(Last Updated 08/17/07)

9th Grade Physical Science Units (critical content) 2006/2007 School Year     

Adjustments on the details of the new units may be added during the school year.   

1.    Nature and Processes of Science          Introduction (and review)

• Very brief overview of the history of advances in science

• The Scientific Method / process of experimentation

• Experimental design diagram (EDD)

• The Pendulum Lab

• Writing a procedure

• Writing a formal lab report / Rubric

• Laboratory tools / Lab safety

• Review of properties of matter

• Visual observations / Scientific drawing

• Scale / macroscopic / microscopic

• Metric System review

• The uncertainty of measurement

• Nanotechnology                                                                                                      

• Scientific notation / Significant figures

• Study skills, including double-column note taking

• Definition breakdowns for key vocabulary

• Text book tour / skills

2.    Systems Thinking                        

• Systems Thinking

• Inputs / outputs / subsystems

• Examples of systems / mechanical and living systems

• BOT (Behavior Over Time) graphs and system maps

• Representing an environmental issue using BOT graphs and a Systems Map.

• Ecological responsibility

3.    Mechanics

• Law of Inertia - Newton's First Law of Motion

• Aristotle / Galileo / Newton

• Net Force / Equilibrium / Support Force

• Force and Acceleration - Newton's Second Law of Motion

• Mass and Weight (review) / Conservation of Mass (review)

• Linking Force, Acceleration, and Mass

• Action and Reaction - Newton's Third Law of Motion

4.    Properties of Matter         

• Properties of matter - Two ways to categorize

• Characteristic Properties / General Properties

• Physical Properties / Chemical Properties (Review)

• Set up for the Chemicals List tabulated report

• Model properties lists for iron, sulfur, water and carbon dioxide

5.    Energy 

• Work and Energy

• Work / Power / Mechanical Energy / Potential / Kinetic

• Work-Energy theorem

• Conservation of Energy / energy transformations

• Machines

• Sources of Energy

• Energy needed for life

• Thermal Energy

• Temperature

• Heat units

• The Law of Thermodynamics

• Specific Heat Capacity

• Thermal Expansion

• Heat Transfer and Change of Phase

• The four phases of matter - solid, liquid, gas and plasma

• Conduction / Convection / Radiation

• Changing phase / Evaporation and Boiling / Condensation / Melting and Freezing

• Freezing, boiling point graph / Energy and changes of phases

• Measuring the freezing point, micro-melting point, and boiling point

• The elevation of boiling point by impurities / by pressure

6.    Astronomy / The Universe

• The Big Bang
• Solar system
• Life cycle of Stars
• The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
• Black Holes / Galaxies / other celestial bodies
• Continuing changes in the Universe
• Systems evolve

7.    Earth Science

• Earthquakes make Seismic Waves

• The Earth has layers

• Folds, faults and earthquakes

• Theory of Continental Drift

• The Theory of Plate Tectonics

• Three types of Plate Boundaries

• Volcanoes and earthquakes in Washington State

8.    Atomic  Structure     

• The history of atomic structure on a timeline

• Atomic Models / Bohr diagrams / Modern atomic theory

• Atoms and the Periodic Table

• Counting atoms in chemical formula

• Atomic Structure

• Atomic number / Mass number / Atomic mass

• Atomic forces

• Isotopes

• Radioactivity

• Alpha, Beta and Gamma Radiation

• Imbalance of forces in the nucleus / Natural phenomenon

• Transmutation

• Half Life / Isotopic dating measures

9.    Periodic Table                                      

• History of the Periodic Table

• Periodic Table as a tool      

• Valence numbers

• Metals, nonmetals and metalloids                                                    

• Properties of Elements (examples: Iodine and iron)

• Similar properties of Families (or Groups) in the Periodic Table (columns)

• Periodic changing trends (rows)

• Identification of elements by the light they emit / Flame tests

• Element Project

10.     Bonding                                               

• Ionic, Covalent and Metallic bonding

• Ionic crystal lattices and their properties

• Covalent molecules and their properties

• Metallic crystals and their properties

• Oxidation numbers

• Polyatomic ions

• Chemical names / Writing chemical formulas

• Predicting the type of bond from the chemical formula

11.    Chemical Reactions                           

• Characteristics of chemical reactions

• Four types of chemical reaction / Synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement

• Writing balanced chemical reactions

• Exothermic and endothermic reactions

• Activation energy

• Collision theory

• Four factors that affect the rates of chemical reactions

• Properties of acids and bases

• PH scale / indicators / Acid-base neutralization / applications

• Acid reactions / Acid Rain

• Salts / PH of salt solutions

12.    Mixtures                                              

• Types of mixtures

• Minerals / Types of Rocks / Compositions of Soil / Gases of the Atmosphere

• Chemical and physical properties of earth materials.

• Solutions and colloids

• Solubility calculations

• Solubility curves

• Common solvents (water and alcohols)

• Solubility of solids

• Concentration / Saturation concentrations

• Effect of temperature on solubility

• Using solubility to help identify substances

• Solubility of gases

• Separation of Substances

• Separating liquids using distillation

• Separating solids using solubility

• Separating solids using fractional crystallization

• Chromatography

• Practice scenarios – separating mixtures

          Lab Final                                              

• Goals, hints and attendance

• Pre-lab: activities / preparation / planning

• Lab days / separation / identification / testing / journal writing

• Lab clean up

• Final assessment activities