Course Description
This course brings together some of the most fascinating sciences—general, physical, earth, and life sciences—essential for investigating the world. After learning common measurement systems and the essentials of lab safety, students are ready to apply the scientific method to everyday situations such as a broken lamp or a hungry dog. Students learn about matter and energy, and about electromagnetic waves and the electromagnetic spectrum, focusing on the properties of visible light. Earth itself becomes the focus as students study the different geologic eras in Earth’s history, the parts of the planet, and phenomena including earthquakes and volcanoes. Delving into Earth’s past, students examine the fossil record and discover the clues it provides about the histories of numerous species and how they adapted to their environments. Students learn how species change over time through mutation and natural selection. Finally, students explore food webs, the roles of different organisms in an ecosystem, and the reasons that preserving Earth’s limited natural resources through conservation efforts are imperative.

Course Breakdown

Geological dating
Pangaea
Plate tectonics
Formation of mountains
Volcanoes and earthquakes
Paleontology
Taxonomy
Invertebrates
Fish
Amphibians and reptiles Birds and mammals
Evolution
Primates
Genetics
Mutations
Asexual and sexual reproduction
Trophic levels
Producers and consumers
Food chains and webs
Endangered species

Course Goals
Describe the changes that have affected Earth’s surface over its history.
Summarize the movement of the crust and mantle and explain how that leads to the formation of mountains.
Compare the causes and effects of volcanoes and earthquakes.
Explain how fossils form and describe the information scientists can learn from them.
Distinguish between the characteristics of invertebrates and vertebrates. Summarize the basic principles of evolution.
Demonstrate how the characteristics of an organism are determined by genetics.
Compare sexual and asexual reproduction.
Explain how energy cycles through an ecosystem.
Describe the impact humans can have on the health of the environment.