Course: IB MYP Year 1 Grade 6

CARVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Course: IB MYP Year 1 Grade 6

Teacher: H. Louise Abraham

Year: 2011-2012

Course Description: This class is designed to help students develop a way of knowing and working in a scientific way. Students will be involved in acquiring both practical and intellectual skills that will enable them to understand the main scientific ideas and the way science and scientists work. The students' experience in the classroom and their participation in scientific investigations includes: Analyzing, classifying, communicating, controlling variables, defining, evaluating, experimenting, hypothesizing, inferring, inquiring, interpreting data, measuring, modeling, observing, predicting, recognizing patterns, recording, synthesizing, using numbers, and using time-space relationships.

Our aims are: The aims of any MYP subject and of the personal project state in a general way what the teacher may expect to teach or do, and what the student may expect to experience or learn. In addition, they suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

The aims of the teaching and study of MYPsciences are to encourage and enable students to:

1.  develop curiosity, interest and enjoyment towards science and its methods of inquiry

2.  acquire scientific knowledge and understanding

3.  communicate scientific ideas, arguments and practical experiences effectively in a variety of ways

4.  develop experimental and investigative skills to design and carry out scientific investigations and to evaluate evidence to draw a conclusion

5.  develop critical, creative and inquiring minds that pose questions, solve problems, construct explanations, judge arguments and make informed decisions in scientific and other contexts

6.  develop awareness of the possibilities and limitations of science and appreciate that scientific knowledge is evolving through collaborative activity locally and internationally

7.  appreciate the relationship between science and technology and their role in society

8.  develop awareness of the moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental implications of the practice and use of science and technology

9.  observe safety rules and practices to ensure a safe working environment during scientific activities

10.  engender an awareness of the need for and the value of effective collaboration during scientific activities

You will begin to embody the IB Learner Profile as you display the following qualities: inquirer, knowledgeable, thinker, communicator, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-taker, balanced and reflective.

At the core of the MYP program is the unit/ guiding question and the areas of interaction (AOI’s):

There are five AOI’s: approaches to learning, community and service, health and social education, human ingenuity, and environments. For every unit, there will be a guiding/unit question and an area of interaction that will provide a framework and give our classroom a context. The areas of interaction are the fuel that fires our intellectual pursuit. The following are our units:

Title / AOI / Question / Topic / Assessment
Safety / Approaches to Learning / How do you know the difference between right and wrong? / Safety / Criterion A
Criterion C
Criterion F
Technology / Approaches to Learning
Human Ingenuity
Environment / In what way does technology affect your everyday life? / Technology / Criteria: A, B, C, D, E, & F
Introduction to the Microscope / Approaches to Learning
Human ingenuity / What effect does the microscope have on your daily health? / Introduction to the Microscope / Criterion A
Criterion B
Diversity of life / Community and Service
Approaches to Learning / Why should I look for stuff I cannot see? / Diversity of life / Criterion C
Criterion F
Metrics / Approaches to Learning
Human Ingenuity / Why is it important to have a standard measurement system? / Metrics / Criterion A
Criterion B
Criterion E
Variables / Human Ingenuity
Approaches to learning / How are systems useful in your everyday life? / Variables / Criterion C
Criterion D
Criterion E
Cells / Human Ingenuity
Health and Social Educ / How are plants and animals related? / Cells / Criterion A
Criterion B
Physical science-periodic table of elements / Environment and Health and Social Education / What’s the matter with you? / Periodic Table / Criterion B
Criterion C
Criterion D
Plants / Environment
Health and Social Educ / What environmental issues do you think affects your life most?. / Plants / Criterion B
Criterion C
Criterion F

At the end of the year, the following IB MYP specific objectives will be covered:

Objectives

The objectives of any MYP subject and of the personal project state the specific targets that are set for learning in the subject. They define what the student will be able to accomplish as a result of studying the subject.

These objectives relate directly to the assessment criteria found in the “Sciences assessment criteria” section.

A One world

This objective refers to enabling students to gain a better understanding of the role of science in society. Students should be aware that science is a global endeavour and that its development and applications can have consequences for our lives.

