Intermediate Science

Castle Learning Online's Intermediate Science includes questions that are targeted to middle school students, covering all areas of Earth, Life, and Physical sciences. Questions are linked to detailed hints, reasons, and vocabulary definitions. Besides using this course during all of the middle school years, 8th grade teachers can especially use this to help students prepare for 8th grade assessment tests!

Units: (click to view Sections)

1. Introduction to Science
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Formulating Scientific Explanations
   2. Testing Scientific Explanations
   3. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
   4. Reading for Science
2. The Science Laboratory
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Laboratory Tools and Measurements
   2. Indicators
   3. Using the Microscope
   4. Safety
3. Life: Living vs. Nonliving Things
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Cells
   2. Unicellular Organisms
   3. Multi-cellular Organisms
   4. Plants
   5. Animals
   6. Classification of Living Things
4. Life: Human Organ Systems
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Organization
   2. Digestive System
   3. Respiratory System and Cellular Respiration
   4. Excretory System
   5. Circulatory System
   6. Locomotion
   7. Nervous and Endocrine systems
   8. Reproductive System
   9. Disease
5. Life: Inheritance of Genetic Information
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Hereditary Information
   2. Heredity and Reproduction
   3. Models of Genetic Inheritance
6. Life: Changes in Organisms and Species
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Variation and Survival
   2. Competition
7. Life: Reproduction and Development
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Asexual Reproductive Patterns
   2. Sexual Reproductive Patterns
   3. Development in Plants and Animals
   4. Cell Division
8. Life: Dynamic Equilibrium of Life
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Obtaining Resources
   2. Nutrition and Energy
9. Life: Interdependence of Living Things
   
   Sections:
   

   1. Ecosystems: The Flow of Energy and Matter
   2. Photosynthesis
10. Life: Human Impact on the Environment
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Survival and the Environment
    2. Effects of Environmental Change
11. Earth: Studying Earth Science
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Density
    2. Percent Error
    3. Maps
12. Earth: Earth and Celestial Motions
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Motions of the Earth and Moon
    2. Earth Dimensions
    3. Earth Spheres
    4. The Solar System
    5. Beyond the Solar System
13. Earth: Weather and Climate
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Water and Energy in the Atmosphere
    2. Weather
    3. Land and Sea Breezes
    4. Storms and Violent Weather
    5. Climate
14. Earth: Changes on Earth's Surface
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Weathering
    2. Erosion and Deposition
    3. Soil
15. Earth: Minerals and Rocks
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Minerals
    2. Rocks
    3. The Rock Cycle
    4. Earth History and the Fossil Record
16. Earth: The Dynamic Earth
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Crustal Movement
    2. Earthquakes
    3. Plate Tectonics
    4. Earth's Interior
    5. Public Safety
17. Earth: The Changing Environment
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Mineral and Energy Resources
    2. Pollution of the Air and Water
    3. Pollution of Earth's Surface
18. Physical: Matter
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Properties of Matter
    2. Phases of Matter
    3. Mixtures
    4. Density and Buoyancy
19. Physical: Changes in Matter
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Physical and Chemical Changes
    2. Classification of Matter
    3. Conservation of Matter
20. Physical: Models of Matter
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Building Blocks of Matter
    2. Interactions
    3. Classification of Elements: The Periodic Table
    4. The Chemistry of Carbon
21. Physical: Energy
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Sources of Energy
    2. Forms of Energy and Transformations
    3. Conservation of Energy
22. Physical: Heating and Cooling
    
    Sections:
    

    1. The Flow of Heat
    2. Energy and Change of Phase
    3. Effects of Heat on Other Properties
23. Physical: Light, Sound, Electricity and Magnetism
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Electromagnetic Energy
    2. Properties of Light
    3. Vibrations
    4. Electricity
    5. Magnetism
24. Physical: Forces and Motion
    
    Sections:
    

    1. Patterns of Motion
    2. Newton's Laws of Motion
    3. Gravity
    4. Electric Currents and Magnetism
    5. Machines

Themes:

1. Models
2. Measurements and Calculations
3. Motions
4. Energy and Temperature
5. Change
6. Relationships
7. Observations and Inferences
8. Stewardship
9. Reading Graphs and Diagrams
10. Interdependence
11. Tools of the Scientist
12. Equilibrium
13. Structures
14. Reproduction
15. Heredity
16. Experimentation

Attributes:

1. Graph
2. Data Table
3. Chart
4. Diagram
5. Map
6. Calculation
7. Apparatus
8. Reading Passage