Christ the King Catholic School
Many and One
7th and 8th Grade Science Curriculum
2016-2017
HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS
The Digestive System
Students trace nutrients as they are processed by the digestive system, pass into the
blood, and are transported to body cells.
The Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Students explore the breathing mechanism: how oxygen enters the body, passes into
the blood, and is transported to body cells, where it combines with digested food to
release energy. An exploration of the transport system—the heart and blood vessels—
focuses on how oxygen and nutrients are transported to body cells and how wastes are
carried away for eventual elimination. Students then use a siphon-pump model to
explore the double-pump action of the heart, which leads to an investigation of heart
rate and the factors that affect it.
The Musculoskeletal System
This series of lessons deals with the use, by the musculoskeletal system, of the energy
released during respiration. Students investigate the nature of joints and how muscles,
bones, and nerves work together.
Diseases, proper nutrition, physical fitness, and health care careers are explored
through the Anchor Activity (a research project), reading selections, and extensions.
Pre- and post-unit assessments are included where appropriate, and informal
assessments are embedded into lessons.
LIGHT
Nature of Light
In these 13 lessons students examine the sources of light, its travel in straight lines,
shadows, and the application of the principles of its travel in a pinhole camera. In the
lessons on color they investigate the electromagnetic spectrum and its visible portion,
colored light, and colored objects. Students also begin developing and evaluating two
models—particle and wave—to explain the behaviors of light they investigate.
Christ the King Catholic School
Many and One
Reflection and Refraction
Students investigate the reflection of light from plane and curved mirrors and the
refraction through various media. They use their experimental data to develop an
understanding of angles of reflection and refraction. Convex and concave lenses are
used to produce images for investigation. Again, the wave and particle models are
compared based on students’ experiments with refraction and reflection.
Using Light
After investigating the images produced by lenses, students use combinations of lenses
to construct simple optical devices, such as a telescope and periscope. They
deconstruct a camera to examine its components and their function. The last lessons of
the unit focus on visual perception of humans and animals, the structure of the human
eye, and communication using light.
The culminating Anchor Activity (a research project) requires students to research and
make a presentation on an optical device, with a focus on the structure and function of
various elements of the device.