Ohio Science Curriculum Map
Ohio Science Compass 7
Curriculum Map & Pacing Guide
Quarter 1
9 Weeks • Earth & Space Science Basics
Quarter Focus: Foundational Basics & Earth's Systems
Establishes safety, scientific thinking, and inquiry skills, then shifts to Earth's fluid spheres. Students explore atmospheric layering, pressure gradients, ocean dynamics, and the energy drivers behind local and global climates.
Ohio Standards
- 7.ESS.1: Earth's Atmosphere
- 7.ESS.2: Earth's Hydrosphere
- Inquiry: Safety, Systems, Inquiry
Week 01
Lab Safety, Equipment, & Classroom Routines
Safety Code
Classroom norms, laboratory safety procedures, and standard equipment identification. Read and sign safety contracts.
🔑 Key Deliverable: Lab Safety Contract signed, Safety Quiz.
Week 02
The Scientific Method & Inquiry Cycle
Scientific Method
Explore steps of experimental design: independent/dependent variables, controls, hypotheses, and analyzing evidence.
🧪 Inquiry Lab: Penny Drop Cohesion Lab (Water Tension and Variables).
Week 03
Earth's Spheres & Atmosphere Composition
7.ESS.1
Interactions between Biosphere, Hydrosphere, Geosphere, and Atmosphere. Dive into atmospheric gases (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Trace gases).
📊 Activity: Atmosphere Pie Chart Analysis & Spheres Concept Map.
Week 04
Atmospheric Layers, Temperature & Pressure
7.ESS.1
Graph and evaluate temperature changes and pressure declines through the Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, and Thermosphere.
📈 Graphic Practice: Thermal Layers Graphing Challenge (Altitude vs. Temp).
Week 05
Earth's Hydrosphere & The Water Cycle
7.ESS.2
Thermal properties of water and cycle dynamics: condensation, precipitation, transpiration, percolation, run-off driven by solar thermal energy.
💧 Model Lab: Modeling the Hydrological Cycle (Jar Water Cycle Experiment).
Week 06
Freshwater Distribution & Groundwater Systems
7.ESS.2
Examine distribution of global water (97% salt, 3% fresh). Investigate groundwater permeability, porosity, water tables, and aquifers.
🌐 Class Inquiry: Mapping Local Ohio Watersheds & Aquifer Modeling.
Week 07
Ocean Currents (Surface & Deep Ocean Conveyor)
7.ESS.2
Contrast surface currents (driven by wind, Coriolis Effect) with thermohaline circulation (deep currents driven by salinity and temperature differences).
🌊 Demonstration: Convection Currents in Hot/Cold and Salty Water.
Week 08
Climate Dynamics & Global Wind Patterns
7.ESS.2
Connect ocean currents and global wind systems to thermal energy distribution across the planet. Synthesize latitude climate zones.
🗺️ Activity: Global Wind & Ocean Current Mapping Project.
Week 09
Quarter 1 Benchmark Review & Assessment
Review
Synthesize atmosphere and hydrosphere interactions. Review standards 7.ESS.1 & 7.ESS.2 and execute Quarter 1 assessment.
📝 Milestone: Quarter 1 Assessment & Hydrosphere Synthesis.
Curriculum Mapping • Grade 7 Ohio Science Page 1 of 4
Ohio Science Compass 7
Curriculum Map & Pacing Guide
Quarter 2
9 Weeks • Earth's Crust & Lithosphere
Quarter Focus: Plate Tectonics & Matter Cycles
Explores Earth's internal thermal structures, tectonic boundary motions, and geologic event outcomes (volcanism, seismology, orogeny). Culminates in chemical cycles tracking how nitrogen, carbon, water, and rocks cycle through reservoirs.
Ohio Standards
- 7.ESS.3: Earth's Lithosphere & Plates
- 7.ESS.4: Biogeochemical Cycles
- Inquiry: Modeling, System Scale
Week 10
Earth's Interior Structural Layers
7.ESS.3
Differentiate crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere, upper/lower mantle, outer/inner core. Analyze solid, liquid, plasticity phases.
🖍️ Diagramming: Scaling Earth's Layers Worksheet (Proportions).
Week 11
Continental Drift & Historical Evidence
7.ESS.3
Wegener's evidence for continental movement: fossil correlations, puzzle-piece coastal fits, mountain belts, glacial deposits.
🧩 Hands-on: Pangaea Puzzle Reconstruction Challenge.
Week 12
Mantle Convection & Seafloor Spreading
7.ESS.3
Tectonic engines: radioactive core decay, thermal energy transfers, convection currents in asthenosphere, mid-ocean ridge extrusion.
🌋 Modeling: Seafloor Spreading Paper Model & Magnetism.
Week 13
Convergent Plate Boundaries
7.ESS.3
Physical events at collisions: Oceanic-continental (subduction, trenches, volcanic arcs), oceanic-oceanic, continental-continental (fold mountains).
🗺️ Case Study: The Himalayan Collision & Andean Subduction.
