Longfellow Middle School Science Program

Inspiring excellence and meeting the needs of all learners

Units of Study•Ecology (Understanding our environment)

•Observing Living Things

•Heredity and Diversity

Same curriculum for all levels of students

• Through inquiry• Qualitative versus Quantitative

Observations• Experimental design using metric system• Analysis of real life situations and

problems• Guided and independent practice• Depth and complexity for all students

• Class meets every day with lab activities usually twice weekly

• Work in cooperative groups of 2 to 4 students

• Nightly homework usually started in class• Grade based on assessments (formative

and summative), lab work/projects and homework.

• No 7th grade science SOL but there is a final test

• Students will investigate the interdependence of life in an ecosystem.– Differentiate between populations, communities,

ecosystems, and biomes.

– Construct a model aquatic ecosystem.

– Investigate limiting factors on a population.

– Describe the processes of photosynthesis and respiration.

– Trace the flow of energy from the sun through a food web.– Compare the water, carbon dioxide/oxygen, and nitrogen

cycles.

– Give examples of how a change in the population of one organism may affect the population of other organisms.

Model Ecosystems

Student using microscope to observe protists from model aquatic ecosystem.

Integrating Technology

• More flexibility with the scheduling of students into their first choice classes;

• More common student body demographics per team for data comparison, team teacher collaboration, and evaluation purposes;

• More opportunities for turnaround teaching;• Greater breadth and depth of student discourse in

lab groups that benefits all students due to their differing perspectives, foundational knowledge, & world experiences.

• Students who are not yet ready to start the lab activity (beginner) will be given explicit instruction in strategies and skills so that they can successfully participate in the lab activity.

• Advanced students will be provided enrichment opportunities based on content or depth of focus.

• After the hands on portion of the lab activity, students may be grouped by learning style in order to better process and reflect upon what they have learned.

• Processing and reflection assignments are designed so that the process and/or the product would appeal to a variety of learning styles.

Students will analyze the structure and function of cells and tissues needed to conduct life processes.

Using analogies to aid a high level of understanding

Differentiating Instruction and Projects

Extracting DNA Project:

Students using Google Earth to

research different community models

for development

Development Dilemmas1”: Students working collaboratively to design a traditional city with

standard development templates.

Using traditional templates to develop a community

AA students design without any set templates/ existing developmental

constraints

Science ClubsScience Olympiad

Rocketry ClubEco/Action Club