← Year plan

Weekly prep

What to gather, what to assign, what to listen for. Arrows or ←/→ move the marker; it stays where you put it.
Segment 1

Aug 24

Model 1 (completion credit only) · Changes in Force & Motion — Hook "Newton Knew Mass Matters" + APK · reading cluster C1 · Force Diagrams practice
Block dayPhET Force & Motion Basics digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Forces are acting, so it must be accelerating
  • Balanced forces mean the object must be still
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 1

Aug 31

reading cluster C2–C3 + analysis Qs · Math Connections · CER (bowling ball)
Block dayFree Fall Tower Gizmo digital — nothing to gather
Segment 1

Sep 7 · Labor Day

Newton's Third Law — Hook "What is a system?" + APK · reading cluster C1
Block dayMeasuring Forces / contact-force stations hands-on — check materials
Listen for
  • The bigger object pushes harder in a collision
  • Passive objects (a table, the ground) exert no force
  • Force is something an object HAS, not an interaction
  • Action happens first, reaction follows
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 1

Sep 14

reading cluster C2–C3 + analysis Qs · Reading Science A (roller coasters)
Block dayCrumple Zones Gizmo ETS digital — nothing to gather
Segment 1

Sep 21

Math Connections · CER (volleyball) · start Kinetic & Potential Energy — APK
Block dayPhET Energy Skate Park digital — nothing to gather
Run orderRun AFTER Kinetic Energy
Listen for
  • Objects can't store energy
  • Gravitational PE depends on speed
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 1

Sep 28

KE + PE reading clusters + Qs · Linking Lit · CER Rollercoaster + Pinball · segment wrap · Model 2 + comparison
Block dayRollercoaster Energy Lab hands-on — check materials
Segment 2

Oct 5

Model 1 (completion credit only) · Gravitational Forces — Gravity Visualized + APK · reading cluster C1–C3 + Qs · CER
Block dayGravity Pitch Gizmo digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Gravity only matters on Earth
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 2

Oct 12

Solar System + Galaxies — reading clusters + combined Qs · start Planet Travel Project
Block daySolar System Gizmo digital — nothing to gather
Segment 2

Oct 19

Earth-Sun-Moon — APK · reading cluster C1–C2
Block dayPhases of the Moon Gizmo + model digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • The Moon makes its own light (team's #1)
  • The Moon is only visible at night (team's #2)
  • The Moon physically changes shape
  • Distance from the Sun causes the seasons
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 2

Oct 26

reading cluster C3 + Stemscopedia Qs · Quiz Study Guide · CER
Block dayEclipse + Summer/Winter Gizmos digital — nothing to gather
Segment 2

Nov 2

Electric & Magnetic — reading cluster C1–C2 · Bill Nye Magnetism
Block dayPhET Balloons & Static digital — nothing to gather
Segment 2

Nov 9 · Veterans

reading cluster C3 + analysis WS · segment wrap · Model 2 + comparison
Block dayMagnetic Fields obs. even periods: no Wed block — move lab hands-on — check materials
Segment 3

Nov 16

Model 1 (completion credit only) · Geologic History — Hook (mystery) · reading cluster C1–C3 + Qs needs APK
Block dayIndex Fossils Lab (+ Layers of Time sim) digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Rock strata give absolute, not relative, dates
  • Only fossils tell us about past environments, not the rocks
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Nov 30

Fossil Record — APK · reading cluster + Qs · Fossil Record CER · Mystery Fossil begins
Block dayDigging Through the Past hands-on — check materials
Listen for
  • The fossil record is incomplete, so it can't be believed
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Dec 7

Embryonic + Evolutionary History — reading clusters C1–C3 · Picture Vocab · U3S3 CER
Block dayEmbryo card-sort explore hands-on — check materials
Run orderRun AFTER Embryonic Similarities - and Mystery Fossil runs AFTER this
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Dec 14 · Sem 1 ends