Week 14
Divergent & Transform Boundaries
7.ESS.3
Analyze boundaries. Divergent (continental rift valleys, mid-ocean ridges). Transform boundaries (earthquakes, strike-slip fault dynamics).
🍪 Lab: Graham Cracker & Frosting Tectonic Boundaries Simulation.
Week 15
Volcanoes, Earthquakes, & Mountain Building
7.ESS.3
Geological phenomena. Examine epicenters, seismic waves (P, S, surface), seismograms, and volcanic hot spots (Hawaii).
💻 Data Lab: Plotting the Ring of Fire (Seismic Mapping).
Week 16
The Rock Cycle & Lithosphere Recycling
7.ESS.4
Trace cycles of geological matter: cooling magma (igneous), weathering and lithification (sedimentary), temperature/pressure modifications (metamorphic).
🎲 Inquiry Game: Rock Cycle Roll-the-Die Simulation & Journey Log.
Week 17
Biogeochemical Cycles: Carbon & Nitrogen
7.ESS.4
Connect tectonic and sphere processes. Trace carbon reservoirs (atmosphere, lithosphere, biota, oceans) and nitrogen fixation pathways.
♻️ Poster: Interactive Diagrams of Carbon vs. Nitrogen Cycle.
Week 18
Quarter 2 Assessment & Cumulative Midterm
Midterm
Cross-connections between plate tectonics, boundaries, mineral formations, and global cycles. Culminating semester-end examinations.
📝 Milestone: Quarter 2 Exam & Semester 1 Science Review.
Curriculum Mapping • Grade 7 Ohio Science Page 2 of 4
Ohio Science Compass 7
Curriculum Map & Pacing Guide
Quarter 3
9 Weeks • Physical Science: Matter & Change
Quarter Focus: Elements, Compounds, & Chemical Conservation
Shifts to chemistry foundations. Students study atomic structures, identify substances (elements, compounds, mixtures), explore the periodic table, analyze chemical reactions, and mathematically prove the law of conservation of mass.
Ohio Standards
- 7.PS.1: Elements, Compounds, Mixtures
- 7.PS.2: Chemical Reactions
- Inquiry: Modeling Molecules, Mass Balancing
Week 19
Atomic Structure: Protons, Neutrons, Electrons
7.PS.1
Composition of atoms. Define nucleus, charges (+, 0, -), mass contributions, electron clouds, atomic number, and atomic mass.
🎨 Modeling: Build-an-Atom Modeling Lab (Counters/Bohr Models).
Week 20
The Periodic Table & Pure Elements
7.PS.1
Organization of periodic table: groups/families (similar traits) and periods. Differentiate metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.
🔍 Research Activity: Element Adopt-a-Block Research Project.
Week 21
Molecules & Chemical Compounds
7.PS.1
Compounds as elements chemically combined in fixed ratios (\(H_2O, CO_2, NaCl\)). Decode subscript values and formulas.
💡 Interactive: Candy Molecule Construction (Covalent Bonding Analog).
Week 22
Mixtures vs. Compounds (Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous)
7.PS.1
Contrast physical mixtures and chemical compounds. Distinguish solutions (homogeneous) from mechanical mixtures (heterogeneous).
🧪 Separation Lab: Designing Separation Techniques (Sand, Salt, Iron).
Week 23
Physical changes vs. Chemical Reactions
7.PS.2
Compare states of matter shifts (melting, freezing) with chemical reactions. Evidence: gas release, color shifts, temperature changes.
🧪 Stations Lab: Chemical vs. Physical Properties Observation Stations.
Week 24
Anatomy of a Chemical Equation (Reactants & Products)
7.PS.2
Reactants on left, yield arrows, and products on right. Track individual element atom counts across yield borders using subscripts.
✏️ Worksheet Practice: Counting Atoms in Chemical Formulas.
Week 25
Conservation of Mass & Matter Balance
7.PS.2
Chemical reactions rearrange atoms; do not create/destroy them. Formally calculate balancing equations for simple chemical reactions.
🧮 Balancing Game: PhET Simulation Balancing Equations & Balance Sheet.
Week 26
Open vs. Closed Systems (Verifying Mass Law)
7.PS.2
Demonstrate how escape of gas in open systems causes apparent mass reductions, whereas closed systems retain perfectly balanced total mass.
⚖️ Lab Challenge: Alka-Seltzer Reaction in Open vs. Ziploc Bag Systems.
Week 27
Quarter 3 Assessment & Chemistry Benchmark
Review
Integrate atomic classifications with mass balancing. Evaluate understanding of molecular interactions, elements, and conservation principles.
📝 Milestone: Quarter 3 Physical Science Assessment.
Curriculum Mapping • Grade 7 Ohio Science Page 3 of 4
Ohio Science Compass 7
Curriculum Map & Pacing Guide
Quarter 4
9 Weeks • Energy & Life Ecosystems
Quarter Focus: Thermal Energy & Life Science Energetics
Unites physical energy transfers (conduction, convection, radiation) with cellular life processes (photosynthesis, respiration) and trophic ecosystems (energy pyramids, food webs, carrying capacity).
