Student Scientists, Your student contracts, to be signed by a parent or guardian, are due by Friday, January 31, 2020. A digital copy is available below: classroom-contractDownload
The Curriculum
6th Grade Environmental Science This class will review the basic concepts of environmental science, with a specific focus on the Earth’s systems, reasons for the preservation of lands endangered species, and issues of pollution issues in order to inform an understanding of climate change as an existential issue. The following is the expected scope and …
Maslow’s Motivation Model
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review. Maslow used theterms "physiological", "safety", "belonging" and "love", "esteem", "self-actualization", and"self-transcendence" to describe the pattern that human motivations generally movethrough. The goal of Maslow's Theory is to attain the sixth level …
Characteristics of Living Things
Since physiology (body function) only occurs within living organisms, it is very important for us to know the basic characteristics of living things: 1. Living things have a high degree of Biological Order (body pattern or organization). In general, living organisms are much more organized than dead ones. And we have already said that living …
Natural History — Searching for Order
Although ancient peoples around the world have been informally learning about Biological Order (and its counterpart, Biological Disorder) for thou- sands of years, a systematic approach to the search for Order has only begun relatively recently. Aristotle, who lived during 384–322 B.C. in Greece, was one of the first natural philosophers (Figure 1.5). Aristotle may …
Areas of Study in Environmental Science
AgrologyAnalysis and management of usable land for growth of food cropsBioengineeringDesigning or reconstructing sustainable ecosystemsBotanyCharacterization, growth, and distribution of plantsConservation biologyPreserve, manage, or restore endangered areas or speciesEcologyStudy of relationships between living organisms and their environmentEnvironmental geologyConservation of resources and future planningExploration geophysicsCrustal composition to find resources (e.g. oil, gold)ForestryCharacterization, growth, distribution, and planting of …
Current ‘Mythology’ on How Earth Was Formed
It is likely that when the Earth was first forming in our young solar neighbor- hood, it was a molten mass of rock and metals simmering at about 3,600° Fahrenheit (2,000° Celsius). The main cloud elements included hydrogen, helium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, iron, nickel, phosphorus, sulfur, and others. As the sphere (Earth) cooled, the …
Continue reading "Current ‘Mythology’ on How Earth Was Formed"
Tree of Life
Biology as the scientific study of living things is a relatively recent develop- ent. The term has been in use since the early 1800s to describe the study of living organisms. Basically, an organism is a living thing that is highly organized. By this we mean that an organism has a high degree of Biological Order, a very organized pattern.
Understanding Mother Earth
Native peoples were completely dependent on nature for everything in their lives. They worshipped Earth as a nurturing mother. The soil sprouted plants and trees that provided food, clothing, and shelter. The rivers and seas gave up fish and shellfish for food, trade articles, and tools. From the atmosphere came rain, snow, and wind to …
Mr. Aly's Science Classroom 