Grade 7

Grade 7 Activities | Student Site |

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Grade Seven

Marking Period

MSU course

1

September – November

1.Science practice and materials. Students will do and activity “Oobleck –what scientists do?” Oobleck is a green, oozy substance (from “outer space,” in this fictional account) that both begs and eludes description as it initiates students in the nature of inquiry and definition and sparks vigorous debate about its properties.

2. Creating river models using a dripper system and diatomaceous earth, students acquire geological terminology and begin to understand rivers as dynamic, ever-changing systems. They investigate the concepts of erosion, pollution, toxic waste, and human manipulation of rivers, and gain understanding of controlled experimentation.

2

November – January

1.Students learn how wind, temperature, salinity, and density set water into motion. They model how pollution dumped in one location can spread throughout the ocean and predict and analyze routes taken by shipwrecked sailors and the 1990 Nike shoe spill. In “Message in a Bottle,” students create stories to show what they’ve learned

2.Students design and create “Artificial Floating Islands” (AFIs). Many countries including the US use these structures supporting aquatic vegetation as a tool for pollution reduction and habitat restoration. Students will learn about pollution remediation, measurement and data analysis and design and test prototype AFIs for cleaning a polluted lake.

3

February – April

1. Students examine the historical development of the regulation process to obtain governmental approval for new drugs and medicines. They will consider a modern day example using “lily juice,” a hypothetical herbal remedy promoted to increase intelligence. They learn about thresholds, concentration, toxicity, and qualitative and quantitative data. Simulated toxicity tests on rats provide data that can be analyzed to decide whether the product should be distributed.

2. Students will investigate light, color, and how our eyes work. They will experiment with color filters, decipher secret messages—and why an apple looks red. They will use diffraction gratings to appreciate how many “hidden” colors a source gives off, even though our eye perceives only one.

4

April – June

1.Ozone-quest -Students will participate in a debate to support or oppose closing sections of their city to vehicle traffic. They will analyze data on ozone levels and examine effects on human health.

2. Student’s will deepen understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, they learn to detect and consider wavelengths other than visible light. Activities include energy stations, infrared (TV remote); microwave (pager); ultraviolet (black light) and other devices. Students come up with their own tests to see what blocks each wavelength, and what does not.