One world should provide students with the opportunity to critically assess the implications of scientific developments and their applications to local and/or global issues.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·  explain the ways in which science is applied and used to address specific problems or issues

·  discuss the effectiveness of science and its application in solving problems or issues

·  discuss and evaluate the moral, ethical, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental implications of the use of science and its application in solving specific problems or issues.

B Communication in science

This objective refers to enabling students to become competent and confident when communicating information in science. Students should be able to use scientific language correctly and a variety of communication modes and formats as appropriate. Students should be aware of the importance of acknowledging and appropriately referencing the work of others when communicating in science.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·  use scientific language correctly

·  use appropriate communication modes such as verbal (oral, written), visual (graphic, symbolic) and communication formats (laboratory reports, essays, presentations) to effectively communicate theories, ideas and findings in science

·  acknowledge the work of others and the sources of information used by appropriately documenting them using a recognized referencing system.

C Knowledge and understanding of science

This objective refers to enabling students to understand scientific knowledge (facts, ideas, concepts, processes, laws, principles, models and theories) and to apply it to construct scientific explanations, solve problems and formulate scientifically supported arguments.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·  recall scientific knowledge and use scientific understanding to construct scientific explanations

·  apply scientific knowledge and understanding to solve problems set in familiar and unfamiliar situations

·  critically analyse and evaluate information to make judgments supported by scientific understanding.

D Scientific inquiry

While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of approaches, it is the emphasis on experimental work that characterizes MYP scientific inquiry.

This objective refers to enabling students to develop intellectual and practical skills to design and carry out scientific investigations independently and to evaluate the experimental design (method).

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·  state a focused problem or research question to be tested by a scientific investigation

·  formulate a testable hypothesis and explain it using scientific reasoning

·  design and carry out scientific investigations that include variables and controls, material and/or equipment needed, a method to be followed and the way in which the data is to be collected and processed

·  evaluate the validity and reliability of the method

·  judge the validity of a hypothesis based on the outcome of the investigation

·  suggest improvements to the method or further inquiry, when relevant.

E Processing data

This objective refers to enabling students to collect, process and interpret sufficient qualitative and/or quantitative data to draw appropriate conclusions. Students are expected to develop analytical thinking skills to interpret data and judge the reliability of the data.

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·  collect and record data using units of measurement as and when appropriate

·  organize, transform and present data using numerical and visual forms

·  analyse and interpret data

·  draw conclusions consistent with the data and supported by scientific reasoning.

F Attitudes in science

This objective refers to encouraging students to develop safe, responsible and collaborative working practices in practical science.

During the course, students should be able to:

·  work safely and use material and equipment competently

·  work responsibly with regards to the living and non-living environment

·  work effectively as individuals and as part of a group by collaborating with others.

The methodology or the “how” we will learn:

·  Reading
·  Mini lecture
·  Group Discussions
·  Audio-Visuals
·  Note taking
·  Paired Groups / ·  Cooperative Learning
·  Illustrations
·  Demonstrations
·  Individual & Group Projects (Homo Faber)
·  Experimentation
·  Study trips

Tulsa Public Schools expects that students are able to do certain things. You should be able to:

