2024-2025 Course Flipbook v2 - Flipbook - Page 18
SCIENCE 8: FORCE AND IMPACT
Science 8 students explore the question, “How can science bring about a more innovative
and also sustainable world?” Students begin by learning how climate, extreme weather,
and pollution impact local and global
communities within the framework of the
UN Sustainability Goals. In conjunction with
the 8th grade trip to Costa Rica, students
participate in a mini Model UN conference
in their classroom to propose resolutions
to environmental issues they witnessed
abroad, such as plastic pollution. Students
build circuits and launch their own water
rockets, learning how the concepts of
electricity, energy, and forces can be
used for innovative design. Throughout
the year, students hone their skills in scienti昀椀c writing as they analyze their design and
experimentation challenges. The year culminates in a student-driven independent
project that ties together various skills from their years in middle school science.
BIOLOGY
SCIENCE
How has the great diversity of life developed through the process of evolution? Does
biology determine who we are as individuals? This inquiry-based course explores
the underlying processes that connect all living organisms. Students investigate the
natural world and the amazing diversity within it. They will also learn about human body
systems, trace the inheritance of differences and disorders, and unpack dilemmas that
confront us in the age of biotechnology. Students design multiple experiments
and conduct observations to practice the skills of biologists. The overarching
goal of the course is to understand humanity’s relationship with the environment
and all living organisms as well as body systems and genetics, so students are
equipped to make well-informed decisions about these topics. The focus of this
course is on the application of concepts, illustrated through data collection and
analysis of results and evidence, with emphasis on improving scienti昀椀c writing and
communication skills. Students showcase these skills in culminating experiences
that include dissections, multiple experiments which range from design to a 昀椀nal
research lab report, and debates around controversial dilemmas such as the use
of genetically-modi昀椀ed organisms.
CHEMISTRY
When you bake bread, various chemical reactions take place, producing gas to
make a 昀氀uffy dough, new 昀氀avors to create the taste, and a nice crust for texture.
The world around us is full of chemistry, and this course is designed to help us
discover this via the scienti昀椀c method. Throughout the year, students will learn
about the subatomic behaviors of atoms and molecules through the lens of
both food science and environmental science. Some concepts applied through
those lenses include atomic and molecular structure, chemical reactions, and
solutions. There is a strong focus on lab-based inquiry work, as well as application
to everyday phenomena. Some example projects and labs may include analyzing
unknown food dyes in Kool-Aid, synthesizing biodiesel, determining ingredient
