This course is designed for students that are in a co-taught classroom environment that will be actively engaged in a comprehensive science program as they enrich their understanding to make sense of the natural world through phenomenon-based instruction and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) of the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS). The co-teaching model will include various instructional strategies to meet the students’ needs during science lessons. Seventh grade students will focus on Physical Science and Life Science. The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) for seventh grade includes: the structure and properties of matter, and chemical reactions. Students will be able to provide molecular level accounts to explain states of matters and changes between states, that chemical reactions involve regrouping of atoms to form new substances, and that atoms rearrange during chemical reactions, structure and function, growth and development of organisms, organization for matter and energy flow in organisms, and Information Processing. Students can gather information and use this information to support explanations of the structure and function relationship of cells. Students are also able to apply an understanding of the design and the process of optimization in engineering to chemical reaction systems. Students can construct an explanation for how environmental and genetic factors affect growth of organisms. Students can connect this to the role of animal behaviors in reproduction of animals as well as the dependence of some plants on animal behaviors for their reproduction. The CCCs infused in this course are patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, systems and system models, structure and function, energy and matter, and stability and change. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in SEPs by developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, planning and carrying out investigations, designing solutions, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students will be introduced to various STEM careers while in grades K-12. The content from this course will be assessed on the new 8th grade Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA). This course is designed to facilitate learning outcomes appropriate to the instructional needs of students who can benefit from instructional practices and strategies based on learning styles and individual needs. The general education teacher will teach this class in collaboration with a special educator to ensure that all students have access to the general education curriculum.
