New Jersey Common Core Standards 7th Grade Science Activities
Printable Seventh Grade Science Worksheets, Study Guides and Vocabulary Sets.
Our Solar SystemSolar systems begin in the dust and gas clouds found in between the stars. The dust is composed of elements like iron and carbon. The gas is hydrogen and helium. These dusty clouds are called nebulae. Here these particles start to come together to form planets. Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 3 The Sun-Earth-Moon SystemThe Earth is simultaneously spinning on its axis(rotation) and revolving around the sun. As viewed from space, the Earth rotates counter-clockwise. This is called prograde rotation. Planets that spin clockwise are said to have retrograde rotation. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 Agents of Erosion and DepositionFreeForces of weathering and erosion are constantly reshaping Earth's surface. Erosion includes the chemical and physical breakdown of rocks and their transport from their point of origin to another location. Blowing wind, running water, flowing ice and and gravity are the forces that erode rock and sculpt the landscape. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Weathering of rocks and soil formationWeathering is a collection of natural processes that, over time, break large rock into smaller and smaller pieces. Rocks can be broken down by physical processes (called mechanical weathering) and chemical processes (called chemical weathering). Soil is a combination of decomposed rock and organic materials. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Exploring the Oceans/OceanographyFreeThe oceans are highly comples environments. The oceans consist of different zones and habitats. As one moves deeper, the amount of light decreases, water temperature decreases and water pressure increases. There changing factors determine the zones and habitats and which organisms can live in each. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 EarthquakesThe theory of plate tectonics describes the movement of the plates of the lithosphere relative to each other. This movement creates forces that push and pull on the crust. Crustal rock can absorb and store energy, but only so much. There is a point at which the stress is more than the rock can hold and the rock breaks. When the rock breaks, the stored energy is released and this energy travels through the Earth. This sudden release of energy created when rocks break is called an earthquake Read more...iWorksheets: 6Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 7 VolcanoesThe intense heat and pressures in the mantle turn solid rock into liquid magma. Magma comes out through the surface of the crust to form volcanoes. Three volcanoes categories are cinder cones, shield volcanoes and stratovolcanoes. The ash and rock that is extruded by explosive volcanoes is called pyroclastic material. This volcanic mudflow is called a lahar. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 ClimateOne key factor affecting climate is latitude. Because the Earth is a globe, the sun’s rays hit the equator more directly than they do near the poles. A second factor is that the Earth is tilted at 23.5 degrees on its axis as it rotates around the sun. As it does, the Northern and Southern hemispheres are either pointing toward or away from the sun’s rays. Consequently, lands near the equator have smaller temperature fluctuations throughout the year. The climate is predictably warm and humid. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 6 Cell ProcessesNucleic acids are organic molecules that contain the instructions for all of the cell functions. They are made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. There are two types of nucleic acids. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic material of an organism, and RNA (ribonucleic acid), the important material in producing proteins within the cell. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 7 Cell ReproductionFreeThe process where one cell forms two identical daughter cells is called cell division. There are three stages of the cell cycle: interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis. DNA stands for DeoxyriboNucleic Acid. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 8 The World of Life ScienceScientific inquiry is a process of designing and conducting scientific investigations including asking a question, completing an investigation, attempting to answer the question, and presenting the results to other. A conclusion is summing up the information from an investigation by either supporting the hypothesis or not. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Bacteria and VirusesBacteria are prokaryotes, meaning that their DNA is in the cytoplasm because they do not have a nucleus. In addition to not having a nucleus, bacteria also do not have many of the other structures that are found in a eukaryotic cell. However, they still meet the criteria for being a living organism. There are three different shapes of bacteria: spiral, rod, and spherical shaped. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 4 Introduction to PlantsAll plants are eukaryotes, with numerous cells, and they are all autotrophs, use photosynthesis to make food. Plants require sunlight to make food. : Plants have
