Sciences

6^th Grade

Holistic learning, intercultural awareness, and communication are central to the 6^th Grade Wedgewood Park Science Curriculum. Students will be encouraged to develop scientific inquisition skills, study the essence of science and the natural world, use perspectives to look at global issues, and communicate their findings. Topics covered include the development of science process skills utilizing guided inquiry, along with the study of animals, matter, plants, and water on Earth. Ultimately students will develop an appreciation for the various contributions of science to society and the paradoxical changes all science contents have undergone. The units and activities in this course support the learner profile in terms of the students becoming risk-takers through the formulation of testable hypotheses, demonstrating logical connections between the scientific concepts, guiding hypotheses and the process of designing an experiment. The students will use technology and other media to communicate, research, study, and demonstrate their knowledge of scientific content, which will provide them with opportunities to explore beyond the classroom how to become independent thinkers.

Activities and lessons are student centered. A variety of instructional strategies will be used to encourage students to develop decision-making and problem solving skills including the use of collaborative groups as well as paired and individual activities. The lens of Globalization & Sustainability will be used as students investigate the effect controlling variables can have on other aspects of the environment as well as examine the effects pollution has on the water cycle and the extinction of a specific animal from an ecosystem. Identities & Relationships will be utilized as students design their own experiments including the formulation of a testable hypothesis, data collection procedure, exhibition of the experiment and the actual analysis of the data.

7^th Grade

The purpose of Wedgewood Park International School’s Science curriculum is to enhance students’ understanding of the world around them. Holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication will be the focus in order to develop scientific inquirers who can think critically by studying the essence of science and the natural world. Consequently, the students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to function as citizens of the world. Students will engage in discussions which help them to become knowledgeable citizens, contribute to arguments that will advance their thinking abilities, remain open-minded to other ways of looking at inquiry, and revise explanations or models using logic and evidence. As students use science to analyze these issues, they will take risks by formulating testable hypotheses, and by demonstrating logical connections between the scientific concepts, guiding hypotheses and the design of the experiment. They will use different disciplines to connect their scientific knowledge and concepts learned, showing appreciation of science knowledge and the changes over time. In demonstrating their intercultural awareness, students will use this curriculum to discuss, to evaluate, and to solve local and global problems, while connecting the science themes with other cultures.

A variety of instructional strategies will be used to encourage students to develop decision-making and problem solving skills including the use of collaborative groups, paired and individual activities. The lens of Identities & Relationships will be used as students hypothesize and investigate how water temperature affects crystal growth, the creation of their own biome presentation, including the relationship and impact the living organisms within the biome have on one another, as well as the investigation of a recent natural phenomenon. Finally Identities & Relationships will be utilized as students create an experiment as well as a method for processing and analyzing data during scientific investigations.

8^th Grade

The purpose of Wedgewood Park International School’s 8^th Grade Science curriculum is to develop scientific inquirers, who can think critically by studying the nature of science and the natural world, develop a cultural awareness of how science affects people around the world and use different modes of communication and reflection to share concepts and ideas. In doing this the students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge required to solve problems and make healthy decisions in the world. Topics covered include the human body systems, astronomy, interactions of matter, cells and heredity.

As students delve into this course they will used an inquiry based process where they will engage in discussions to become knowledgeable citizens, devise arguments to further their thinking abilities, remain open-minded to other ways of looking at the world, and revise explanations or models using logic and evidence. Technology will be utilized as well as other media to communicate, research, study, and demonstrate knowledge of scientific content, which will provide students with multiple opportunities to explore beyond the classroom as they become independent thinkers.

A variety of instructional strategies will be used to encourage students to develop decision making and problem-solving skills including the use of collaborative groups, paired and individual activities. The lens of Scientific & Technical Innovation will be used as students explore the human body specifically digestive processes through the form of a scientific investigation. Students will also investigate a variety of ethical issues regarding the human body using this lens. Finally Scientific & Technical Innovation will be utilized as students plan and carry out a variety of inquiry based investigations. This will include the development of a testable hypothesis, data collection method as well as a method of analysis.