Science

The grade 7 Life Science standards focus on understanding of change, cycles, patterns, and other complex relationships in the living world. Students explore the cellular organization and the classification of organisms; the dynamic relationships among organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems; and change as a result of the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next. Throughout all units of study, learners engage with more abstract concepts of science and continue developing their scientific skills and using engineering design practices to solve real-world problems. This course builds foundational knowledge toward high school Biology and Environmental Science courses. Student mastery of grade 7 standards is measured by the state of Virginia as a part of the Grade 8 Standards of Learning assessment.

The grade 8 Physical Science standards focus on developing deeper understanding of the nature and structure of matter and the characteristics of energy. Major areas include the particle nature of matter; the organization and use of the periodic table; physical and chemical changes; energy transfer and transformations; properties of longitudinal and transverse waves; electricity and magnetism; and work, force, and motion. Mathematics, computational thinking, and experiences in the engineering design process gain importance as students advance their scientific thinking. This course builds foundational knowledge toward high school Chemistry and Physics courses. At the end of this course, students take the Grade 8 Science Standards of Learning assessment that includes all three years of middle school science curricula.

The theme of grade 6 science standards is “Our World, Our Responsibility.” Students explore the characteristics of the natural world, from the Earth’s placement in the solar system to the interactions of water, energy, air, and ecosystems on the Earth. As students examine the use of resources, they also consider how their actions and choices affect the future habitability of Earth. Throughout all units of study, learners continue developing their scientific skills and using engineering design practices to solve real-world problems. This course builds foundational knowledge toward grade 8 Physical Science, and high school Earth Science and Environmental Science courses. Student mastery of grade 6 standards is measured by the state of Virginia as a part of the Grade 8 Standards of Learning assessment.