adapted to living on land by having the ability to obtain water and other nutrients from the soil. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 5 Protists and FungiWhat is a protist? The protist is the most diverse Kingdom of classified organisms on Earth. Protists are combined into the same Kingdom because they are all eukaryotes and they live in a liquid environment. There are protists that are unicellular and multicellular. Read more...iWorksheets: 4Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 6 Energy and energy resourcesMechanical energy is the energy of a moving object such as an airplane in flight. Thermal energy or heat energy: When a sidewalk warms up from the sun it now has thermal energy. Electrical energy speaks for itself. Whenever electricity is used, its energy is being used. Chemical energy is the energy that gets released when chemical bonds are broken. Electromagnetic energy is energy that travels in waves. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 ForcesForce is a pull or a push and its strength is measured in units called newtons and represented by the symbol F. Forces can act in combination and produce what is referred to as net force. Gravity is a type of force that pulls objects towards each other and toward the earth. Newton’s first law is that an object that is at rest will remain at rest and that an object in motion will continue in motion. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 MotionWhen motion occurs, there is speed and velocity. Speed is calculated by dividing the distance traveled by the time it took to travel. Velocity has an additional component. Velocity tells you how fast an object is going and where it is going. Therefore, if two objects have the same speed, but are going in different directions, they will have different velocities. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Acids, bases and saltsAn acid is a compound that is defined by its physical and chemical properties. Acids taste sour and react with metals and polyatomic ions called carbonates. A carbonate is a charged cluster of Carbon and Oxygen atoms. In addition, when tested with blue litmus paper, acids turn the paper red. A base or hydroxide, like an acid, is also defined by its properties. Bases taste bitter, are slippery to the touch and turn red litmus paper blue. An example of a base is NaOH or sodium hydroxide. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Mixtures, solutions and compoundsMixtures, unlike compounds, are the physical combination of different substances. Solutions are a type of mixture with at least one solute and solvent. In a solution, finely dissolved particles of a solute are dissolved by the solvent. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Chemistry in our worldChemistry literally affects us twenty four hours a day. At any one moment in our bodies, thousands of chemical reactions are occurring. All of these reactions are controlled by catalyst-like chemicals called enzymes. Most of the chemical digestion of food we eat gets done in our small intestines with enzymes. Outside our bodies, chemicals and their reactions help us in many practical ways. Composites are mixtures of two or more substances, many of which are polymers with different properties, combine to give us better products. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Technology in our worldEngineers use technology to meet human demands and to provide solutions to our problems. Of all the types of consumer goods, clearly electronics seems to have benefited most from technological development. One example of this is in the area of wireless technology. Cell phones using networks of microwave generating cell towers have dramatically changed the way we communicate. Read more...iWorksheets: 3Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 1 Elements and the periodic tableElements are the purest form of matter and can not be broken down into any other substance by either a physical or chemical change. There are about 114 elements and they are organized on a modern Periodic Table of the Elements. The Elements are organized by their atomic numbers from top to bottom and left to right. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1Vocabulary Sets: 2 Work and machinesWork is the exertion of force through a distance. The formula for its calculation is: work =force x distance. For an example, if 5 newtons of force were applied for 5 meters, the amount of work done would be 25Nm. Mechanical advantage = output force/input force. For example, if a machine takes the force coming in and multiplies it three times, the mechanical advantage would be 3. Read more...iWorksheets: 5Study Guides: 1 NJ.CC.6-8.RST. Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Craft and Structure
6-8.RST.4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
The Digestive System & NutritionThere are six different types of nutrients that the body needs. They are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and water. There are three main functions of the digestive system. They are to break down foods into molecules that the body can use, absorb the molecules into the blood and send them all throughout the body, and eliminate wastes from the body. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :5 Ecosystems, food chains and food websUnderstanding food chains and food webs requires understanding the flow of energy and food sources among living things on Earth. A food chain represents a series of organisms connected by where they obtain their energy. A food web is made up of many different food chains in an ecosystem. A food web helps us understand how organisms are interrelated within an ecosystem. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :5 Chemical bondingFreeChemical bonding involves only an atom's outermost electrons. These electrons are called valence electrons and because they have more energy than other electrons, they tend to be found further away from the nucleus. Read more...iWorksheets :3Study Guides :1Vocabulary :1 Chemical reactionsWhen a chemical reaction occurs, the original substances put together, called reactants, lose their chemical properties and become different substances called products with a different set of chemical properties. Reactions where energy is released are called exothermic reactions. When energy is absorbed, it is called an endothermic reaction. Read more...iWorksheets :4Study Guides :1Vocabulary :2 Protection, Reproduction and CooperationThe human body protects itself with non-specific defense systems that react naturally and automatically to invading organisms. Your skin, with its layers of protective tissue, is a very strong, watertight barrier to environmental pathogens. What is an Antigen? A antigen is a molecule that immune system can recognize as either part of the body or as foreign to the body. