Course Overview

Students perform experiments to develop skills of observation and analysis, and learn how scientists understand the world. They demonstrate how pulleys lift heavy objects, make a temporary magnet and test its strength, and analyze the parts of a flower. Students will explore topics such as:

• Metric System—liters and kilograms, and how scientists use them
• Force—motion and simple machines; physicist Isaac Newton
• Magnetism—magnetic poles and fields; how a compass works
• Sound—how sounds are made; inventor Alexander Graham Bell
• Human Body—cells; the digestive system
• Geology—layers of the earth; kinds of rocks; weathering; geologist Florence Bascom
• Life Cycles—plants and animals