General Science

Aims/Objectives

The middle school General Science courses are designed to encourage students to recognise, describe, use and apply key scientific ideas to explain abstract phenomena even when they appear in unfamiliar contexts.

Skills

Scientific enquiry has a central place in science because it helps pupils to understand how scientific ideas are developed and because the skills and processes of scientific enquiry are useful in many everyday applications. Scientific enquiry provides opportunities for pupils to consider the benefits and drawbacks of applications of science in technological developments, and in the environment, health care and quality of life. In General Science students:

Test out ideas experimentally
Develop practical skills
Carry out investigative fieldwork
Use collaborative approaches to solving problems
Appreciate the importance of experimental evidence

Assessment

In General Science a wide range of assessment tasks are undertaken by the students, including:

Experiment reports
Experiment design projects
Observation journals
Poster presentations
Lab tests
Informal observations
Research essays
Tests and quizzes
Exams

The following criteria are used to assess the students' work on the above tasks:

A. One World

B. Communication in Science

C. Knowledge and understanding in science

D. Scientific Inquiry

E. Processing Data

F. Attitudes in Science

Students are encouraged to develop their independence as learners through self and peer assessment.

Course Descriptions

In grade 6 students study the following units:

1.   Introduction to Science
2.   Cells
3.   Tissues and Organs
4.   Variation and Classification
5.   Environments
6.   Reproduction
7.   Energy
8.   Forces
9.   Space and the Solar System
10. Matter and Chemical Reactions

In grade 7 students study the following units:

1.   Digestion and Cellular respiration
2.   Breathing and Circulation
3.   Immunity and Disease
4.   Geology
5.   Classifying Matter
6.   Heat
7.   Electricity
8.   Light
9.   Sound

In grade 8 students study the following units:

1.   Magnets
2.   Forces and Speed
3.   Pressure and Leverage
4.   Chemicals and Reactions
5.   Metals and Reactivity
6.   Acids and Bases
7.   Inheritance and Selection
8.   Ecology and Evolution
9.   Plants and the Biosphere