COURSE DESCRIPTION

In 8th grade Integrated Science, scholars explore the cross cutting concepts of stability and change, as well as scale proportion and quantity, while learning about the relatedness of earth and the universe. The year begins with an introduction to moving objects and Newton's laws with scholars engaging in investigations to gather data around forces and interactions between objects.  Once scholars understand forces between objects, the second unit focuses on noncontact forces that influence phenomena. Students will develop models to describe the role of gravity and discuss how objects can move without being contacted. The second semester starts with an integration of evolution to show the connection between time and scale on earth, which scholars will then use to formulate hypotheses about space.  Finishing up the year, scholars will connect all of the previous units and add a layer of knowledge around waves on earth and in space. They will finish the year with the guiding questions: How do we optimize our resources to continue to live on earth? If we run out of resources, how to we determine if we can live on another planet? What are the physical component that must be evaluated? ​

FORCE AND MOTION

In this unit, scholars explore principles of force, motion, mass, and collisions as they solve a space mystery. ​

MAGNETIC FIELDS

In this unit, scholars investigate how magnets move some objects at a distance, the source of the energy for that movement, and what causes differences in energy and forces involved.

EARTH, MOON, AND SUN

In this unit, scholars investigate where the Moon’s light comes from, what causes the characteristic changes in the appearance of the Moon that we observe, and what conditions are required to view phenomena such as particular moon phases and lunar eclipses.
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education​."

- Martin Luther King, Jr. 

NATURAL SELECTION

In this unit, scholars uncover the mechanisms of natural selection, investigating variation in populations, survival and reproduction, and mutation.

EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

In this unit, scholars learn how to interpret similarities and differences among fossils, they investigate how natural selection can lead to one population becoming two different species, and also investigate evolution over vast periods of time.

LIGHT WAVES

In this unit, scholars gain a deeper understanding of how light interacts with materials and how these interactions affect our world, from the colors we see to changes caused by light from the sun, such as warmth, growth, and damage.