Students then relate the concept to processes in the human organism such as the movement of blood. In addition, Grade 7 students study chemical and physical properties of substances, examine the tarnishing of metal or burning of wood as example of chemical processes, and identify physical properties used to place elements on the periodic table. Students learn about kinetic and potential energy and identify photosynthesis as an example of the transformation of radiant energy from the sun into chemical energy for use by plants. Students investigate living systems in humans to identify the structures and functions of those systems. Students compare asexual and sexual reproduction to illustrate that genetic materials are responsible for both dominant and recessive traits in organisms.
Science is a way of learning about the natural world.
Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions. A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns.