Course Description
Textbook: Interactive Science: Introduction to Chemistry. Pearson Education, Inc. 2011
Science Explorer: Electricity and Magnetism. Prentice Hall. 2005
Additional Resource:Science Explorer: Chemical Building Blocks. Prentice Hall. 2005
Overview:
The Science curriculum at St. James Academy is delivered in three basic formats; lecture and experimentation using multi-sensory learning approaches. Success at varying ability levels encourages positive attitudes and interest toward science. Science experiences are designed to increase awareness of self and surroundings through a discovery approach.
Students work in cooperative groups to model real life scientific experiences that are activity, inquiry, and project based to solve problems, promote interaction, and develop collaborative skills. By encouraging exploration and open-ended investigation, students enrich their research skills, problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making, while covering grade level content and concept. Integration of IB MYP philosophy enhances global awareness, community, caring, environmental responsibility, and encourages a belief in the relevance of scientific study to daily life.
Topics Covered:
Chesapeake Bay “A Step Back in Time”; Magnetism/Electricity “CHARGE- Beep, Beep!”; Chemistry “Chemically Enhanced”; Drugs/Brain Involvement “Banned in the U.S.A.”; and Motion “Rolling Roller Coasters”; Heath and Social Education Abstinence and STD's (Spring 2012)
Formative Assessment:
Class work, homework, quizzes, oral games, written and/or oral reflections, experiments, exit tickets, drills, lab work.
Summative Assessment:
Unit tests, mid-term and final exams, MYP projects
Areas of Interaction:
ATL’s: Note taking, knowledge acquisition skills, application of knowledge, analyzing skills, observation skills, communication skills, integrating and summarizing skills, scientific inquiry skills, hypothesizing, evaluation skills, collaboration, integrity, responsibility, and reflection
Community & Service: Project based - Growing bay grasses and replanting in the Bay; organizing individual and group responses to community needs
Human Ingenuity: Appreciate the nature of scientific inquiry and real life scientific endeavor; Electricity use and evaluation of its social and ethical impact
Environments: One World Our Earth; Analyzing concepts, principles, and issues related to sustainability
Health & Social Education: Brain involvement and drugs: developing public service announcement educating others on the affects of drugs
IB MYP Year 3 Aims and Objectives:
At the end of the Year 3, students should be able to:
• give examples of science and scientific applications and discuss some of their positive and/or negative effects on people, societies and the environment;
• understand and use scientific language relevant to the units of work covered;
• use where appropriate information and communication technology applications (World Wide Web, data loggers, databases, spreadsheets and/or software for plotting graphs) to access, process and communicate scientific information;
• draw conclusions supported by explanations that are consistent with analysis of data;
• describe and explain ways in which science is applied and used to solve local and global problems;
• organize and transform data into numerical and diagrammatic forms, including mathematical calculations and visual representation (tables, graphs and charts);
• demonstrate understanding of basic scientific language by using appropriate scientific terminology, units of measurement and symbolic representation;
• provide scientific information using appropriate modes of communication: oral, written, visual representation (formulae, graphs, tables, diagrams);
• work effectively as members of a team, by collaborating, acknowledging, and supporting others as well as ensuring a safe working environment;
• show respect for themselves and others, and deal responsibly with the living and non-living environment;
• develop inquiring minds and curiosity about science and the natural world;
• acquire knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills to solve problems and make informed decisions in scientific and other contexts;
• formulate an hypothesis and explain it using logical scientific reasoning;
• design scientific investigations that include variables and controls, material/equipment needed, a method to be followed, data to be collected and suggestions for its analysis;
• appreciate the benefits and limitations of science and its application in technological developments.