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 Moving and Controlling the BodyTissues are collections of cells of different types that interact to support the function of the tissues, organs and overall organ system. The brain and spinal cord communicate with all other parts of the body through the nerves that make up the peripheral nervous system. Sensory neurons carry impulses toward the brains and spinal cord. Motor neurons carry impulses away from the brain and interneurons carry impulses within the brain and spinal cord. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 Providing Fuel and TransportationFood is stored and processed in your stomach, so that your body can gain access to the nutrients in the food. Your body relies on what you eat and drink to maintain healthy tissues and to generate the energy. There are six categories of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water. Read more...iWorksheets :4Vocabulary :3 Food Chains and Food WebsBiological dynamics of Earth. Relationships within a community: predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism. Construct a food chain. Construct a trophic-level pyramid (energy level). Compare and contrast food webs and food chains. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :2 Six Kingdoms of LifeThe six Kingdoms are: Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Fungi, Protists, Plants and Animals. Fungi include mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. Protists include some algae, paramecium, and amoeba. Eubacteria are single-celled organisms that don’t have a nucleus. Animals are divided into vertebrates and invertebrates and include mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and fish. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 Plate TectonicsThe Earth's layers: crust, mantle, core. Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of plates of the Earth's crust over hot mantle rock. Plate tectonics are active on Earth since the very beginning. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 Cell TransportActive and Passive Cell transport. There are three main types of passive transport - Diffusion, Osmosis and Facilitated Diffusion. There are two types of active transport - Primary (direct) and Secondary (indirect). Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :2 EarthquakesAn earthquake is the result of a release of stored energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Seismographs are machines that detect and measure seismic waves caused by earthquakes. P waves, or primary seismic waves, are the fastest moving waves. They travel through solids, liquids and gases. S waves or secondary waves are slower and can travel through solids, but not liquids. The slowest and most destructive seismic waves are called surface waves. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 Pond MicrolifeFood vacuole - a small sac-like structure in which captured food is digested. Micronucleus - the smaller of the two nuclei present in some protozoa that contains the genetic material and controls cell reproduction. Paramecium - a single-celled protozoan covered with hair-like cilia, found in many freshwater habitats. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 Chromosomes, Genes and DNAChromosomes are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the hereditary material in humans and most of other organisms. Specific sections of the DNA are called genes. Each gene provides the cell with different information. Each chromosome is made up of many genes. There are about about 100000 genes found on human chromosomes. A gene is made up of a particular sequence of DNA bases. This sequence acts as a code for a protein. The production of different proteins determines the trait (inherited characteristic) of an organism. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 MitosisStructures and functions of living organisms: Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Organ Systems. Differentiate between the processes of mitosis and meiosis. Describe different cell parts and their functions. Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :3 The Study of HeredityHeredity refers to the genetic heritage passed down by our biological parents when certain traits are passed from the parents to the children. Traits are characteristics such as height, hair color etc... Heredity is passed through genes in the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule. DNA is a molecule that contains the biological instructions that make each species unique. Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :3 Photosynthesis and RespirationWhat is Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process that green plants use to capture energy from the Sun and convert it to food. Plants produce oxygen and food in the form of sugar during the process of Photosynthesis. It occurs in two stages. The first stage occurs when light is captured by the chlorophyll pigments in the leaves and converted to energy in the chloroplast. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 RocksTypes of Rocks: Metamorphic: formed when igneous or sedimentary rocks are put under heat and/or pressure in the Earth's crust. Igneous: Formed when crystallized through melting and cooling. Sedimentary: Formed through the accumulation of sediment. Compaction - process by which overlying pressure from rocks and soil reduces the size or volume of sediments. Rock cycle - the continental process by which rocks can be changed into different types. