8Th Grade Curriculum (Revised 8/20/14)

8th Grade Curriculum (revised 8/20/14)

·  3 days spent on expectations, safety and passing out all 4 books.

(Number of days is approximate because snow days, In-service days, assemblies, etc. messed with the timeline.)

Introduction Unit (packet and book K) (30 days)

·  Stars project

·  Class expectations and safety

·  Matter (Atoms, elem, comp, mixture, counting atoms, atomic/mass no. compound)

·  Movie: Matter

·  Lab: Models of atoms (cardboard and beads)

·  Solutions (hetero and homogeneous )

·  Metric system (measuring, mass, weight, volume, distance, water displacement, conversions)

·  Inclusion quiz

·  Density (demos- coke, steel ball)

·  Lab: Density of a Pencil

·  Movie: Density

·  States of matter and changing states

·  Physical and chemical properties/reactions

·  Lab: Chemistry in a Ziploc

·  Inclusion quiz

·  Energy and heat

·  Demo: Melting ice on black plates demo

·  Water and its properties

·  Scientific inquiry

·  Lab: Experimental design

·  Branches of ES and spheres

·  Inclusion quiz

·  Intro test

·  Practice Active reading

Geology Unit (E) Dynamic Earth

Minerals (Unit 3, lesson 1) (13 days)

·  Active Reading with Mineral lesson

·  Characteristics of Minerals

·  Formation of Minerals

·  Properties of Minerals

·  Lab: Mineralogy

·  Fluorescent minerals

·  Mining

·  Movie: “Common Ground – Modern Mining and You”

·  Lab: Cookie Mining

·  Mighty Mineral Project

·  Mineral Lab Exam

·  Mineral written test (inclusion)

Rocks (Unit 3, lesson 2) (12 days)

·  Active Reading practice with Rock lesson

·  Rocks and Minerals movie

·  Igneous rocks

·  Sedimentary rocks

·  Mechanical weathering lab (abrasion)

·  Rock quiz

·  Metamorphic rocks

·  Lab: Rocks (pictures in the hall)

·  Rock cycle

·  Movie: Rock Cycle

·  Rock Cycle Play

·  Soil (not in this chapter)

·  Movie: Rocks and Soil

·  Rocks and Soil Test

·  Rocks and Soil quiz

Plate Tectonics (Unit 4, lessons 1 and 2)) (13 days for lessons 1 and 2))

·  Lab: Black box lab/What is it?

·  Intro seismic waves

·  Movie: Earth’s Crust

·  Earth’s layer

·  Plasticity lab (optional)

·  Continental puzzle

·  Movie: Plate Tectonics

·  Plate tectonics (CD-Rom)

·  Heat transfer

·  Lab: Conduction

·  Demo convection (lab?)

·  Quiz (lesson 2) inclusion

·  Test (lessons 1 and 2)

Lab exam: Performance Assessment (1 day)

Mid-term review (3 days)

Mountain Building (Unit 4, lesson 3) (10 days for lessons 3 and 4)

·  Folding and faulting

·  Movie: Faulting and Folding

·  3 types of mountains

·  Quiz (lesson 3)

·  Lab: Plotting Earthquakes and Volcanoes

Volcanoes (Unit 4, lesson 4)

·  Lab: Magma and landforms

·  Landforms

·  Lab: Viscosity

·  Volcanic eruptions

·  Hot spots

·  Movie: Violent Hawaii

·  Bill Nye Movie: Volcanoes

·  Yellowstone article worksheet

·  Test (lessons 3 and 4)

·  Quiz (lesson 4 )

Stratigraphic columns (not in book) (1 day)

Earthquakes (Unit 4, lesson 5) (8 days for lessons 5 and 6)

·  Causes and boundaries

·  Earthquake simulation

·  Lab: Design and Make an EQ Proof House

·  Effects of earthquakes

Measuring Earthquakes (Unit 4, lesson 6)

·  Seismic waves

·  Lab: Measuring seismic waves (slinky)

·  Movie: Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

·  Magnitude and damage (3 scales)

·  Test (lessons 5 and 6)

Astronomy Unit: (G) Space Science

Earth’s days, Years and Seasons

Moon Phases and Eclipses

Earth’s Tides (Unit 3, lessons 1 - 3) (11 days)

·  Seasons

·  Movie: Seasons

·  Season’s lab

·  Inclusion seasons quiz

·  Phases

·  YouTube video clips - phases

·  Phases lab (talk about gravity and the universe)

