One of the benefits of teaching at UPCS is that teachers have curricular autonomy. That said, I still follow the Massachusetts State Frameworks when designing my lessons. What changes is the amount of time I can spend on it. It feels like a unique feature of the school because I am already converting lessons I have taught in an hour into week long and even two week long units. The focus on quality of learning takes priority rather than trying to cover everything possible.
When I started teaching the 8th grade, I picked up from cell organelles and structure and moved into genetics. From that point, I followed the Massachusetts State Frameworks. The majority of the content that I teach focuses on biology. I have built in elements of ecology and environmental science when I can.
Most recently we have started some engineering projects and have begun to prepare for the 8th grade science MCAS. We’ve been doing an MCAS starter each day for the past month or so.
8th Grade Units
- Genetics and Evolution
- Scientific Classification
- Adaptations
- Anatomy
- Forest Ecology
- Biodiversity
- Symbiotic Relationships
- Carbon Cycle
- Bridge Building
12 Grade Units
- Tragedy of the Commons
- Local Food Justice and Genetically Modified Organisms
- Sustainable Energy
- Climate Change
- Agriculture and Food Systems
- Current Topics in Environmental Science
- Global Environmental Politics
- Environmental Lobbying
- Water Quality Monitoring
7th Grade Lessons:
- Geodes
- Volcanoes
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Note-taking Skills
- Team Building
- Black Holes
9th Grade Lessons:
- Cell Structure and Organelles
Sources:
MA Sci Frameworks 6-8 Life Science
Mass Science Frameworks Technology and Engineering
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