how to go about the process of solving scientific problems.  Thus, going to class is extremely important.  However, just going to class is not enough.  While in class, you will see me work specific problems.  I already know how to work them, and it will probably look easy.  However, until you have worked them and many others, it will likely be difficult for you.  Sitting in the classroom is like watching professional sports on TV.  You can see how the pros play baseball, basketball, football, or golf.  When you try a sport for the first time, you don't expect to do it just like the pros just from watching them.  Likewise, you can't expect to be able to answer scientific questions after just listening to me lecture and provide examples.  

How much should I study?

 Spending too little time studying is probably the leading cause of poor performance in science courses.  At a minimum, most students should study 30 minutes outside of class for every hour they spend in class.  This does not count time spent in the laboratory, or time spent preparing for lab, lab reports, etc.  In this course, you will spend approximately 5 hours in class per week so you should study at least 2.5 hours per week.  By far the easiest and best way to do this is to spend some time every day studying.  Unfortunately, a large percentage of students will wait until just before a test and try to "cram" it all in for the exam.  Most of them are doomed to fail or not to achieve the results they could if they studied properly.  This is particularly true in science, because scientific concepts take longer to learn and fully understand than many of those in your other courses.  You cannot simply memorize them.  You must be able to understand them so that you can apply them to new situations which you have not seen before. 
 

How should I study?

Most students ask the question “How long should I study?” A better question would be “How should I study?”  The following section will help guide your studying.  It is written with the physical sciences in mind, so the advice is tailored to your course.

    1.  Learn the language- Your first task is to learn the vocabulary.  In science, there will be very many of these for you to learn.  By its nature, science is about discovery and as new concepts and ideas are discovered, they have been given names which you will need to learn.  Many of the terms to learn should be underlined or highlighted in your notes.  Learn the definitions as best you can immediately on your first reading.  Begin to memorize the definition as soon as you come to it, and continue to learn it as you go along.  It may be helpful to write out your own list of definitions, or to put them onto note cards for later study.  If you do not learn the meanings of the terms, what you read and what you hear in lecture will be useless.
          Example:  Density is a measure of the amount of mass per unit volume in a substance.  It is determined by how much matter is packed into a given volume.

     2.  Learn the important concepts- Concepts are the MAIN IDEAS.  There will be broad, general ideas which you will need to understand in order to get the "big picture" of the subject and to solve problems.  Another common mistake made by students is to ignore the general concepts and focus solely on specific problems.  The difficulty this causes is that if you don't understand the general concepts, you won't be able to see how to approach solving a specific problem.
          Example:  The law of conservation of energy states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only changes form.  The kinetic energy (energy of motion) of a body may be converted into heat energy when the body skids to a stop due to friction, for example.

    3.  Learn the equations / formulas - Mathematics is the language of science.  Mathematical equations are just like sentences.  Equations can express ideas in a very compact, powerful way.  In most physical science courses you will need to learn equations and how to use them to solve problems.  The first step is to learn what the variables in the equations stand for and what their units are.  A very common mistake is to learn the equation but not know what the letters stand for, making the equation useless.  Once you know what the variables are, learn one form of the equation.  Learn the form of the equation that looks the easiest to you.  You only need to learn one form because then all you need to do is to use the rules of algebra to solve for whatever variable you need.
          Example:        d = density in g/mL         m = mass in g         V = volume in mL
                                                        m
                                            d  =   -----
                                                        V
The above equation states that density equals mass divided by volume.  (Compare this mathematical sentence with the English sentence for the definition of density given above.  See how they are the same? Knowing this, we can easily find the mass of an object if we know its density and volume by multiplying both sides of the equation by V:

                                             m  =  d * V

     4.  Study the example problems- Going over the example problems done in class or in your textbook will illustrate how to go about working specific problems.  As you study them, think about each step and do not go on until you understand why each step was taken and how it was accomplished.  Pay attention to how the general concepts lead to an approach to solving the problem.

     5.  Work problems yourself- Most students should do all of the above before attempting to work problems on their own.  Many students jump right to trying a problem, get frustrated, and conclude that they will never be able to do it.  Once you have done the above steps for a particular section of material, you are ready to attempt some problems for that section.  You should be prepared to get stuck at first.  The purpose at this stage is to work out the kinks, and to practice the manipulations and problem-solving techniques.  When you get stuck, go back to a similar example problem for guidance.  Review the text material for that section.  Try not to get discouraged.  Work as many problems as you can.  Go over the homework problems several times, until you can do them quickly and easily. Practicing science problems is similar to athletes practicing their own sport.  Athletes practice skills until they can do them automatically, without having to stop and think.  You can achieve nearly the same kind of ability to solve scientific problems.  Practice, practice, practice!

     6.  Think while you are working in the laboratory- Of course this sounds obvious, but I have observed that many, if not most, students fail to actually think while in the lab.  Do not focus on just taking the data and following the directions, but think about what you are doing and why.  Remember that the things you are doing in the lab are designed to help you to see and understand what you are studying in the lecture course.  Think about what happens in the experiment and why it happened.  Were the results that you obtained expected?  If you are having difficulty with a topic in the lecture, is there a laboratory experiment containing that topic that might help?  If you are having difficulty with an experiment, look to your textbook or your lecture notes for help.  In short, let the laboratory and lecture classes work together to help you to learn the subject, which is what they have been designed to do.

     7.  Assess your progress – Look at your pretest scores. The data spells out exactly what you need to study most. The standard that you scored lowest on should be the standard you study the most. Don’t spend as much time studying the standard that you know really well. A good indicator of “knowing well” would be scoring above 80%.  

 

 

 

Copyright, 2011 Gamatech, Hoeksema, and Massachusetts Framework.