Life Science for Middle School
Mrs. Victoria Laird, M.S.
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(11)
Explore the wonders of life including cells, diversity, adaptations, genetics, habitats, photosynthesis, species, ecosystems, and more in this engaging middle school course, designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a love for science.
Class experience
US Grade 6 - 8
Beginner - Intermediate Level
Topic & Teaching Schedule: Week 1 - Cells Week 2 - Body Systems Week 3 - Inheritance Week 4 - Mutations Week 5 - Adaptations Week 6 - Artificial Selection Week 7 - Natural Selection Week 8 - Fossil Record Week 9 - Other Evidence for Evolution Week 10 - Ecosystems (Part 1) Week 11 - Ecosystems (Part 2) Week 12 - Biotechnology Structure of the Class: In my dynamic classroom, students dive into a myriad of learning experiences, from live debates and hands-on projects to intriguing...
Learning goals for this class are based on the National Next Generation Science Standards and the Utah Science and Engineering Education Standards. Students will learn the following: - How to investigate and gather evidence for the basic structures of living things. - Focus on the structure and function of various levels of organization within a living thing. - Communicate and give evidence for specific adaptations that affect the survival of different species. - Model how mutations and genetic diseases come to be. - Investigate technologies and processes that affect traits in living things. - Describe how genetic variations can change throughout time. - Interpret data from the fossil record that show the diversity and change of life throughout the history of the Earth. - Identify patterns in organisms that have similar body structures. - Understand and predict how and why populations of living things increase or decrease depending on their environment.
I have a masters in Earth Science science and I have taught integrated science at the middle school level as well as high school Biology, Wildlife Biology, and Zoology. During the last two years, I have worked as a Science Specialist for a large school district in Utah, supporting teachers and administration in science education.
Homework Offered
Students will be required to complete 20-30 min of homework, reading, activities, etc. per each live lesson (totaling about 1 hour per week). These will be assigned before the end of each live class, if needed.0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Assessments will be given as an indication of how well a student is learning the content and skills for the class and to help me continuously develop a better curriculum. Students will be assigned a number on a proficiency scale* that lets the student, parent, and teacher know how the student is doing. Each assignment will have a rubric attached to it letting the student, parent, and teacher know the expectations for the assessment. Assessments may be multiple choice, free response, modeling, or many other types. Most assessments will be taken in class, but some may be at-home projects. Assessment retakes and/or revisions will be provided and encouraged. *See Grading Policy for our Proficiency ScaleGrades Offered
Grades will be provided by default to all learners. If students do not want their student graded or to not have access to their grades, please let me know. Grades allow students, parents, and myself to understand where the student is at in their learning. For each assignment or assessment, students will receive a "grade" according to the rubric below. 0 - The student demonstrates no evidence of learning. 1 - The student demonstrates a minimal understanding of the concept. 2 - The student demonstrates a partial understanding of the concept. 3 - The student demonstrates a complete understanding of the concept.
1 pencil with an eraser 1 notebook, lined 1 pack of colored pencils, colored pens, markers, or crayons
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
We will be covering the basics of evolution changes in species over time, artificial selection, and asexual vs sexual reproduction. See descriptions below for more information on each topic. Evolution - In this course we will be covering changes in species over time and evidence for evolution including embryology, genetic comparisons, fossil record, etc. We do mention human evolution, but only concerning evidence from the fossil record. Artificial Selection - We will talk about human ability to change species over time through artificial selection. This will include animal mate selection for desired traits (such as horse or dog breeding) and the possibility of "designer babies" in the future. Asexual vs Sexual Reproduction - We will be talking about the differences between asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction only in the sense that one type requires one parent that shares all of its DNA to its offspring and the other type requires two parents that share a mixture of DNA to their offspring. Sperm and egg may be mentioned, but strictly as cells that provide genetic information.
I will be referencing the Utah Science Curriculum Consortium's SEEd Storylines and Jordan School District's (Utah) open-source curriculum. Both are created by certified expert teachers. If you would like more information please see https://www.seedstorylines.org/ https://middlescience.jordandistrict.org/7th-8th-grade-exemplary-units/
Average rating:5.0Number of reviews:(11)
Hi there! I'm an enthusiastic science teacher, committed to sparking curiosity and making learning enjoyable. From middle school to high school classrooms, even extending my reach to mentoring teachers in Utah, I've consistently striven to present...
Group Class
$20
weekly or $240 for 12 classes1x per week, 12 weeks
50 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
2-6 learners per class
