Learning Targets

Eighth Grade Science

Students’ 4th Nine Weeks Grade will be based on evidence they can do the following:

1.        Earth resources

a.       Distinguish between renewable and non- renewable resources

b.       Identify rocks and minerals given a table of physical properties.

c.       Identify factors that cause rocks to break down.

d.       Distinguish among sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks and interpret a simple rock cycle diagram.

e.       Infer that human activities may be helpful or harmful t the environment.

f.         Identify various energy sources.

2.        Interactions between living things and their environment.

a.       Distinguish among commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism.

b.       Identify the earth’s major biomes.

c.       Choose the appropriate biome for an organism given a description.\

d.       Identiy biotic and abiotic factors in a biome.

Important vocabulary:

            Biome, biotic, abiotic, commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, renewable, non-renewable, rock, mineral, rock cycle, sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous, Moh’s scale, luster, streak, cleavage and fracture.

Students’ 3^rd Nine Weeks Grade will be based on evidence they can do the following:

• Identify whether a substance is an acid or base using an indicator.
   
• Identify a substance as an acid or base, given its pH.
   
•  Differentiate between complete and incomplete metamorphosis.
   
• Distinguish between sexual and asexual methods of reproduction.
   
• Differentiate between dominant and recessive traits.
   
• Predict the genotypes of offspring in a monohybrid cross using a Punnett square.
   
• Select models or illustrations that are representations of DNA.
   
• Associate a change in a DNA molecule with a mutation.
   
• Identify types of genetic engineering (i.e., gene splicing and cloning) and evaluate the impact of genetic engineering on society.
   
• Identify similarities and differences among organisms.
   
• Classify plants and animals into groups according to their features.
   
• Infer the relatedness of different organisms.
   
• Use a simple classification key to identify an unknown organism
   
• Determine the genus and species of an organism using a dichotomous key.
   
• Label a cross section of the earth
   
• Identify the major plates of the world.
   
• Deduce plate movements as the major cause of geological events.
   
• Recognize the relationship between continental drift and plate tectonics.

Students’ second nine weeks grade will be based on evidence that they can do the following:

 Force and Motion

-          Describe how Newton’s three laws of motion explain the movement of objects.

-          Recognize the relation ship between mass, force and acceleration.

-          Identify Newton’s three laws of motion and relate the first two laws to the concepts of inertia and momentum.

-          Differentiate among the ix types of simple machines and their applications.

-          Identify simple machines.

-          Choose the most appropriate simple machine to use for a specific task.

  Earth Features

-          Differentiate among earth layers according to their physical properties.

-          Label a cross section of the earth.

-          Illustrate the major plate boundaries.

-          Identify the major plates of the world.

-          Deduce plate movements as the major cause of geological events.

-          Compare and contrast processes that shaped the earth in the past with those

      shaping the earth today.

-          Recognize the relationship between continental drift and plate tectonics.

Essential Second Nine Weeks Vocabulary:

terminal velocity                           free fall                          projectile motion                                             inertia                                            momentum                         crust

mantle                                           core                                      lithosphere

asthenosphere                               mesosphere                           outer core

inner core                                     continental drift                   convergent boundary

sea-floor spreading              plate tectonics                        subduction zone

divergent boundary               transform boundary                   

First Nine Week's Learning Targets

Students’ first nine weeks grade will be based on evidence they can do the following:

-          Utilize tools of science: meter stick, metric conversions, triple beam balance, microscope, graduated  cylinder, beakers, thermometers, slides

-          Convert metric units

-          Apply the scientific method to lab scenario

-          Calculate density

-          Identify different properties of matter

-          Differentiate between physical and chemical changes

-          Determine rate of reaction changes and their factors

-          Identify the reactants and products in simple chemical equations

-          Recognize that the mass of the products equals the mass of the reactants, given simple chemical equations.

-          Classify a reaction as exothermic and endothermic.

-          Identify acids and bases give their pH or using an indicator

Essential First Nine Weeks Vocabulary:

-          mass

-          displacement

-          hypothesis

-          observation

-     conclusion

-     objective

-          eye piece

-          stage

-          slide

-          cover slip

-          density

-          volume

-          weight

-          field of view

-          physical/chemical change

-           pH

-          acid

-          base

-          indicator

-          endothermic/exothermic

-          reactant

-          product

-          chemical equations

-          law of conservations of mass