8th GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS

​PS Physical Sciences

ENERGY
8-PS3-1 Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
1.    Use tables and graphs to identify patterns about kinetic energy

LS Life Sciences

STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING
8-LS1-8 Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.
1.    Science literacy: how does the nervous system produce phantom pain?
MATTER AND ENERGY IN ORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS
8-LS2-4 Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
1.    Use food chains to predict changes in populations
2.    Investigate primary succession on a volcanic island
3.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem
INTERDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS IN ECOSYSTEMS
8-LS2-5 Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
1.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem
2.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions
GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT, AND REPRODUCTION OF ORGANISMS
8-LS3-1 Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
1.    Genes, proteins, and traits: understanding the genetic code
2.    Describe the effects of gene mutations on organisms
8-LS3-2 Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
PUNNETT SQUARES
1.    Genetics vocabulary: genotype and phenotype
2.    Genetics vocabulary: dominant and recessive
3.    Genetic variation in sexual reproduction
4.    Complete and interpret Punnett squares
5.    Use Punnett squares to calculate ratios of offspring types
6.    Use Punnett squares to calculate probabilities of offspring types
LIFE CYCLES
7.    Angiosperm and conifer life cycles
8.    Moss and fern life cycles
8-LS4-5 Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
NATURAL SELECTION AND ADAPTATIONS
8-LS4-1 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.
1.    Compare ages of fossils in a rock sequence
8-LS4-2 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.
1.    Compare fossils to modern organisms
8-LS4-3 Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
8-LS4-4 Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
1.    Calculate the percentages of traits in a population
2.    Calculate the averages of traits in a population
3.    Construct explanations of natural selection
8-LS4-6 Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
1.    Introduction to natural selection
2.    Calculate the percentages of traits in a population
3.    Calculate the averages of traits in a population
4.    Construct explanations of natural selection

ESS Earth Space Sciences

HISTORY OF EARTH
8-ESS1-4 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.
1.    Compare ages of fossils in a rock sequence
EARTH'S SYSTEMS
8-ESS3-1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
8-ESS3-5 Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
1.    Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels
2.    The greenhouse effect
HUMAN IMPACTS
8-ESS3-2 Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
1.    Analyze natural hazard maps
8-ESS3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
1.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: explore a problem
2.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions
8-ESS3-4 Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
1.    Evaluate claims about natural resource use: groundwater
2.    Evaluate claims about natural resource use: fossil fuels

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

ENGINEERING DESIGN
MS-ETS1-1 Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
1.    Identify parts of the engineering-design process
2.    Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon!
3.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions
MS-ETS1-2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
1.    Identify parts of the engineering-design process
2.    Evaluate tests of engineering-design solutions
3.    Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon!
4.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions
MS-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
1.    Use data from tests to compare engineering-design solutions
2.    Coral reef biodiversity and human uses: evaluate solutions
MS-ETS1-4 Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
1.    Explore the engineering-design process: going to the Moon!