Topics Addressed in 8^th Grade Science

The topics we explore in 8^th grade science classes change each year in response to student interests, current events, and new opportunities. I am always on the lookout for new ideas that will help me create learning experience that are engaging for students. Even though the labs, lessons, and homework assignments may change each year, I rely on Indiana’s Academic Standards to guide the choices I make. These standards address seven basic areas:

Standard 1: The Nature of Science and Technology addresses students’ understanding of how scientists make observations, investigate questions, and come to decisions about what their findings mean. In 8^th grade, we focus quite a bit of attention on the fact that many ideas, constraints, considerations, risks, and benefits affect our decision-making. We also specifically discuss the fact that some matters cannot be examined scientifically.

Standard 2: Scientific Thinking incorporates various skills, including estimation, group discussion, the use of technology, the use and comprehension of tables, charts, graphs, and measurement units, and critical response skills.

Standard 3: The Physical Setting addresses several areas of Earth and space science. Plate tectonics (an area that was only touched upon in 7^th grade) is explored in greater depth. This standard also incorporates such diverse areas as gravitational force, Earth’s air, water, soil, and living resources, the atomic structure of matter, different types of energy, and the laws of conservation of matter and energy. Whew!

Standard 4: The Living Environment focuses primarily on genetics during the 8^th grade year. We will examine the differences between acquired and inherited traits, and look at the ways DNA can change from one generation to the next.

Standard 5: The Mathematical World adds to some of the graphing and estimation skills and concepts that were introduced in Standard 2, and also addresses the use of mathematical equations, the basics of data analysis, and some important ideas on drawing appropriate conclusions from data.

Standard 6: Historical Perspectives focuses on the accomplishments of Antoine Lavoisier (the law of conservation of matter), and the work of Marie and Pierre Curie (understanding radioactive elements). Both of these tie in nicely with concepts addressed by Standard 3.

Standard 7: Common Themes are ideas to which we’ll return again and again. These include the idea of using scientific models (both hands-on and conceptual), interactions of different parts of a system, and the notion of cycles and patterns in nature.

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