SCIENCE 9 HONORS
Unit 1: Biological Diversity
Biological diversity is reflected in the range of species found in local and global environments and by subtle variations in characteristics found within individual species. In this unit, students learn that diversity is maintained through natural processes of sexual and asexual reproduction, though the survival of individual species—and variations within those species—may be influenced by ecological and human-caused factors. Students examine trends toward loss of diversity and examine related issues concerning environmental quality and the impact of technologies.
Unit 2: Matter and Chemical Change
Different materials have different properties. The ability to distinguish between different substances and make sense of their properties, interactions and changes requires the development of ideas about chemical substance. In this unit, students are introduced to the formal study of chemical substance through laboratory investigations and introductory studies of chemical theory.
Unit 3: Environmental Chemistry
Environments are often viewed from a physical and biological perspective, but to fully understand how they function, it is important to view them from a chemical perspective as well. A study of environmental chemistry helps students understand that chemical substances make up the underlying fabric of the world and are part of the process in all natural cycles and changes. Through this unit, students also become aware of human-produced chemical substances that enter and interact with environments, and they investigate potential impacts of different substances on the distribution and abundance of living things.
Unit 4: Electrical Principles and Technologies
Electricity provides the means to energize many devices, systems and processes that are part of our technological environment. Electrical devices are used to transfer and transform energy, to provide mechanisms for control and to transmit information in a variety of forms. In this unit, students learn the principles that underlie electrical technologies, by studying the form and function of electrical devices and by investigating ways to transfer, modify, measure, transform and control electrical energy. Using a problem-solving approach, students create and modify circuits to meet a variety of needs. Students also develop skills for evaluating technologies, by comparing alternative designs and by considering their efficiency, effectiveness and environmental impact.
Unit 5: Space Exploration
Technologies have played an essential role in the study of space and in the emerging use of space environments. Our modern understanding of space has developed in conjunction with advances in techniques for viewing distant objects, for transmitting images and data through space, and for manned and unmanned space exploration. A study of space exploration provides an opportunity for students to examine how science and technology interact and to learn how one process augments the other. Students become aware that technologies developed to meet the challenges of space are applied to new purposes.