8th Grade Science Standards

 

Unit 1 Scientific Method and Measurement

Standard: Understand how to plan for and conduct a scientific investigation.

Indicators:

  1. Measure with and convert Metric Units of Measure
  2. Calculate the density of an object
  3. Identify and describe the steps of the scientific method
  4. Design and conduct a scientific investigation

 

Unit 2 Matter

Standard: Describe how properties are used to identify and categorize substances, materials and objects.

Indicators:

  1. Compare and contrast physical and chemical properties of objects
  2. Compare and contrast physical properties of solids liquids and gases
  3. Understand and describe the differences between physical and chemical changes
  4. Understand and describe the structure of matter (atoms and molecules)
  5. Understand and describe how elements are organized into groups based on similar properties.

 

Standard: Describe and compare different forms of energy

Indicators:

  1. Understand that energy is a property of matter, objects, systems in many forms
  2. Compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy
  3. Understand and compare potential and kinetic energy within a system
  4. Identify and explain the transfer and transformation of energy with in a system

 

 

Unit 3 Waves

Standard: Describe the properties and behaviors of waves.

Indicators

  1. Understand describe the properties of waves: amplitude, wavelength, and speed
  2. Describe how the observed properties of sound are related to amplitude, frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves (pitch and volume)
  3. Describe the changes in speed and direction as a sound wave goes from one substance into another.
  4. Describe how the observed properties of light are related to amplitude, frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves (color and brightness)
  5. Describe the behavior of light waves when light interacts with transparent, translucent, and opaque substances

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 4 Astronomy: Solar System

Standard: Describe and compare the structure and motions of the Solar System.

Indicators

  1. Describe how the spin of Earth and other planets accounts for: the length of a day on those planets, the length of a year on those planets, and the seasons.
  2. Compare the relationships among the components of the solar system: composition, size, atmosphere, gravity, distance from the Sun, and number of moons

 

Unit 5: Survey of Life

Standard: Understand how to classify organisms by their external and internal structures

Indicators

  1. Describe how organisms can be classified using similarities and differences in physical and functional characteristics.
  2. Explain an inference about whether organisms have a biological relationship or common ancestry based on given characteristics.

 

Standard: Describe the life functions of specialized cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems

Indicators

  1. Describe how plant and animal cells are similar and different in structure and function
  2. Describe basic cell functions
  3. Describe the life function of specialized cells or tissues
  4. Describe the life function of organs or organ systems

 

 

Standard: Understand how individual organisms obtain matter and energy for life processes.

Indicators

  1. Describe how organisms acquire materials needed for life processes.
  2. Describe how systems interact to distribute materials and eliminate wastes produced by life processes
  3. Describe that both plants and animals extract energy from food

 

Standard: Describe and explain how organisms pass on genetic information in their life cycle and that an organism’s characteristics are determined by both genetic and environmental influences.

Indicators

  1. Explain that organisms require a set of instructions for specifying their traits
  2. Describe that genes inherited from parents are combined in their offspring to produce a new combination of characteristics
  3. Explain how physical characteristics of living things can be affected by genetic information and/or by interactions with the environment
  4. Describe and compare sexual and asexual  life cycles of plants and animals

Standard: Describe and compare human life functions and the interconnecting organ systems necessary to maintain human life

Indicators

  1. Describe relationships among the organ systems of the human body
  2. Compare human body systems to another organism's body system

 

 

 

Standard: Apply the scientific design process to develop solutions to problems or challenges.

Indicators: Design a solution to an environmental problem