Curriculum Information from the Rhode Island Department of Education 

RI Core Standards for Science 

Students will develop their understanding of key concepts and core ideas in physical science, earth science, and life science. The ideas build upon students’ science understanding from earlier grades and the disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts of other experiences with physical, earth, and life sciences.  The performance expectations in middle school blend the core ideas with scientific and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to support students in developing usable knowledge across the science disciplines.  Portsmouth Middle School has been a part of a pilot with the Rhode Island Department of Education, implementing a curriculum resource called Open SciEd.  The science teachers have been introducing one unit a year for the last few years.  The 2025-2026 school year will be the first year of full implementation of this curriculum resource.  

Units of Study

• Ecosystem Dynamics

• Chemical Reactions and Matter

• Chemical Reactions and Energy

• Metabolic Reactions

• Matter Cycling and Photosynthesis

• Earth Resources and Human Impact

Please see the link here to our grade 7 science website.