🔬 7th grade Science

Units

1. Unit 1

   ⚛️Atoms & Elements

   Elements versus compounds and mixtures, chemical symbols (H, O, Na, Cl, Fe, Au…), counting atoms in formulas like H₂O and C₆H₁₂O₆, metals and non-metals, and the basics of the periodic table.

   Learning standard: MS-PS1-1 · atoms, elements, compounds and simple molecules

2. Unit 2

   🌲Ecosystems

   Biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem, how they interact, and the limiting factors and carrying capacity that decide how many organisms an ecosystem can support.

   Learning standard: MS-LS2-1; MS-LS2-2 · how resources limit populations and how organisms interact in ecosystems

3. Unit 3

   🦊Food Chains & Energy

   Producers, consumers and decomposers, food chains and webs, how energy shrinks as it passes up a chain (about 10% each step), and what happens when part of a chain changes.

   Learning standard: MS-LS2-3 · energy flowing through food chains and webs

4. Unit 4

   ♻️Cycles & Succession

   How water, carbon and nitrogen are cycled through ecosystems, why cycling supports sustainability, and the difference between primary and secondary succession.

   Learning standard: MS-LS2-3; MS-LS2-4 · matter cycling in ecosystems and how ecosystems change after disturbances

5. Unit 5

   🥣Particles & Mixtures

   The particle theory of matter, the states of matter, pure substances versus mixtures, and homogeneous versus heterogeneous mixtures.

   Learning standard: MS-PS1-4 · particle models of pure substances and mixtures

6. Unit 6

   🌱How Plants Work

   The parts of seed plants and what they do, photosynthesis, gas exchange, transpiration and pollination, and how plant structures suit where a plant grows.

   Learning standard: MS-LS1-6 · plant structures and photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy

7. Unit 7

   ⚗️Chemical Reactions

   Practices signs of chemical reactions, how properties change when new substances form, conservation of mass, and devices that release or absorb thermal energy through reactions.

   Learning standard: MS-PS1-2; MS-PS1-5; MS-PS1-6 · properties change in chemical reactions, atoms are conserved, and reactions can release or absorb energy

8. Unit 8

   ⛰️Earth's Moving Surface

   Practices plate tectonics and evidence from fossils, rocks and continent shapes, the rock cycle, and how processes at different speeds shape Earth's surface, including the Cascade volcanoes.

   Learning standard: MS-ESS2-1; MS-ESS2-2; MS-ESS2-3 · the rock cycle, surface processes at different scales, and evidence for plate motion

9. Unit 9

   🧪Mixtures & Solutions

   Telling pure substances from mixtures, mechanical mixtures from solutions, solutes and solvents, comparing concentration, and choosing separation methods like filtering, evaporation, magnets and distillation.

   Learning standard: MS-PS1-2 · properties such as solubility that tell pure substances and mixtures apart

10. Unit 10

    🔥Particles and Heat

    Solids, liquids and gases in the particle model, faster particles when heated and slower when cooled, melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation, and why mass stays the same in a phase change.

    Learning standard: MS-PS1-4 · how adding or removing thermal energy changes particle motion, temperature and state

11. Unit 11

    ⛏️Resources & Hazards

    Practices why Earth's mineral, energy and water resources are unevenly spread, and how scientists map and forecast hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis, floods and wildfires, with California examples.

    Learning standard: MS-ESS3-1; MS-ESS3-2 · the uneven distribution of Earth's resources, and forecasting natural hazards

12. Unit 12

    🦦Biodiversity & Kelp Forests

    Practices why biodiversity and ecosystem services matter, and how to evaluate solutions that protect ecosystems such as California's kelp forests, wetlands and redwood forests.

    Learning standard: MS-LS2-5 · evaluating solutions that maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services