7th Grade Science

Course Overview:

The GMS science curriculum emphasizes “Great Ideas in Science”, ideas that changed the way we understand the world.  Each year focuses on different content areas and includes a “History of Science” unit that traces our understanding of a concept from ancient times to the present.

7^th grade science emphasizes the structure and organization of life and matter.  The year begins with a structural engineering unit with an emphasis on bridges.  We then move to studying the systems of the human body, with an in-depth look at nutrition and the digestive system.  From this macroscopic perspective, we move on to the smaller scale of cells, and then to genetics.  This leads to an understanding of traits and variations within species, which finishes with a brief look at how species evolve.  We continue shrinking the scale of our study by studying matter and the elements of the periodic table.

Course Goals:

Over-Arching Goal - Inquisitive Minds!

By the end of their 7^th grade year, students will be able to:

• View science as a means of understanding the world.
• Choose a science topic and become an expert on it.
• Communicate scientific concepts clearly (orally, visually and in writing).
• Work cooperatively in teams to achieve a goal.

Course Content

Structural Engineering - Bridges

• Essential Questions: What is a load (force)? How do structures carry loads?
• Major Topics: Engineering drawings, loads, tension and compression, equilibrium
• Projects: Beam, Suspension, Arch, and Truss Bridges

Human Body Systems

• Essential Questions: How is the human body organized?
• Major Topics: 12 systems of the human body
• Project: Body System teaching poster

Digestion and Nutrition

• Essential Questions: Why do we eat? Why does what we eat matter? What happens to food after it enters our mouths?
• Major Topics: Nutrition - nutrients, calories, food groups, food pyramid. Digestion - Gastrointestingal Tract, physical vs. chemical digestion
• Projects: Food Logs/Nutritional Analysis, Nutrient Testing, Calorimeter lab, GI Tract illustration, Digestion Simulation

Cells

• Essential Questions: What are cells? What roles do they play in our bodies?
• Major Topics: Cell Theory, Structure and Functions of Cells, Cell Division
• Projects: Microscope Work, Cell Model, Cell Analogy PowerPoint, DNA molecule model, DNA extraction

Genetics

• Essential Questions:  What makes us who we are? How are traits passed on?
• Major Topics: Traits and variations, Heredity, Dominant and Recessive Genes
• Projects: DNA replication, Family Pedigrees, plant genetics, genetics "aliens"

Evolution

• Essential Questions: How do species change over time?
• Major Topics: Mutations, Natural Selection

Chemical Building Blocks

• Essential Questions: What is the structure of matter? How do we organize elements?
• Major Topics: States of matter, Elements, Periodic Table, Structure of Atoms
• Projects: Oobleck, Element Research, Periodic Table of...

Independent Research Project

• Essential Questions: Student poses a question to research
• Major Topics: Student chooses a topic related to cells, genetics, and/or evolution, extending knowledge beyond what we learn in class
• Project: Student has a variety of options for presenting information including science fair poster, PowerPoint presentation, web page, video, etc.

B.S., Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
M.S., Structural Engineering, Stanford

Laura worked six years in the aerospace industry and nine years in the classroom before joining GMS as a founding faculty member.