⭐️General⭐️
This is an ongoing homeroom science class. Stay for the year or jump in at any time. We will be learning through experiments, scientific observation, games, art, nature, videos, writing, listening, speaking and group work. The teacher will provide optional weekly extension activities and extra practice resources including outdoor activities, art activities, online activities, worksheets and games. In July and August, select sections will continue with special units before the curriculum begins anew in September.


⭐️Topics⭐️

🌿Biology
✔the genetics of reproduction
✔mitosis and meiosis
✔fission, budding, cloning, grafting
✔genetics

🧪️Chemistry
✔the periodic table
✔chemical reactions
✔naming and writing formulas

💡Physics
✔electricity
✔electrical circuits

🌎Earth
✔solar radiation
✔nutrient cycling
✔sustainability


⭐️Class Structure⭐️

✔️Preview: 10 vocabulary words and a short video will be posted to the classroom before our meeting. The preview is optional and recommended. It will provide a good foundation and prerequisite knowledge prior to our class.

✔️New: A new science topic will be taught using a variety of hands-on activities, experiments, and online technologies. Lessons follow a presentation in Nearpod and students are invited to read the slides along with the teacher. The Nearpod presentation is screen-shared and the teacher includes interactive slides and alternative ways to participate through chat and video. Each lesson includes a set of guided notes which match the presentation slides.

✔️Practice: Each week, learners will complete an in-class activity. This is often an experiment, scientific observation or guided drawing.

✔️Extension: Optional extension materials will be suggested to parents for ongoing practice at the parent's discretion. These can be a powerful part of your child’s learning. Please take a look at the sample materials for examples.


⭐️Teaching Methods⭐️
Our educators bring passion for the natural world, the human world, the technological world and the bridges between them. We lead children on their quest for knowledge, inspire them to create and imagine anew, and to guide them as they carve out their purpose in life. We foster human beliefs and systems that support a peaceful and sustainable future for people and the planet. Our approach to education is hands-on, literacy-based and interdisciplinary. We help students develop the skills, confidence and curiosity to be lifelong learners. You can expect experiments, scientific observation, games, art, nature, videos, writing, listening, speaking and group work.


⭐️Interaction⭐️
Learners will interact with each other and the teacher through discussion, reading, and sharing of creative projects.


⭐️Prior Knowledge⭐️
Learners will be expected to have a strong understanding of 8th Grade science concepts. Learners are encouraged to watch a related short video and review vocabulary posted to the classroom each week prior to the class.


⭐️Topics by Week 2024-2025⭐️

GENETICS: ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION (6 lessons)
Week 1: September 1-7 | Genetics and Reproduction
Week 2: September 8-14 | The Process of Mitosis
Week 3: September 15-21 | Binary Fission in Microorganisms
Week 4: September 22-28 | Budding in Yeasts and Other Organisms
Week 5: September 29-5 | Spore Formation and Vegetative Propagation

GENETICS: SEXUAL REPRODUCTION (6 lessons)
Week 6: October 6-12 | Meiosis and Sexual Reproduction
Week 7: October 13-19 | Intro to Genetics
Week 8: October 20-26: Mendelian Genetics
Week 9: October 27-November 2: Genetic Disorders and Inheritance Patterns
Week 10: November 3-9: Epigenetics: Environmental Influences on Genetics
Week 11: November 10-16: Genetic Engineering

ELEMENT PROPERTIES AND THE PERIODIC TABLE (6 Lessons)
Week 13: November 17-23: Overview of the Periodic Table and Atomic Structure

THANKSGIVING WEEK OFF

Week 14: December 1-7: Atomic Size, Metals, Non-Metals, and Metalloids
Week 15: December 8-14: Chemical Families and Periodic Trends
Week 16: December 15- 21: Diatomic Elements and Their Properties

WINTER HOLIDAY (2 Weeks)
 
Week 17: January 5-11: Ionic and Covalent Bonds: Formation and Characteristics
Week 18: Naming and Writing Formulas for Chemical Compounds

CIRCUITS AND ELECTRICAL PRINCIPALS (6 Lessons)
Week 19: Basics of Electrical Circuits and Components
Week 20: Series vs. Parallel Circuits
Week 21: Understanding Voltage, Current, and Resistance
Week 22: Ohm’s Law and Its Application
Week 23: AC vs. DC: Differences and Uses
Week 24: Safety in Electrical Systems

SOLAR RADIATION, MATTER CYCLES AND SUSTAINABILITY (12 Lessons)
Week 25: The Effects of Solar Radiation on Earth
Week 26: Solar Energy and the Water Cycle
Week 27: The Carbon Cycle and Climate Change
Week 28: The Nitrogen Cycle: Basics and Importance
Week 29: The Phosphorus Cycle and Ecosystems
Week 30: Human Impacts on Biogeochemical Cycles
Week 31: Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
Week 32: Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Mitigation
Week 33: Deforestation and Its Global Impact
Week 34: Sustainable Practices for Environmental Conservation
Week 35: The Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
Week 36: Sustainability and Future Challenges


⭐️About the Teachers⭐️

Ms Jacquie is a certified teacher with degrees in biology, international relations and education. She has worked in education for over 15 years with teaching specialties in sciences and humanities. She has experience in public education, private education and as a homeschool parent inspired by Waldorf, Charlotte Mason and Traditional philosophies. Her goals as an educator are to support children on their quest for knowledge, to inspire them to create and imagine, and to guide them as they carve out their purpose in life. Her approach to education is hands-on, literacy-based and interdisciplinary.