Results

Patterns and processes of evolution. How evolution and natural selection are reflected in the similarities and differences of organisms. 

Introduction to cell theory--the idea that 1) all living things are made of one or more cells, 2) cells are the basic unit of life and 3) all cells come from other cells. Explore the roles that Hooke, Leeuwenhoek and others played in developing cell theory.

Hooke and Leeuwenhoek were two of the first scientists to use microscopes to study the microscopic world of cells. Hooke coined the term "cell" after observing the tiny compartments in cork, while Leeuwenhoek discovered a variety of living creatures in pond water, blood, and other samples. They contributed to the cell theory by suggesting that cells are the fundamental units of life and structure, and that all living things consist of one or more cells that originate from other cells by division. 

All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular).

Plant cells have a cell wall in addition to a cell membrane, whereas animal cells have only a cell membrane. Plants use cell walls to provide structure to the plant. Plant cells contain organelles called chloroplasts, while animal cells do not. Chloroplasts allow plants to make the food they need to live using photosynthesis.

Introduction to the cell.

Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers, consumers, and decomposers as the three groups interact within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into and out of the physical environment occur at every level. Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.

Overview of animal and plant cells. Topics include cell walls, vacuoles, chloroplasts, peroxisomes, lysosomes, mitochondria, etc.

The particle model of matter is one of the most useful scientific models because it describes matter in all three states. Understanding how the particles of matter behave is vital if we hope to understand science!

The model also helps us to understand what happens to the particles when matter changes from one state to another.

In this unit, you will explore the three phases of matter and then look at the properties and differences between them. You will explore their shape, volume, and kinetic energy.

In this unit you will learn about different materials by investigating and observing the behaviour of their properties. This will include learning about the differences between metals and non-metals; whether they are isolators or conductors of electricity and heat, whether they are magnetic, how dense they are and whether they are acidic or basic.