Paula Brill's Page

       Ms. Paula Marie Brill's Page

1st hour   Earth Science  (8th Grade)
2nd hour  Physical Science  (7th Grade)
3rd hour   Life Science  (6th Grade)
4th hour   Life Science  (6th Grade)
5th hour   Earth Science  (8th Grade)
6th hour   Physical Science  (7th Grade)

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Welcome to Middle School Science Classes!  
     Middle School Science Classes will be providing multiple experiences in science inquiry, practice in investigating a question, and use of various resources for information gathering and problem solving.  Through each grade level science processes, students will gain a greater understanding of the nature and structure of scientific knowledge and the process of its development, which will in turn, confirm or challenge their current belief's about the natural world, the effect humans and other organisms have on the natural world, and what role technology plays in the natural world and in world challenges.  
     In Life Science classes, the students will build on their prior elementary knowledge by exploring classifications of organisms based on their source of energy (producers, consumers, and decomposers) and distinguish between ways in which organisms obtain energy.  Their study of ecosystems includes interactions of organisms within populations and communities.  They will learn how populations can be mutually beneficial and how that relationship can lead to interdependency.  This also includes studies on biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem, and the consequence of overpopulation of a species.  They will study cells and how they make up different body tissues, organs, and organ systems.  Cell division will be explored, enabling students to understand growth and development and how genetic material carries information.
     In Physical Science classes, the students will reflect on their previous knowledge of different forms of energy (sound, light, heat, electrical, and magnetic).  They will also explore the properties of sound and light, observe how heat is transferred, construct a simple circuit, and experiment with magnetic and non-magnetic materials to observe their interactions.  They will deepen their understanding of potential and kinetic energy, and be introduced to the concept that energy can be transferred by radiation, conduction, or convection, while no energy is being lost or gained.  They will build on their understanding of changes in states of matter in terms of the arrangement and motion of atoms and molecules.  Students will explore light energy and solar energy and understand the role of the sun's warming and lighting of the Earth.  We will address how light energy is transferred to chemical energy through photosynthesis, and how energy could be transferred through waves (sound, seismic, and water) and what happens to the energy when it interacts with matter.  The students will recognize the differences between physical and chemical change, and when a chemical change occurs, a new substance is produced.  That new substance has different physical and chemical properties than the original substance. 
     In Earth Science classes, the students will understand the relationship between the sun's warming of the Earth, the water cycle, and weather and climate.  They will study the rock cycle and physical and chemical weathering.  They will research material on the movement of lithospheric plates, major geological events, and the layers of the Earth.  The students will explore information on the various planets, constellations, and the composition of the atmosphere.  Their knowledge will be deepened through discussions of frontal boundaries, major air masses, and jet streams.  They will take this knowledge and apply it to how human activities have changed the land, oceans, and atmosphere, causing pollution, climate change, and threatening or endangering species.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at Brillp@michigan.gov.

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