Curriculum Map

Accelerated Science — Year 1

Cover all of Earth & Space Science (§112.18) in the first half, then bridge into Life Science foundations — cells, genetics, classification, and ecology. Positions students for Biology or Integrated Physics & Chemistry by 8th grade.

14 Units

Early Units (Foundation)

Building Skills

Advanced Concepts

Capstone/Synthesis

Scientific Investigation and Experimental Design

Master the scientific method, experimental design with controlled variables, and learn to distinguish real science from pseudoscience using evidence-based reasoning.

4-5 days

Matter, Energy, and Forces

Explore the states of matter, energy transfer, and Newton's laws of motion — the fundamental rules governing everything from atoms to galaxies.

4-5 days

Earth's Structure and Plate Tectonics

Journey from Earth's core to its surface to understand how convection drives plate tectonics, builds mountains, triggers earthquakes, and reshapes continents over millions of years.

4-5 days

Rocks, Water, and Earth's Cycles

Trace the rock cycle and water cycle as interconnected systems that sculpt Earth's surface, build soil, and sustain all life over geological time.

4-5 days

Weather, Climate, and Atmosphere

Investigate how Earth's atmosphere drives weather systems and climate zones, from local thunderstorms over the Gulf of Mexico to global patterns shaped by the greenhouse effect.

4-5 days

The Solar System and Beyond

Survey the solar system's structure, compare the inner and outer planets, and confront the staggering scale of the universe from stars to galaxies.

4-5 days

Earth's Resources and Sustainability

Classify Earth's renewable and nonrenewable resources, analyze how human consumption rates compare to replenishment rates, and evaluate conservation strategies grounded in science.

4-5 days

Cells: Structure and Function

Investigate cell theory, explore the structures inside plant and animal cells, and understand why the cell is the fundamental unit of all life.

4-5 days

Cell Processes: Energy and Growth

Trace how cells capture energy through photosynthesis, release it through cellular respiration, and grow through the carefully orchestrated stages of cell division.

4-5 days

Genetics and Heredity Foundations

Discover how traits pass from parents to offspring through Gregor Mendel's laws, dominant and recessive alleles, and the predictive power of Punnett squares.

4-5 days

Classification of Living Things

Explore how scientists organize life's diversity into domains, kingdoms, and taxonomic ranks — and why classification reflects evolutionary relationships, not just convenience.

4-5 days

Ecology: Energy Flow and Ecosystems

Trace how energy flows through food webs and how matter cycles through ecosystems — from sunlight captured by producers to nutrients returned by decomposers.

4-5 days

Human Impact on Earth and Living Systems

Analyze how human activities — pollution, deforestation, urbanization, and climate change — disrupt Earth's systems, and evaluate evidence-based solutions.

4-5 days

The Scientific Community

Explore how science works as a human enterprise — peer review, replication, ethics, collaboration, and the diverse careers that advance scientific knowledge.

4-5 days

Learning Progression

This course is designed to be taken sequentially. Earlier units establish foundational concepts that later units build upon. While you can explore units in any order, following the numbered sequence provides the most coherent learning experience.