Ohio Standards
- 7.PS.3: Energy Transfers
- 7.LS.1 & 7.LS.2: Cellular Loops & Food Webs
- Inquiry: Field Sampling, Energy Labs
Week 28
Energy Forms: Potential vs. Kinetic
7.PS.3
Define elastic/gravitational potential energy and link to speed-based kinetic energy. Track mechanical energy conversions (coasters).
🎢 Activity: Designing & Graphing a Rollercoaster Energy Transfer Curve.
Week 29
Thermal Energy Transfer: Conduction, Convection, Radiation
7.PS.3
Model kinetic molecular motion. Definitions: physical conduction, fluid convection, electromagnetic radiation transfers.
🔥 Laboratory: Identifying Conduction vs. Convection Thermal Stations.
Week 30
Cellular Powerhouse: Photosynthesis
7.LS.1
Solar energy capture. Map reactants \(6CO_2 + 6H_2O\) to chemical glucose output \(C_6H_{12}O_6\) and cellular oxygen release in chloroplasts.
🍃 Lab: Elodea Plant Photosynthesis Rate (Light Distance vs. Bubbles).
Week 31
Cellular Respiration & Mitochondria Energy Cycles
7.LS.1
Glucose chemical breakdowns into cellular ATP energy in mitochondria. Model respiration as the biochemical inverse of photosynthesis.
🔄 Concept Study: Respiration vs. Photosynthesis Carbon Loops.
Week 32
Ecosystem Components (Biotic vs. Abiotic Dynamics)
7.LS.2
Scales: organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome. Identify abiotic factors (temp, water) and biotic interactions.
🌳 Fieldwork: Schoolyard Micro-Ecosystem Quadrat Investigation.
Week 33
Food Webs & Trophic Energy Pyramids (10% Rule)
7.LS.2
Analyze webs: producers, consumers, decomposers. Trace thermodynamic energy decay (90% loss as heat, 10% transfer).
🦅 Diagramming: Deciphering the Forest Trophic Energy Web.
Week 34
Ecological Niches & Symbiotic Relationships
7.LS.2
Niches minimize competitive overlap. Symbiosis structures: mutualism (+/+), commensalism (+/0), parasitism (+/-).
🎭 Roleplay: Symbiosis Matching Cards Speed-Dating Challenge.
Week 35
Limiting Factors & Ecosystem Carrying Capacity
7.LS.2
Analyze carrying limits (food, space, predation, disease) and density-independent disruptions (weather, natural disasters).
📊 Active Game: "Oh Deer!" Population Dynamic Simulation Analysis.
Week 36
Ohio State Test (OST) & Cumulative Review
OST Review
Synergistic cross-unit connections (convection, cycles, watersheds). Execute final assessment standards check.
📝 Milestone: Ohio State Science Test Preparation & Year-End Portfolios.
Curriculum Mapping • Grade 7 Ohio Science Page 4 of 4
Ohio Science Standards Checklist
Ohio Science Compass 7
Standards Quick-Reference
ESS Standards
Earth & Space Science Checklist
Monitor standards coverage, curriculum alignment, and student mastery. Each standard from the Ohio New Learning Standards for Science (Grade 7) is expanded into explicit, measurable learning targets.
STANDARD: 7.ESS.1 — Earth's Atmosphere Q1 Focus
The atmosphere has different properties and behavior at different altitudes.
Learning Target Statement
Taught Date
Mastery %
Proportional composition of clean, dry air (78% \(N_2\), 21% \(O_2\), 1% trace).
Physical boundaries and roles of troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.
Temperature gradients across layers and explain ozone's protective UV block role.
Explain why atmospheric density and air pressure decrease exponentially with altitude.
STANDARD: 7.ESS.2 — Earth's Hydrosphere Q1 Focus
Hydrosphere consists of water cycling via solar thermal energy & gravity.
Learning Target Statement
Taught Date
Mastery %
Model evaporation, condensation, transpiration, run-off, and percolation.
Evaluate global water distribution (saltwater vs. glacial vs. accessible aquifers).
Contrast wind surface currents with deep density thermohaline conveyer loops.
Analyze water's high thermal capacity and role in regulating coastal climates.
STANDARD: 7.ESS.3 — Earth's Lithosphere & Plates Q2 Focus
The lithosphere is divided into plates moving on asthenospheric convection.
Learning Target Statement
Taught Date
Mastery %
Map Earth's internal layers, contrasting lithosphere vs. asthenosphere properties.
Identify geological boundaries and outcomes: convergent, divergent, transform.
Curriculum Mapping Checklist • Grade 7 Ohio Science Page 1 of 2
Ohio Science Compass 7
Standards Quick-Reference
PS & LS Standards
Physical & Life Science Checklist
STANDARD: 7.PS.1 — Elements, Compounds, & Mixtures Q3 Focus
Matter is made of atoms, combining chemically (compounds) or physically (mixtures).
Learning Target Statement
Taught Date
Mastery %
Model atomic structures: protons, neutrons, and electrons (charges & positions).
Examine elements on periodic table; classify metals, nonmetals, metalloids.
Contrast compounds (bonded proportions) with physical mixtures (easily separated).
