Science
The Science program at The Virtual Learning Academy offers two distinct tracks for learning, traditional and accelerated. Both tracks provide an opportunity for a variety of learning styles to develop an understanding of the science concepts outlined by the Virginia Standards of Learning.
The traditional track has students in the sixth-grade covering the following topics. Scientific Process, Energy, Weather, Astronomy, Environment, Water, and Matter. Seventh-grade students cover the Life Science curriculum of Scientific Processes, Cells, Life Processes, Ecosystems & Populations, Genetics, and Natural Selection. Eighth-grade students study Physical Science. The topics covered include: Scientific Processes, Atoms and Matter, Energy, Waves, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Work, Force, Motion, Electricity & Magnetism. Students will take the VA state SOLs testing all three grades level Science SOLs at the end of their eighth-grade year.
The accelerated track has students complete all three grade levels of Science within their sixth and seventh grade years. In sixth-grade the students will primarily cover the life sciences and part of the sixth-grade curriculum. In seventh grade, they will focus on physical science concepts and the remaining sixth-grade curriculum. At the end of the seventh-grade, students will take the Virginia eighth-grade Science SOL. In the eighth-grade, students will take Earth Science high school credited. Upon completion of that year students will take the high school VA Earth Science SOL. Units of study include: Scientific Processes, Astronomy, Minerals, Rocks, Natural Resources, Plate Tectonics, Geologic Processes.
