Middle School Science Program

6th grade
Required
One semester + one quarter

In this course, students think critically, carry out investigations, record and interpret data, and design experiments. As they seek solutions to a variety of problems, students are introduced to some of the laboratory skills, concepts, and methods involved in the physical, biological, and chemical sciences. An emphasis is placed on the application of topics to real-world problems and scenarios, as well as on the development of critical thinking to answer the “why” and “how” of science phenomena. Inquiry, hands-on activities, labs, and projects are conducted throughout this course.

7th grade
Required
Yearlong

In this class, students’ skills expand as scientific thinkers and researchers. Through projects, discussion, and inquiry-based experiments, students pose and answer questions about the complex interactions between biology, physics, and chemistry. These topics are addressed by applying scientific principles to current, real-world problems. A major focus of the course is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of student-generated data. 

8th grade
Required
Yearlong

This course continues the investigation of concepts, principles, and methods of science using an integrated approach. Through observation, experimentation, and interpretation of basic scientific concepts, students develop an understanding of how the sciences are used together to form an understanding of our world. This course emphasizes hands-on activities as a primary means of solving problems and answering questions. Students investigate scientific phenomena relating to Earth’s history in the fields of chemistry, physics, and geology.

6th grade
Required

This course is a partnership between 6th grade English and Science to explore astronomy, the solar system, and methods of inquiry in a creative, artistic, and hands-on fashion. Through a variety of trips and projects, students explore outward from the moon to the solar system, and then to some of the anomalies and the history of the universe itself. Students read, analyze, and write science fiction using their own learning and projects for inspiration. Field trips include the University of Washington Planetarium, the Challenger Learning Center at the Museum of Flight, and the Museum of Pop Culture.

7th–8th grades
Elective

We have tons of technologies to help us memorize and recall information. Let’s move beyond simply being databases of information and develop our critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Through hands-on, project-based learning and collaboration, students cultivate the confidence and skills needed to tackle real life, messy, and challenging problems in science. Students use the engineering process to build, test, and modify prototypes for a bridge, a natural history museum exhibit, and an egg joust.