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 VolcanoesEarth's crust is fractured into 13 major and approximately 20 total lithospheric plates. Most of the Earth's volcanoes are located at lithospheric plate boundaries. The belt of volcanoes along the boundary of the Pacific Ocean is called the Ring Of Fire because it contains about 75% of the world's active volcanoes. Why does a volcano erupt? When magma rises towards the surface, gas bubbles expand and increase in pressure. The force of the gas pushes the magma out of the vent and causes an eruption. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 MeiosisMeiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information. These cells are our sex cells – sperm in males, eggs in females. Prophase I - a phase of meiosis during which chromosomes thicken and homologous pairs of chromosomes move together. Metaphase I - a phase of meiosis I during which homologous pairs of chromosomes line up in the center of the cell. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 Forces and MotionMotion is the process of an object changing place or position. Position refers to an object's location. The position of an object all depends on how a person is looking at the object and what it us being compared to, which is known as an object's relative position. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :2 Energy: Forms and ChangesEnergy can have many forms, including mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear and electromagnetic energy. Mechanical energy = potential energy + kinetic energy. Thermal energy is the energy of an objects created by the motion (kinetic energy) of its particles (molecules and atoms). Chemical energy is the potential energy that is stored in chemical bonds. Electrical energy is produced by the movement of charged particles called electrons. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 SoundSound is the energy objects produce when they vibrate. Sound energy is a form of mechanical energy. The substance that the sound waves travel through is called the medium. A medium can be a solid, liquid or gas. In a longitudinal wave, the particles of the medium move back and forth, while the energy moves forward. Then the particles are pushed together, it is called compression. When the particles are spread apart, it is called rarefaction. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
6-8.RST.7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
EarthquakesAn earthquake is the result of a release of stored energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Seismographs are machines that detect and measure seismic waves caused by earthquakes. P waves, or primary seismic waves, are the fastest moving waves. They travel through solids, liquids and gases. S waves or secondary waves are slower and can travel through solids, but not liquids. The slowest and most destructive seismic waves are called surface waves. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 The Study of HeredityHeredity refers to the genetic heritage passed down by our biological parents when certain traits are passed from the parents to the children. Traits are characteristics such as height, hair color etc... Heredity is passed through genes in the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecule. DNA is a molecule that contains the biological instructions that make each species unique. Read more...iWorksheets :2Vocabulary :3 MeiosisMeiosis is a process where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells containing half the original amount of genetic information. These cells are our sex cells – sperm in males, eggs in females. Prophase I - a phase of meiosis during which chromosomes thicken and homologous pairs of chromosomes move together. Metaphase I - a phase of meiosis I during which homologous pairs of chromosomes line up in the center of the cell. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 6-8.RST.9. Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
NJ.CC.6-8.WHST. Writing Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects
Production and Distribution of Writing
6-8.WHST.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Moving and Controlling the BodyTissues are collections of cells of different types that interact to support the function of the tissues, organs and overall organ system. The brain and spinal cord communicate with all other parts of the body through the nerves that make up the peripheral nervous system. Sensory neurons carry impulses toward the brains and spinal cord. Motor neurons carry impulses away from the brain and interneurons carry impulses within the brain and spinal cord. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :3 Research to Build and Present Knowledge
6-8.WHST.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Text Types and Purposes
6-8.WHST.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
6-8.WHST.2.a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
6-8.WHST.2.f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
SoundSound is the energy objects produce when they vibrate. Sound energy is a form of mechanical energy. The substance that the sound waves travel through is called the medium. A medium can be a solid, liquid or gas. In a longitudinal wave, the particles of the medium move back and forth, while the energy moves forward. Then the particles are pushed together, it is called compression. When the particles are spread apart, it is called rarefaction. Read more...iWorksheets :3Vocabulary :4 Standards
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