The chemistry strand of IQWST consists of three units, each emphasizing concepts fundamental to students’ understanding of chemistry as well as other science disciplines.

Within the chemistry strand, students learn in the 6th grade about the particulate nature of matter, the properties of substances, and phase changes. In the 7th grade, students continue to explore the properties of substances as they learn about chemical reactions and the conservation of matter. More specifically, students learn about atoms and molecules in the 6th grade and revisit these in the 7th grade unit as they learn about what happens in a chemical reaction on the micro scale. In the 8th grade, students further examine chemical reactions and the conservation of matter as they investigate photosynthesis and respiration.

The approach of the chemistry unit and IQWST in general is to emphasize the interconnectedness of ideas across as well as within disciplines. For example, students initially learn about states of matter and phase changes in the 6th grade chemistry unit, then revisit phase changes in the 6th grade earth science unit when learning about the water cycle.