Weather and Climate
5-7 weeks
Units
MS-ESS2-5,
MS-ESS2-6,
MS-ESS3-5,
MS-ETS1-3,
MS-ETS1-4
Is there a connection between population growth and changes in local weather, atmosphere, and water availability?
Solar System and Beyond
4-7 weeks
MS-ESS1-1,
MS-ESS1-2,
MS-ESS1-3
What kind of future space missions should we fund and conduct?
Ecology
6-7 weeks
MS-LS2-1,
MS-LS2-2,
MS-LS2-3,
MS-LS2-4,
MS-LS2-5
What are the environmental impacts of introduced species and what can be done about them?
Geological Processes
6-7 weeks
MS-ESS2-1,
MS-ESS2-2,
MS-ESS2-3,
MS-ESS3-1,
MS-ESS3-2
What geological processes need to be considered when evaluating a site for long-term storage of nuclear waste?
Land, Water, and Human Interactions
5-7 weeks
MS-ESS2-2,
MS-ESS2-4,
MS-ESS3-3,
MS-ETS1-1,
MS-ETS1-2
How do geological processes and human behavior impact our decisions around new construction?
Waves
4-5 weeks
MS-PS4-1,
MS-PS4-2,
MS-PS4-3
How are waves both helpful and harmful?
Reproduction
4-6 weeks
MS-LS1-4,
MS-LS1-5,
MS-LS3-1,
MS-LS3-2
What are the ethical issues involved in using genetic information to make health related decisions?
Body Systems
5-6 weeks
MS-LS1-3,
MS-LS1-8
How do we know if a medicine is safe and effective?
From Cells to Organisms
5-6 weeks
MS-LS1-1,
MS-LS1-2,
MS-LS1-6,
MS-LS1-7
How should we prevent the spread of an infectious disease?
Evolution
6-7 weeks
MS-LS3-1,
MS-LS4-1,
MS-LS4-2,
MS-LS4-3,
MS-LS4-4,
MS-LS4-5,
MS-LS4-6
How are people affected by and affecting evolution?
Biomedical Engineering
3-4 weeks
MS-ETS1-1,
MS-ETS1-2,
MS-ETS1-3,
MS-ETS1-4
How can science and engineering be used to improve the lives of those living with medical conditions?
Fields and Interactions
4-6 weeks
MS-PS2-3,
MS-PS2-4,
MS-PS2-5,
MS-PS3-2,
MS-ETS1-1,
MS-ETS1-2,
MS-ETS1-3,
MS-ETS1-4
How do the characteristics of fields help us design solutions for transport?
Chemistry of Materials
4-5 weeks
MS-PS1-1,
MS-PS1-3,
MS-PS1-4
What is the environmental impacts of producing, using, and disposing of materials?
Chemical Reactions
4-5 weeks
MS-PS1-2,
MS-PS1-5,
MS-PS1-6
How do people use chemical reactions to solve problems like waste disposal?
Force and Motion
5-7 weeks
MS-PS2-1,
MS-PS2-2,
MS-PS3-1,
MS-ETS1-1
How can we reduce the risk of motor vehicle accidents?
Energy
5-7 weeks
MS-PS3-3,
MS-PS3-4,
MS-PS3-5,
MS-ETS1-4
How can people manipulate energy transfer and transformation to use energy more efficiently?
Earth's Resources
4-6 weeks
MS-ESS1-4,
MS-ESS3-1,
MS-ESS3-4
How is a growing human population affecting the use and availability of natural resources?
Genetics
2nd
5-7 weeks
asexual and sexual reproduction,
heredity,
probability,
nature and nurture,
DNA fingerprinting
What are the ethical issues involved in using genetic information?
Ecology
2nd
5-7 weeks
introduced species,
classification,
energy flow in food webs,
populations,
habitats,
producers,
consumers,
predatory,
prey,
carrying capacity
What can the introduction of a new species do to an ecosystem?
Cell Biology and Disease
2nd
8-10 weeks
microscopy,
cell structure and function,
microbes,
disease,
antibiotic resistance,
emerging diseases,
epidemiologist
What can you do to reduce the risk of catching an infectious disease?
Waves
2nd
3-4 weeks
longitudinal waves,
transverse waves,
mechanical waves,
electromagnetic waves,
wave properties,
sound,
light,
reflection,
transmission,
absorption,
sound intensity,
dangers of UV radiation
How can waves be hazardous to your health?
Evolution
2nd
3-5 weeks
adaptation,
competition,
endangered species,
extinction,
fossil record,
geological time,
law of superposition,
mutation,
variation,
natural selection
What are the trade-offs in deciding whether or not to save endangered species or to re-create an extinct one?
Studying Materials Scientifically
2nd
3 weeks
lab safety,
handling hazardous materials,
physical properties,
chemical properties,
density,
identifying unknown substances
How should hazardous materials be handled?
Bioengineering
2nd
4-5 weeks
design parameters,
bioengineering,
invention,
prosthesis,
prototype,
technology
How are new solutions developed for problems in life science?
Chemistry of Materials
2nd
7-9 weeks
physical properties,
chemical properties,
elements and compounds,
the Periodic Table,
chemical reactions,
conservation of mass
When you buy a new product, do you think about what materials it's made of? What will happen when you no longer have need for it?
Body Works
2nd
6-7 weeks
body systems structure and function,
skeletal,
circulatory,
respiratory,
excretory,
reproductive,
digestive,
muscular
How do our choices affect our health?
Force and Motion
2nd
7-8 weeks
Newton's laws,
inertia,
force,
mass,
acceleration,
speed,
friction,
experimental design,
automobile safety
How can we reduce the risks of motor vehicle accidents?
Studying People Scientifically
2nd
4 weeks
observation,
hypothesis,
data collection,
evidence,
experimental design,
variable,
placebo,
nervous system
How should drugs be tested to make sure they are safe and effective?
Energy
2nd
8-9 weeks
energy transfer,
energy transformations,
types of energy,
electrical currents,
measuring energy,
energy efficiency
What energy improvement should a family invest in to make their home more energy efficient?
Water
2nd
9-10 weeks
water quality,
elements and compounds,
atoms and molecules,
mixtures and solutions,
solubility,
particle theory of matter,
acids and bases
What does your community do to make its water safe to drink? Whose responsibility is it?
Weather and Atmosphere
2nd
6-7 weeks
water cycle,
clouds,
sun as a source of energy,
oceans affect climate,
atmosphere,
global patterns
Is the growth of Sunbeam City affecting its weather, atmosphere, and water availability?
Exploring Space
2nd
5 weeks
solar system,
planetary motion,
gravity
What kinds of future space missions should we conduct?
The Earth in Space
2nd
5 weeks
Earth,
moon,
day and year length,
moon phases,
seasons,
axial tilt
Would a different type of calendar be better? If so, why?
Plate Tectonics
2nd
5 weeks
Earth's history,
earthquakes,
volcanoes,
plate tectonics,
mountain building,
continental drift
Which site would you recommend for storing nuclear waste?
Rocks and Minerals
2nd
5 weeks
rock cycle,
rock formation,
minerals,
observation,
natural resources
How do diamonds produced in a lab compare to diamonds mined from the Earth?
Studying Soil Scientifically
2nd
4 weeks
observation,
hypothesis,
data collection,
evidence,
experimental design,
variable,
soil composition,
soil fertility
Why aren't our plants growing in the school garden?
Erosion and Deposition
2nd
5 weeks
topography,
erosion,
deposition,
landforms
Which areas of Boomtown are safest for construction?