Fresno Unified School District

Seventh Grade Course of Study

(REVISION IN PROCESS - PLEASE CONTACT SCIENCE OFFICE FOR INFORMATION)

FUSD Grade Seven Science Course of Study

The California Science Content Standards include Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science.    In the middle school grades students should have developed and enhanced their formal reasoning abilities that reflect science as a way of knowing, and acquiring new science content knowledge.   In grade 6-8 they connect concrete observations of a rich array of phenomena and unify models that help to simplify the ever-expanding body of science content knowledge. Now is an exciting time for the study of life sciences. Knowledge of biological systems is expanding rapidly, and the development of new technologies has led to major advances in medicine, agriculture, and environmental management. A foundation in modern biological sciences, with an emphasis on molecular biology, is essential for students who will become public school science teachers, college and university science professors and researchers, and specialists in technological fields.

Another definitive reason for a focus on life science in grade seven is the students' own biological and behavioral transition into early adolescence. Young adolescents make decisions that may have an enormous influence on their lives. The study of life science provides a knowledge base on which adolescents can make well-informed and wise decisions about their health and behavior. The relevance of the curriculum to students' lives helps students to maintain an interest in science and to expand their knowledge of the natural sciences.