Download Grade 8 Science and Health Standards and Expectations

Grade 8 Science and Health Standards and Expectations
Revised 2008
#1 - Earth and Space - Students can understand concepts and relationships in
Earth/space sciences.
1. Understands ideas about Earth’s composition and structure
2. Knows that because of the tilt of the earth’s axis, there are variances in heat on
parts of the earth during its one year revolution around the sun. This produces
seasons and weather patterns.
3. Knows that fossils provide important evidence of how environmental
conditions have changed on the earth over time, e.g., changes in atmospheric
composition, movement of crustal plates, impact of an asteroid or comet
4. Understands changes in and around Earth
5. Understands concepts relating to the universe
6. Knows that the moon’s orbit around the earth once in 28 days changes how
much the moon is lighted by the sun and how much of that part can be seen
from the earth, resulting in the phases of the moon
7. Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle - Can understand
changes in and around Earth.
8. Knows that the Sun is the principle energy source for phenomena on the
Earth’s surface, e.g., winds, ocean currents, the water cycle, and plant growth
9. Understands Earth’s composition and structure - Can understand ideas about
Earth’s composition and structure.
10. Knows that the Earth’s crust is divided into plates that move at extremely
slow rates in response to movements in the mantle
11. Knows how successive layers of sedimentary rock and the fossils contained
within them can be used to confirm the age, history, and changing life forms
of the earth, and how this evidence is affected by the folding, breaking, and
uplifting of layers
12. Understands the composition and structure of the universe and the Earth’s
place in it - Can understand concepts relating to the universe.
13. Knows that gravitational force keeps planets in orbit around the sun and
moons in orbit around the planets
14. Knows that the planet Earth and our solar system appear to be somewhat
unique (e.g., the Earth is the only celestial body known to support life,
although similar systems might yet be discovered in the universe)
15. Knows how the regular and predictable motions of the earth and moon explain
phenomena on earth, e.g., the day, the year, phases of the moon, eclipses,
tides, shadows
#2 - Life Science - Students can understand concepts and relationships in life science.
1. Understands environmental interaction and adaptation
2. Explains how species can change through natural selection
3. Understands relationships among organisms and their physical environment Can understand environmental interaction and adaptation
4. Knows that all individuals of a species that exist together at a given place and
time make up a population, and all populations living together and the
physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem
5. Knows ways in which organisms interact and depend on one another through
food chains and food webs in an ecosystem, e.g., producer/consumer,
predator/prey, parasite/host
6. Understands biological evolution and the diversity of life
7. Knows evidence that supports the idea that there is unity among organisms
despite the fact that some species look very different, e.g., similarity of
internal structures in different organisms, evidence of common ancestry
8. Knows that there are more than 100 known elements that combine in
numerous ways to produce compounds, which account for the living and
nonliving substances that we encounter; chemical elements do not break down
by normal laboratory reactions such as heating, electric current, or reaction
with acids
9. Knows that many elements can be grouped according to similar properties,
such as highly reactive metals, less-reactive metals, highly reactive nonmetals
(chlorine, fluorine, oxygen), and some almost completely nonreactive gases
(helium, neon); some elements, such as carbon and hydrogen, do not fit into
any of the categories
#3 - Physical Science - Students can understand concepts and relationships in physical
science.
1. Describes Newton’s laws of motion
2. Understand that no matter how substance within a closed system interact with
one another, or how they combine or break apart, the total weight of the
system remains the same; the same number of atoms weighs the same, no
matter how the atoms are arranged
3. Knows that atoms often combine to form a molecule (or crystal), the smallest
particle of a substance that retains its properties
4. Knows that substance react chemically in characteristic ways with other
substance to form new substance (compounds) with different characteristic
properties; however, in chemical reactions the total mass is conserved
5. Knows that only a narrow range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
can be seen by the human eye; differences of wavelength within that range of
visible light are perceived as differences in color
6. Knows that there are more than 100 known elements that combine in
numerous ways to produce compounds, which account for the living and
nonliving substances that we encounter; chemical elements do not break down
by normal laboratory reactions such as heating, electric current, or reaction
with acids
7. Knows that many elements can be grouped according to similar properties,
such as highly reactive metals, less-reactive metals, highly reactive nonmetals
(chlorine, fluorine, oxygen), and some almost completely nonreactive gases
(helium, neon); some elements, such as carbon and hydrogen, do not fit into
any of the categories
#4 - Nature of Science and Technology - Students can understand and apply skills used
in scientific inquiry.
1. Analyzes and interpret scientific information.
2. Draws conclusions, identifies patterns, generalities and trends, and makes
inferences
3. Uses appropriate tools including computer hardware and software and techniques
to gather, analyze and interpret scientific data.
4. Understands and apply the processes and skills of scientific inquiry
5. Uses and understands the components of the scientific method (asks questions
observes, records, and interprets results)*
6. Knows that scientific inquiry includes evaluating results of scientific
investigations, experiments, observations, theoretical and mathematical models
and explanations proposed by other scientists
7. Understands the nature of scientific inquiry - Students can understand and apply
skills used in scientific inquiry.
8. Knows possible outcomes of scientific investigations (e.g., some may result in
new ideas and phenomena for study, some may generate new methods or
procedures for investigation; some may result in the development of new
technologies)
9. Knows that women and men of diverse interests, talents, qualities and
motivations, and of various social and ethnic backgrounds, engage in the
activities of science, engineering, and related fields; some scientists work in
teams, some work alone, but all communicate with others
10. Knows that science helps drive technology, providing knowledge for better
understanding, instruments, and techniques