PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

1. Presented With appropriate charts, graphs and other representations of changes in a dynamic system (e.g. phase vs temperature, distance vs time, speed vs time) the learner will describe the type and rate of change represented.

2. The learner will test a physical or mathematical model of a pattern, structure or behavior (e.g. energy content of foods, gas laws, conservation of energy and matter, circuit laws, generic probabilities, atomic structures and elements).

3. The learner will access primary and secondary data from a weather satellites and make inferences and predictions that are possible form that data.

4. Given a learner-identified potential problem or idea, the learner will design an investigation of the problem or idea, collect data in the form of surveys and empirical data as a member of a research team, and present the results of the investigation.

5. The learner will compare and contrast diverse structures and their associated functions (e.g. chemical structures, ecosystems, subatomic structures).

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

The learner will:

A. SCIENCE PROCESSES AND SKILLS

1. Develop skills in observing , classifying, predicting, making inferences, measuring, communicating findings to others, and collecting, interpreting and recording data.

2. Engage in scientific experimentation including formulation of hypotheses, decision making skills, drawing conclusions and the development of models.

3. Distinguish necessary science skills that will be useful in the world of work.

4. Describe and recognize the need for a controlled experiment.

5. Analyze the behaviors in science that reflect a search for truth.

B. MOTION AND FORCES

1. Investigate motion in a straight line, recognize situations involving acceleration or constant velocity including acceleration due to gravity and describe motion in one dimension by graphing distance vs time or velocity vs time.

2. Compare the acceleration of an object in a straight path with the experience of trying to keep it moving in a circular path as well as experiencing inertia.

3. Consider the qualitative aspects of forces and changes in motion, simple interactions and observe equal and opposite forces (observing motion under nearly frictionless conditions will provide evidence of Newton's first law).

4. Use spring balances to measure forces, observe the motion of objects of different mass under the action of the same force to gain a qualitative understanding of Newton's second law.

5. Distinguish between forces acting on an object and forces exerted by the object.

6. Learn the basic concepts of a fulcrum and lever.

7. Observe objects dropped from rest to demonstrate that they accelerate due to a downward force called gravity.

8. Observe electrical charges and see that they exist in only two forms (plus and minus). They should observe that two objects of the same material treated the same way to become charged will repel while they are only attracted when treated differently to produce different charges.

9. Investigate the difference between conductors and insulators in terms of their ability to transfer charges.

10. Observe situations involving friction and deduce that when an applied force that produces a constant velocity but zero acceleration, there must be some additional force acting that is equal and opposite which is called friction (they should observe other frictional interactions such as heat).

11. Observe that an unmarked bar magnet suspended at its midpoint revolves to align in a north south direction. They will also observe properties of permanent magnets and visualize magnetic lines of force (use iron filings).

C. CONSERVATION OF ENERGY AND THE INCREASE OF DISORDER

1. Define work in joules as force times distance the objects moves (use only situations where the force and displacement are along the same line and same direction).

2. Understand that work produces energy of motion called kinetic energy and that the effect of a net force on an object is to increase its speed and that work don on the object results only in an observable change of speed.

3. Gain an understanding of potential energy from the standpoint that a force working against an equal gravitational force to lift something has produced no increase in speed, but work has been done on the object by that lifting force. This energy cannot have been lost so it is postulated to have been stored as potential energy in the system.

4. Be able to measure temperatures, know the definition of the calorie, do simple calorimetry experiments and make other simple measurements associated with heat transfer.

5. Understand chemical energy and changes in matter.

6. Investigate the concept of molecules and atoms in relation to vibrations and random motion.

7. Investigate the kinetic theory on a descriptive and qualitative basis leading to an understanding of how gases exert pressure, how temperatures change the volume or pressure of a gas under various conditions.

D. INTERACTIONS OF ENERGY AND MATTER

1. Investigate the properties of waves through the uses of sound, water, light, strings and on a slinky. This will include the properties of displacement, amplitude, wavelength, frequency, period and wave speed.

2. Observe a visible spectrum of light passed through a prism and develop the concept of a spectrum.

3. Work with series circuits that include nonmetal elements to show that most are insulators.

4. Observe that a battery maintains a constant potential difference that lowers slightly when it delivers small currents and ways that electrical energy can be converted to heat or mechanical work (observing heating elements and electric motors).

E. STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF MATTER

1. Determine the mass and volume os solids, liquids and gases and develop the concept of density as a characteristic property.

2. Distinguish pure substances from mixtures as matter that has a single set of characteristic properties, including boiling point, freezing point, density, solubility, viscosity and conductivity.

