6th Grade Science supports the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for 6th Grade as designed by the Texas Education Agency. There are also correlations for reading, language arts, and math objectives contained within the Science curriculum. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) hands-on activities are strongly encouraged. There is a fundamental focus on several broad areas of science topics as follows:
- Life science - cells, animals, plants, body systems and classification
- Physical science forces, motion, energy, waves and matter
- Earth Science and Space - Earth's place in the universe, stars, planets, formation of Earth and it's land forms and plate tectonics
Students will be introduced to the process of the scientific method so that they can complete a required Science project that will be entered in the school science fair. 6th grade science is the final general preparation for more specific science topics that will be taught 7th and 8h grades as well as in high school.
7th Grade Life Science supports the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for 6th Grade as designed by the Texas Education Agency. There are also correlations for reading, language arts, and math objectives contained within the Science curriculum. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) hands-on activities are strongly encouraged. The fundamental topic of 7th Grade science is biology. Students study the basics of life science as it applies to them in everyday life with the main focus being human body systems and how they are affected by the physical world.
Some of the topics covered are:
• Cells and cellular reproduction: mitosis & meiosis
• Cellular respiration and photosynthesis
• Comparison between eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms
• Human body systems such as digestive, nervous, circulatory,
reproductive, muscular-skeletal and excretory systems
As part of the reproductive system, students take part in a Flour Sack Baby project and watch an age appropriate video (In the Womb) about human reproduction. Reproduction is taught from a scientific viewpoint, keeping in mind moral Catholic doctrine and the beliefs of the Catholic church. Research has shown that when students are informed with facts on this topic, they are better prepared to make wise and informed decisions concerning their own life.
8th Grade Science supports the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for 8th Grade as designed by the Texas Education Agency. There are also correlations for reading, language arts, and math objectives contained within the Science curriculum. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) hands-on activities are strongly encouraged. There is a fundamental focus on physical science.
Topics included are:
• Matter
• Chemistry, reactions, mixtures & solutions, periodic table
• Forces & motion
• Energy, energy transformations and Simple Machines
• Sound and Light Waves
• Geologic time and Geology.
It is a goal of St. Catherine to prepare students to be successful in high school science classes and to give them the tools needed to prepare valid experiments with reliable data. Additionally, middle school science will cover a broad array of topics so that they will be able better choose topics of interest in the future.