We have so many exciting things to learn this year! I'll do my best to sum it up. This year you'll learn: To look for relationships of cause and effect which enables you to pinpoint mechanisms of nature and allow you to make predictions. To explore how forces can cause changes in motion and are responsible for the transfer of energy and the cycling of matter
This takes place within and between a wide variety of systems, from simple, short-term forces on individual objects to the deep, long- term forces that shape our planet.
Organisms survive and reproduce only to the extent that their own mechanisms and adaptations allow. Evidence for the evolutionary histories of life on Earth is provided through
the fossil record
similarities in the various structures among species
organism development and
genetic similarities across all organisms
Additionally, mechanisms shaping Earth are understood as forces affecting the cycling of Earth’s materials. Questions about cause and effect and the ongoing search for evidence in science, or science’s ongoing search for evidence.
Our first unit we'll be studying is Forces areInteractions Between Matter.
Forces are push or pull interactions between two objects. Changes in motion, balance and stability, and transfers of energy are all facilitated by forces on matter. Forces, including electric, magnetic, and gravitational forces, can act on objects that are not in contact with each other. Scientists use data from many sources to examine the cause and effect relationships determined by different forces. Next, we'll learn about the Earth's Processes.
Earth’s processes are dynamic and interactive and are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among Earth’s systems. Energy from the sun and Earth’s internal heat are the main sources driving these processes. Plate tectonics is a unifying theory that explains crustal movements of the Earth’s surface, how and where different rocks form, the occurrence of earthquakes and volcanoes, and the distribution of fossil plants and animals. Then, we'll be studying about the Structure and Function of Life.
Living things are made of smaller structures, which function to meet the needs of survival. The basic structural unit of all living things is the cell. Parts of a cell work together to function as a system. Cells work together and form tissues, organs, and organ systems. Organ systems interact to meet the needs of the organism. Then, we'll be learning about Reproduction and Inheritance.
The great diversity of species on Earth is a result of genetic variation. Genetic traits are passed from parent to offspring. These traits affect the structure and behavior of organisms, which affect the organism's ability to survive and reproduce. Mutations can cause changes in traits that may affect an organism. As technology has developed, humans have been able to change the inherited traits in organisms which may impact society. Last of all, we'll study the Changes in Species Over Time.
Genetic variation and the proportion of traits within a population can change over time. Additional evidence of change over time can be found in the fossil record, anatomical similarities and differences between modern and ancient organisms and in embryological development.