3. Distinguish matter from energy and determine that matter, as found in nature, consist primarily of mixtures of compounds or elements.

4. Recognize solutions as mixtures and classify mixtures as homogeneous or heterogeneous (they should separate mixtures by various processes, such as chromatography, distillation and crystallization and observe that properties of mixtures vary with relative proportions of the components.

5. Recognize that chemist have grouped elements with similar properties into families and arrange them into the periodic table.

6. Classify or group elements according to physical and chemical characteristics and learn the names of common elements and their symbols.

7. Interpret chemical formulas in terms of the kinds and numbers of particles they contain and represent structural models to show particles bonding with each other.

8. Determine the mass, volume and density of a substance in each of its states and explain the changes using the particle model.

9. Observe phase changes in water, with measurements of mass, volume, density and temperature.

10. Observe the physical properties of useful organic chemicals, such as the viscosity of lubricating oils, the hardness and melting points of plastics, and the solubility of gas and oils.

11. Observe simple organic compounds and name and write formulas for them (it is important that experience precede terminology ). They will investigate the properties of carbon compounds useful to humans such as dyes, medicinals, detergents, plastics, perfumes, fabrics, food and fuels.

F. CHEMICAL REACTIONS

1. Observe matter undergoing change and classify the change as chemical or physical from the observation of the products and the energy absorbed or released. They should recognize that mass is conserved when reactions produce a gas or precipitate.

2. Use word equations to represent chemical reactions and be able to use models to show how atoms are conserved in chemical reactions given balanced formula equations.

3. Observe changes in temperature or motion (an explosion) or emission of light indicating that chemical reactions either release energy or absorb energy.

4. Define oxidation as a process in which oxygen combines with another element, distinguishing between fast oxidation as in combustion and slow oxidation as in rusting.

5. Determine an operational definition of acid and base by classifying common household substances that are acids and bases according to their chemical and physical properties.

6. Observe that adding a base will alter the nature of an acid solution and adding an acid will alter a basic solution.

7. Observe several physical and chemical changes that occur at different rates and that factors that affect the rate of such changes, types of reacting substances, surface area of reactants, temperature and concentration.

8. Examine why temperature, concentration and surface area are important factors in determining reaction rate.

9. Observe examples of catalyst and their effects on chemical reactions.

G. STRUCTURE OF ATOMS

1. Observe direct electrical properties of matter, such as static electricity and conductivity.

2. Relate electrical properties of matter in a qualitative way to an atomic model where the atom consist of a nucleus containing most of the mass and with a positive charge, around which move enough electrons to make the atom electrically neutral.

H. THE CELL

1. Observe the difference between plant and animal cells and understand how we know that the cell is the fundamental unit of all organisms.

2. Examine the distinctions among the most important organelles - nucleus, ribosome, mitochondrion and chloroplast then compare cell functions with human body functions.

3. Observe chloroplast of plant cells and investigate how cells in green plants trap sunlight and convert light energy into the chemical-bond energy of sugar that is used by all living things.

I. MATTER, ENERGY AND ORGANIZATION IN LIVING SYSTEMS

1. Explore the concepts of food chain and food web and how these relate to energy transference in an ecosystem.

J. BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

1. Explore homologies of animals that reveal common ancestry and also consider how structures without a common evolutionary origin can be similar in function but not structure.

2. Explore the rock cycle and how fossil rocks form as well as examining common fossils of plants and animals and the process of fossil formation dealing with replacement of remains, fossil traces and original remains.

3. Understand how organisms can be categorized based on similar characteristics and that a series of these categories, each of which is called a taxon, makes up a classification system (learn the hierarchy at the kingdom level - plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and protist).

4. Observe variations found among individuals of the same species, understanding how certain variations enhance the survival of organisms in their environment.

5. Explore adaptive connections of organisms with their niches and habitats.

K. ENERGY IN THE EARTH SYSTEM

1. Show evidence to support plate tectonics and how it is connected to other areas of science.

2. Understand concepts of convection of large masses of material within the Earth also in regards to air and water masses on the Earth's surface.

3. Be familiar with the concepts of radiation, conduction, evaporation, latent heat, density, climate, weather, water masses, currents, salinity, heat capacity of water, ecosystems and habitats.

L.THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE

1. Identify actual objects in the sky, colors of stars, black holes, novas, and supernovas by using star charts.

2. Understand on a descriptive and empirical level, experiments dealing with the inverse square law of light emission spectroscopy (use of flame test to identify common elements).