Evolutionary History reading + Qs · mid-segment assessment / Mystery Fossil checkpoint
Block dayCladograms Gizmo + PBS tree-build digital — nothing to gather
Run orderRun AFTER Embryonic Similarities - and Mystery Fossil runs AFTER this
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Jan 5

Natural Selection — APK + Hook (javelina) · reading cluster C1–C2
Block dayRainfall & Bird Beaks Gizmo digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Individuals evolve, rather than populations shifting
  • Natural selection CAUSES evolution (needs direct instruction)
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Jan 11

reading cluster C3 (math-ramp) + Qs · Galápagos Finch data · Natural Selection CER
Block dayButterfly Lab hands-on — check materials
Listen for
  • Individuals evolve, rather than populations shifting
  • Natural selection CAUSES evolution (needs direct instruction)
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Jan 18 · MLK

Genes & Proteins + Mutations — Hook · reading clusters C1–C3
Block dayReebop Lab + Punnett practice hands-on — check materials
Run orderRun BEFORE Mutations - mutations is meaningless without the chain
Listen for
  • Dominant means most common
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Jan 25

Mutations reading + Linking Literacy + Qs · Genes & Proteins CER
Block dayMouse Genetics Gizmos (1 & 2 trait) digital — nothing to gather
Run orderRun BEFORE Mutations - mutations is meaningless without the chain
Listen for
  • Dominant means most common
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 3

Feb 1

Artificial Selection (short) — reading cluster + Qs · optional GMO debate
Block day— buffer / Model 2 + comparison hands-on — check materials
Listen for
  • Organisms change because they need to (teleology)
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 4

Feb 8 · Lincoln

Model 1 (completion credit only) · Properties of Waves — reading cluster C1–C3 + Qs + Linking Lit · CER
Block dayWaves Gizmo (+ Spring Waves) digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Waves need a medium to travel through
  • Waves transport matter
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 4

Feb 15 · Wash.

Waves Through Mediums — APK (shout across a canyon) · reading cluster C1–C2
Block dayVisualizing Sound (+ spoons) hands-on — check materials
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 4

Feb 22

reading cluster C3 + Qs · CER / open-ended
Block day— buffer or extend hands-on — check materials
Segment 4

Mar 1

Visible Light — reading cluster C1–C2 · Light Infographic
Block dayPhET Bending Light digital — nothing to gather
Listen for
  • Light can't pass through solids or water
  • Light can't reflect off non-shiny objects
  • Light always travels straight through transparent material
  • Colour is a property of matter, not a frequency
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 4

Mar 8

reading cluster C3 + Qs · Light CER
Block dayRefraction Gizmo digital — nothing to gather
Segment 4

Mar 15

Digital vs Analog — Linking Lit pre-read · reading cluster C1–C2
Block dayAnalog vs Digital Signals Lab hands-on — check materials
Listen for
  • Digital signals are continuous data
  • Music is recorded directly in digital form
OpenReading clusterMaterials
Segment 4

Mar 30

reading cluster C3 + Qs · "Science Today!" (Pluto) · open-ended eval · Linking Lit post-read
Block day— buffer hands-on — check materials
Segment 4

Apr 5

Segment 4 wrap · Model 2 + comparison (bat/dolphin detector)
Block day— digital — nothing to gather
Spring

Apr 12

CAST prep — Gist Jot method + Test-Taking Strategies · Physical Science review
Spring

Apr 19

CAST prep — Life + Earth/Space review, mixed CAST-style clusters
Spring

Apr 26

CAST prep — full practice + State Testing Goals · Human Impact project introduced
Spring

May 3

Final CAST review / buffer
Spring

May 10 · 17

CAST testing window tentative mid-May
Spring

May 24

EOY — Human Impact project work
Spring

May 31 · Memorial

EOY — Human Impact + Future Roadmap presentations · year wrap (last day Jun 4)