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Exploring Science in the Everyday World
The Grand Blanc Middle School Science Program consists of all the state science benchmarks for middle school, as well as a human growth and development program, alcohol, tobacco and drug education, and HIV/AIDS education.
The Middle School Science Program uses the following sources as its guide to content and procedure:
The Michigan Curriculum Framework for Science (Content Standards and Benchmarks for Science)
Benchmarks for Science Literacy prepared by Project 2061, a long-term educational reform project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
National Science Education Standards prepared by the National Research Council
Teaching Practices . . .
Teaching methods used in the science classroom help students develop skills to think scientifically and use scientific knowledge to make decisions about real-world problems regardless of their future aspirations. In constructing new knowledge for themselves. Students explore what they already know first and then link new knowledge to this previously laid foundation. Teachers use hands-on activities, group activities, real world situations and scenarios, and other methods to tie the new concepts to the student’s real world.
Assessment . . .
Student’s understanding and skills will be assessed by a variety of methods. They include:
collaborative projects •daily activities
demonstrations •rubrics
performance tasks •quizzes
constructed responses •written tests
informal one-on-one •self examination
facilitated discussions

Parent Communication
Parents are encouraged to talk with their child’s teacher at any time during the school year. Student progress is assessed every six weeks (six progress reports per school year) for middle school students. Following is a list of ways that you may communicate with and/or review your child’s progress:
SnapGrades/School Fusion
Teacher’s web site/e-mail/voice mail
Regular parent-teacher conferences (Fall/Spring)

Ways You Can Help
Your Child At Home
Set expectations early that your son/daughter will take 3-4 years of high school math and science classes, while still keeping in mind that not all children will have the interest, ability or desire to pursue careers in science or math.
Encourage them to collect things, handle things, take things apart and see how they work. They need to take bikes, clocks, flowers, and other things apart.
Do not be concerned about them getting things right. You need to be concerned if they aren’t curious and wondering about things.
Encourage them to pursue different kinds of toys/hobbies. It is believed that one reason boys do better in math is because boys have grown up playing with more mathematical and scientific toys.
Do not “over help” your daughter; (a tendency of parents with daughters much more than with sons). Instead, assist her to become able to rely on her own judgment, develop independence and the ability to make her own decisions.
Encourage them to read biographies and magazine articles that will help to find out about contemporary and historical figures whose lives involve work in fields that use mathematics and science.
Talk about career plans. Point out that many occupations require good math and science backgrounds, and that their career options will be limited if they do not continue to take these subjects throughout school.

Grand Blanc Community Schools

A Parent’s Guide
to our
Middle School
SCIENCE
PROGRAM

Our Mission

The mission of Grand Blanc Community Schools, the hallmark of academic and personal excellence, is to ensure students actualize their own unique genius, freely and without fear, through a system distinguished by
Dedication to the discovery of profound learning.
Exemplary models of character and judgment.
Global experiences in life and living
Emphasis on individual autonomy and self direction.
Unremitting pursuit of the highest human ideals.

6th Grade
Science Processes: Inquiry Process; Inquiry Analysis and Communication; Reflection, & Social Implications
Throughout the middle school years, student should be provided with the opportunity to engage in full inquiry experiences (raising a question based on observations, data sets, and/or research, designing an investigation, gathering information through observation and data collection, analyzing and evaluating information, engaging in science discourse, and formally presenting their findings). With guidance, they can recognize science as a means of gathering information and confirming or challenging their current beliefs about the natural world, the effect humans and other organisms have on it, and begin to design solutions through science and technology to world challenges.
Physical Science: Energy and Changes in Matter
6th graders deepen their understanding of energy through investigations into kinetic and potential energy and the demonstration of the transformation of kinetic energy. Through the investigation of energy transfer by radiation, conduction, or convection, students are introduced to the concept that energy can be transferred while no energy is lost or gained. Students begin to see the connections among light, heat, sound, electricity, and magnetism.
Life Science: Organization of Living Things and Ecosystems
6th graders build on their prior knowledge by exploring classifications of organisms based on their source of energy (producers, consumers, and decomposers) and distinguish between ways in which organisms obtain energy. The study of the ecosystems at this level includes interactions of organisms with populations, communities, and ecosystems including examples in the Great Lakes region.
Earth Science: Solid Earth, Earth in Space and Time
6th graders develop a deeper understanding of the Earth through the exploration of the rock cycle, phenomena that shape the Earth, and Earth’s history. They explore the formation and weathering of rocks and how different soil types are formed. Students are introduced to the concept of the Earth as a magnet.

7th Grade
Science Processes: Inquiry Process; Inquiry Analysis and Communication; Reflection, & Social Implications
7th graders should be able to recognize that different kinds of questions suggest different approaches for scientific investigation. They should be able to generate a variety of questions through observation, sets of data, manipulation of variables, investigations, and research. They will sharpen their skills in measurement and the use of tools and scientific equipment. They collect and organize their own sets of data into charts & graphs, make sense of their findings, evaluate & analyze their own data as well as the data of others, and evaluate the strengths & weaknesses of their findings and the claims of others.
Physical Science: Energy, Properties of Matter; Changes in Matter
7th graders gain a greater understanding of the role of the sun’s warming and lighting of the Earth, and how light energy is transferred to chemical energy through photosynthesis. The transfer of energy is studied through examples of waves (sound, seismic, and water) and how waves transfer energy when they interact with matter. They will explore a more in-depth study of physical properties (boiling point, density, and color) and chemical properties of matter (flammability, pH, acid-base indicators, and reactivity). Students are introduced to organization of the Periodic Table of the Elements. They recognize when a chemical change occurs, a new substance is produced which has different physical & chemical properties. The chemical change can be described as a change in color, gas formation, solid formation, and temperature change.
Life Science: Organization of Living Things & Heredity
7th graders demonstrate that all organisms are composed of cells and that multi-cellular organisms & single cellular organisms exist in ecosystems. The cell study includes how cells make up different body tissues, organs, and organ systems and are specialized in their functions. They will learn how characteristics of living things are passed on through generations, both asexually and sexually.
Earth Science: Earth Systems and Fluid Earth
7th graders will focus on the relationship between the sun’s warming of the earth, the water cycle, and weather & climate.

8th Grade
8th Grade science students will begin the year reflecting on their science experiences and preparing for the Science MEAP in October. They will begin their studies of the High School Science Content for Earth Sciences. A unit of human sexuality and development will end the year as they prepare to move on to the high school.
Students will understand the nature of science and demonstrate an ability to practice scientific reasoning by applying it to the design, execution, and evaluation of scientific investigations. They will develop scientific insights that will help them analyze the role science plays in society, technology, and potential career opportunities.
Students explain how both fluids (water cycle) and solids (rock cycle) move within Earth systems and how these movements form and change their environment. They will describe the relationship between physical process and human activities and use this understanding to demonstrate an ability to make wise decisions about land use.
Students explain how scientists study and model the interior of the Earth and its dynamic nature. They use the theory of plate tectonics, the unifying theory of geology, to explain a wide variety of Earth features and processes and how hazards resulting from these processes impact society.
Students explain how the ocean and atmosphere move and transfer energy around the planet. How these movements affect climate and weather and how severe weather impacts society. How long term climatic changes (glaciers) have shaped the Michigan landscape. They also explain features and processes related to surface and ground- water and describe the sustainability of systems in terms of water quality and quantity.
Students explain theories about how the Earth has evolved over a long period of time. Students predict how human activities may influence the climate of the future.