Science

Our curriculum is driven by the Diocesan Standards which aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards. St. James School uses the Integrated Learning Progression Course.

All classes are held in the school’s 1600 square foot science lab and are taught by a full-time science teacher. Students utilize Chromebooks, iPads, a large assortment of scientific equipment, as well as an outdoor garden to bring learning to life!

In addition to the specific coursework listed below, all students from Transitional Kindergarten through Eighth grade participate in the Hour of Code. The Hour of Code is a global movement organized by Computer Science Week and Code.org that reaches tens of millions of students in over 180 countries worldwide. This annual event is held each December during Computer Science Week.

Fifth Grade

The four units covered are:

• Matter and Energy
• Earth's Systems
• The Solar System
• Patterns in Space

Sixth Grade

The four units covered are:

• A cell, a person and planet Earth are each a system made up of subsystems
• Weather conditions result from the interactions among different Earth subsystems
• Regional climates strongly influence regional plant and animal structures and behaviors
• Human activities can change the degree of global warming and its impact on plants and animals

Seventh Grade

The four units covered are:

• Living and nonliving things are made of atoms
• Matter cycles and energy flows in living systems and Earth systems
• Natural processes and human activities have shaped Earth’s resources and ecosystems
• Human activities can help sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services in a changing world

Eighth Grade

The five units covered are:

• Forces, motion and energy
• Modeling motions of objects in space
• History of Earth and life on Earth
• Population changes and human impacts
• Light/Sound/Waves