Curriculum > Science Department
Science Department
- Instructional Supervisor: Robin Young Ames
- Science teachers: Beth Carlson; Keith Casey; Jim Cox; Tammy Juarez; Lori Lester; Annie Yount
6th Grade:
Students engage in hands-on discovery and research activities focusing on the scientific method. Students will be asked to synthesize their experiences through writing, and through individual or group projects. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in fieldtrips.
7th Grade: Human Biology / Adolescent Skills
This is a one-year, activity-based course that studies both the scientific and social aspects of human life. From the scientific perspective, students study cells, genetics, evolution, the nervous system (including the effects of drugs and refusal skills), the skeletal system, the circulatory system, and the reproductive system. The scientific and social aspects of the course are intertwined throughout the year. As students work through these units, they practice expository reading and expository writing, as well as construct knowledge through exploration/manipulation of materials, inquiry, direct instruction and discussion.
8th Grade: General Science
This one-year course is designed to expose students to basic science concepts in three areas: physics (motion, forces, energy, flight, and simple machines), chemistry (properties of matter, atoms, periodic table, bonding, reactions, and organic chemistry), and astronomy (formation of the universe, galaxies, stars, solar system, moons/satellites, seasons, and tides). Through these units, students practice the scientific method, expository reading, expository writing, and writing with supportive details. Students construct knowledge through exploration and manipulation of materials, inquiry, direct instruction and discussion.
Part of the
Palo Alto Unified School District
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