**TRY THE FIRST CLASS FREE WITH COUPON CODE: NEWTOFNAJN18 *THIS CLASS MEETS LIVE BUT IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS A SELF-PACED/PRE-RECORDED CLASS* (message me if you can't find the link) This is a fun, interactive, and rigorous 16-week course which meets once per week! This class can be taken as a stand-alone course (the learners are not required to take all 4 semesters of this curriculum). This course is based on national science standards and includes many hands-on activities. Course Structure: *1 live meeting per week (45 min each); part lecture/part interactive slides and labs *Optional homework or projects will be assigned in the Outschool Classroom and can be turned in within the classroom, or be sent to me in a private message. We will try to do/start these assignments during class as often as possible. COURSE SYLLABUS: Week 1: Making Observations/Scientific Method Nearpod slides and activities Observation Activity Design your own Mini-Experiment/Lab Report Week 2: Making Observations/Scientific Method- PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Design your own Mini-Experiment/Lab Report Quiz Week 3: Characteristics of Living Things Nearpod slides and activities Eye Dilation (homeostasis) Activity Living Things Lab Week 4: Characteristics of Living Things - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Lipid Lab Quiz Week 5: Light and Matter Nearpod slides and activities Electromagnetic Spectrum Foldable Week 6: Light and Matter - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Show and Tell: 3 objects from your house (opaque, translucent, transparent) Weekly quiz Week 7: Animal Cells Nearpod slides and activities Organelle Pictionary Week 8: Animal Cells - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Edible Animal Cell Project Quiz Week 9: Plant Cells Nearpod slides and activities Plant/Animal Cell Foldable Week 10: Plant Cells - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Cell Bingo Weekly quiz Week 11: Photosynthesis Nearpod slides and activities Week 12: Photosynthesis - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Photosynthesis Storyboard (Comic Strip) Weekly quiz Week 13: Cell Cycle (Mitosis) Nearpod slides and activities Mitosis Storyboard (Comic Strip) Week 14: Cell Cycle (Mitosis) - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Virtual Onion Root Cell Lab/Lab Report Quiz Week 15: Cell Cycle (Meiosis) Nearpod slides and activities Meiosis Drawing Week 16: Cell Cycle (Meiosis) - PART 2 Nearpod slides and activities Meiosis Drawing Quiz I also have Sem 2, Sem 3, and Sem 4 of this class available. These are the topics covered in each of my middle school curriculum classes: Sem 1: Scientific Method, Living Things, Light and Matter, Plant/Animal Cells, Organization of Living Things, Photosynthesis, Cell Cycle. Sem 2: Mendel/Genetics, Punnett Squares, DNA, DNA Mutations, Hybrid Organisms, Classification, Intro to Plants, Photosynthesis. Sem 3: What is an Animal?, In/Vertebrates, Skeletal System, Circulatory System, Respiratory System, Nervous System, Digestive System. Sem 4: Rock Cycle, Fossils/Fossil Layer, Plate Tectonics, Clouds, Meteorology, Weather, and Natural Disasters.
List and describe the steps of the scientific method.
Identify and create a model of both animal and plant cells, understand and describe photosynthesis, and be able to identify the steps of the cell cycle.
Nearpod slides and activities
Observation Activity
Nearpod slides and activities
Mini Experiment and Lab Report
Nearpod slides and activities
Eye Dilation (homeostasis) Activity
Living Things Lab
Nearpod slides and activities
*Sem 1 SUPPLIES* Doing the hands-on portion of the labs is not required, however it will definitely make the class more fun for learners! Often you can make substitutions for some items (or only do a portion of the lab) if it is difficult to get some of these items. I usually strive to do labs that only require items commonly found around the home. Turning in your assignments: you can take a picture(s) of your labs/activities and either upload them to the classroom (under the appropriate week’s post), or send it to me privately through Outschool in a message. Weeks 1 & 2: Learners will be asked to design and perform a “mini experiment” at home. This does not have to be elaborate and should not require any outside supplies. Often learners like to perform experiments on their pets (for example, using the steps in the scientific method to find out which toy or food their pets prefer). Details will be discussed during class. Weeks 3 & 4: Some things below can be modified. For example, if you don't have a handheld mirror or flashlight, you can go to your bathroom mirror during this activity and use a cell phone flashlight. If you don't have all 4 colors of food coloring, one or two will suffice. If you can't find chicken liver, you can just do the potato portion of the lab. Day 1: Reaction activity: mirror, flashlight Living Things Lab: chicken liver, potato, hydrogen peroxide, knife, 2 empty water bottles, 2 balloons Weeks 5 & 6: Magic Door Foldable: two sheets of construction paper, card stock, or copy paper (should be two different colors, one can be white), scissors, markers/crayons/colored pencils, pencil. Show and Tell: Bring 3 items to class from your home - one should be transparent (can see through), one should be translucent (can see light through it but can’t see through it), and one should be opaque (can’t see any light through it). Weeks 7 & 8: drawing paper, colored pencils Weeks 9 & 10: Edible Animal Cell: various foods/candies to create an animal cell model. Some learners choose to bake a cake and use different size candies to represent the different animal cell parts/organelles. Other learners choose to do something simple such as putting various candies or foods on a plate and labeling them to represent the different animal cell parts/organelles. Foldable: printer paper (to print pdf), scissors, glue, colored pencils/crayons Bingo card: printer paper (to print pdf) Weeks 11 & 12: Photosynthesis Storyboard: printer paper (to print pdf), colored pencils; storyboards can also be done digitally on a graphic design program of your choice. Weeks 13 & 14: Cell Division Storyboard: printer paper (to print pdf), colored pencils; storyboards can also be done digitally on a graphic design program of your choice. Weeks 15 & 16: Meiosis Drawing: printer paper (to print pdf), colored pencils; this pdf can also be uploaded to a graphic design program and done digitally.
I have a BS degree in Nutrition and Food Science (pre-med track) from Florida State University. I later became a certified middle school science teacher and taught middle school science in the Florida public school system for 5 years. I have been an online ESL and science teacher since 2018. I'm also a "hybrid-homeschool" momma to teenagers :)
12 total ratings, 8 with reviews
This is an excellent class for homeschooled 7th graders. Ms. Newton is...
Great interaction between teacher and students. Lots of material covered...
Ms. Newton is simply fantastic. She is patient, student-centered, and is...