·  Inclusion phases quiz

·  Eclipses

·  You tube video clips - eclipses

·  Eclipse lab

·  Inclusion eclipses quiz

·  Tides

·  You tube video clips - tides

·  Inclusion tides quiz

·  Unit 3 test

Meteorology Unit (F) Earth’s Water and Atmosphere

The Atmosphere (Unit 3, lesson 1) (17 days for lessons 1 and 2))

·  Composition

·  Layers foldable notes

·  Layers lab

·  Inclusion Layers quiz

·  Air pressure demonstrations (balloon, peep, shaving cream and water bottle)

·  Air pressure notes

·  1, 2, 3 Candle lab

·  Heat notes

·  Heating and Cooling lab

·  HP formal write up for this lab

·  Rest of classes fill in the lab sheets

Energy Transfer (Unit 3, lesson 2)

·  Energy and Temperature

·  Heat transfer foldable/pictures

·  Punk lab

·  Inclusion Heat Transfer quiz

Wind in the Atmosphere (Unit 3, lesson 3) (5 days)

·  Wind, Pressure, Coriolis Effect

·  Global winds foldable

·  Movie: Winds

·  Jet stream

·  Local winds notes/picture

·  Wind test

·  Inclusion quiz on winds

Elements of Weather (Unit 4, lesson 1) (7 days for lesson 1 and 2)

·  Properties of water /watershed (not in this chapter)

·  Elements of weather

·  Humidity and Relative humidity chart practice

·  Precipitation and Weather instruments

·  Movie: Rain and Snow

·  Inclusion quiz on instruments

·  Inclusion quiz on elements

·  Inclusion “Severe Weather project”

Clouds and Cloud Formation (Unit 4, lesson2)

·  Clouds

·  Cloud foldable

·  Movie: Clouds

·  Inclusion quiz on clouds

·  Test on Elements and Clouds

What Influences Weather? (Unit 4 Lesson 3) (9 days lessons 3 and 4)

·  Water table, water cycle, watersheds

·  Air masses (not in book)

·  Inclusion quiz on air masses

·  Fronts

·  Inclusion quiz on fronts

·  Air pressure and how they interact

·  Pressure systems and weather

·  Inclusion quiz on pressure systems

·  Global wind and effects on weather

·  Inclusion global winds quiz

·  Jet stream and effect on weather

·  Ocean currents and effect on weather

Severe Weather and Weather Safety (Unit 4, lesson 4)

·  Severe Weather Jigsaw and presentations

·  Votex lab

·  Movie: Storms

·  Test on Lessons 3 and 4

Weather Maps and Weather Predictions (Unit 4 lesson 5) (8 days)

·  Weather collection devices

·  Station model

·  Surface weather maps

·  Practice with USA white boards

·  Movie: Meteorology

·  Flyswatter game

·  Lesson 5 test

Astronomy Unit: (G) Space Science

Structure of the Universe (Unit 1 Lesson 1) (7 days for lessons 1 - 3)

·  Big Bang (not in book)

·  Movie: The Universe

·  Our place in space

·  Role of gravity

·  Relative sizes of the structures of the universe

·  Inclusion quiz on structure

Spectroscopes and spectroscope lab (1 day)

Stars (Unit 1 lesson 2)

·  Characteristics (size, brightness, color)

·  Inclusion quiz on stars

Life cycle of Stars (Unit 1 lesson 3)

·  Life cycle of 3 different massed stars

·  Make and graphic organizer showing the 3 life cycles.

·  H-R diagram lab

·  Inclusion quiz on life cycle and H-R diagram

·  Unit 1 test

Historical Models of the Solar System Optional (Unit 2 Lesson 1) (4 days for lessons 1 and 2)

·  The men worksheet

Gravity and the Solar System (Unit 2 lesson 2)

·  Review gravity and orbit

·  Review inertia

·  Formation of the solar system (nebular theory) graphic organizer and picture

The Sun (Unit 2 lesson 3) (5 days for lessons 3- 6, ran out of timeL)

·  Facts about the sun

·  Structure of the sun

·  Picture of the structure of the sun

·  Nuclear fusion

·  Energy transfer

·  Rotation of the sun

·  Sunspot lab

·  Movie: The Sun

·  Sun quiz

The Terrestrial Planets (Unit 2 Lesson 4) not much detail needed – general info

·  Inclusion class – Planetary travel Agency project

·  Possible age/weight on planets lab

·  Read and discuss inner planets

The Gas Giant Planets (Unit 2 Lesson 5) not much detail needed – general info

·  Read and discuss outer planets

Small Bodies in the Solar System (Unit 2 Lesson 6) Know definitions and relative sizes

·  Go over info on small bodies

·  Movie: Comets and Meteors

Final Exam review (3 days)