6th Grade

4th Quarter
Physical Science Unit – Magnets and Motors & Variables Kits
CS1.0 / Physical Properties in Matter – Physical characteristics of objects can be described using shape, size, and mass whereas the materials from which objects are made can be described using color and texture. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives.
CS1.1 / Matter has physical properties that can be measured (i.e., mass, volume, temperature, color, and texture). Changes in physical properties of objects can be observed, described, and measured using tools such as simple microscopes, gram spring scales, metric rulers, metric balances, and Celsius thermometers.
CS1.2 / The mass of an object is not altered due to changes in shape.
CS2.0 / Transfer of Energy – Change from one form of energy to another (i.e., electrical energy to light energy). The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:
CS2.1 / Energy exists in many forms such as heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, and sound. Energy can be transferred in various ways.
CS2.2 / Electrical circuits provide a means of transferring electrical energy when heat, light, and sound are produced (e.g., open and closed circuits).
CS2.3 / Electric currents and magnets can exert a force on each other.
1st and 3rd Quarter
Life Science Unit – Diversity of Life & Paper Technology Kits
CS3.0 / Structure and Function in Living Systems – Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:
CS3.1 / Cells are the building blocks of all organisms (both plants and animals).
CS3.2 / Living systems are organized by levels of complexity (i.e., cells, organisms, and ecosystems).
3rd Quarter
CS4.0 / Populations and Ecosystems – Populations consist of individuals of a species that occur together at a given place and time. All populations living together and the physical factor with which they interact compose an ecosystem. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:
CS4.1 / Organisms within an ecosystem are dependent on one another and on nonliving components of the environment. Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay alive and grow. Energy transfer can be followed in food chains and webs.
CS4.2 / In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources, including food, space, water, air, and shelter. Other relationships may be beneficial.
4th Quarter
Earth/Space Science Unit – Variables Kit
CS5.0 / Structures of the Earth and the Solar System – The earth is mostly rock, three-fourths of its surface is covered by a relatively thin layer of water, and the entire planet is surrounded by a relatively thin blanket of air, and is able to support life. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discover of the following objectives:
CS5.1 / Earth has four main systems that interact: the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere, and the geosphere.
CS5.2 / Water, which covers the majority of the Earth’s surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere in what is known as the water cycle.
CS5.3 / The sun provides the light and heat necessary to maintain life on Earth and is the ultimate source of energy (i.e., producers receive their energy from the sun).
Process Skills – Integrated Into All Content Units
PS1.0 / Process Standard 1: Observe and measure – Observing is the first action taken by the learner to acquire new information about an object, organism, or event. Opportunities for observation are developed through the use of a variety of scientific tools. Measurement allows observations to be quantified. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
PS1.1 / Identify qualitative and/or quantitative changes given conditions (e.g., temperature, mass, volume, time, position, length) before, during, and after an event.
PS1.2 / Use appropriate tools (e.g., metric rulers, graduated cylinders, thermometers, balances, spring scales, stopwatches) when measuring objects, organisms, and/or events.
PS1.3 / Use appropriate System International (SI) units (i.e., grams, meters, liters, degrees Celsius, and seconds); and SI prefixes (i.e., micro-, milli-, centi-, and kilo-) when measuring objects, organisms, and/or events.
PS2.0 / Process Standard 2: Classify - Classifying establishes order. Objects, organisms and events are classified based on similarities, differences, and interrelationships. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
PS2.1 / Using observable properties, place an object, organism, and/or event into a classification system (e.g., dichotomous keys).
PS2.2 / Identify the properties by which a set of objects, organisms, or events could be ordered.
PS3.0 / Process Standard 3: Experiment - Experimenting is a method of discovering information. It requires making observations and measurements to test ideas. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
PS3.1 / Ask questions about the world and design investigations that lead to scientific inquiry.
PS3.2 / Evaluate the design of a scientific investigation.
PS3.3 / Identify variables and/or controls in an experimental setup: independent (tested/experimental) variable and dependent (measured) variable.
PS3.4 / Identify a testable hypothesis for an experiment.
PS3.5 / Design and conduct experiments.
PS3.6 / Recognize potential hazards and practice safety procedures in all science activities.
PS4.0 / Process Standard 4: Interpret and Communicate - Interpreting is the process of recognizing patterns in collected data by making inferences, predictions, or conclusions. Communicating is the process of describing, recording, and reporting experimental procedures and results to others. Communication may be oral, written, or mathematical and includes organizing ideas, using appropriate vocabulary, graphs, other visual representations, and mathematical equations. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
PS4.1 / Report data in an appropriate method when given an experimental procedure or data.
PS4.2 / Interpret data tables, line, bar, trend, and/or circle graphs.
PS4.3 / Evaluate data to develop reasonable explanations and/or predictions.
PS4.4 / Accept or reject hypotheses when given results of an investigation.
PS4.5 / Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
PS5.0 / Process Standard 5: Inquiry - Inquiry can be defined as the skills necessary to carry out the process of scientific or systemic thinking. In order for inquiry to occur, the student must have the opportunity to ask a question, formulate a procedure, and observe phenomena. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.
PS5.1 / Use systematic observations, make accurate measurements, and identify and control variables.
PS5.2 / Use technology to gather data and analyze results of investigations.
PS5.3 / Review data, summarize data, and form logical conclusions.
PS5.4 / Formulate and evaluate explanations proposed by examining and comparing evidence, pointing out statements that go beyond evidence, and suggesting alternative explanations.

Assessment is the term used to measure the students’ demonstrations of learning: