8th Grade -- Life Science / Sound & Light
Course Description: Grade Eight Science includes a half-year, exploration in Life Science followed by a half-year study of sound and light. Both courses are standards-based and emphasize hands-on learning to activate the intellectual curiosity of adolescent learners through guided inquiry. Students develop their inquiry skills as they explore science concepts. Students will be asked to observe, infer, predict, collect data, communicate, collaborate, and problem solve around science topics.
In Life Science, the students will explore 16 organisms and follow the life cycle of two of them (Wisconsin Fast Plants and the cabbage white butterfly) in the classroom. Throughout, the course will focus on the following topics:
Cell Structure and Function
Genetics and Technology
Natural Selection and Evolution
Characteristics of Living Things
Classification of Organisms
Characteristics of Seed Plants
Cell Structure and Function: Students will be able to describe the basic structure of both animal and plant cells. They will be able to use analogies to explain the function of some organelles within the cell. They will understand the sources of energy used by cells and be able to outline the process of cellular division.
Genetics and Technology: Students will understand that some traits are determined by our DNA and will be able to explain the basic method by which heredity works. They will understand the origins of genetics and be able to describe some modern applications of genetics.
Natural Selection and Evolution: Students will see how diversity, probability, and genetics affect the characteristics of a species over time. They will understand that natural selection is a process by which species evolve in response to changes in their environments.
Characteristics of Living Things: Students will be able to identify living, formerly living, and non-living things based on a set of characteristics. They will understand that the definition of “living” is still a subject of scientific debate.
Classification of Organisms: Students will be able to identify species belonging to each of the six kingdoms of living things. They will be understand historical means of classifying life and understand current challenges to those systems.
Characteristics of Seed Plants: Students will be able to identify characteristics shared by all plants. They will understand how seed plants differ from other plants and be able to separate seed plants into their major groups. Students will be able to identify key parts of a seed plant and explain its life cycle.
Textbooks: This course utilizes the "Organisms: From Macro to Micro" kit from STC/MS supported by textbooks from Prentice Hall's Science Explorer series from Prentice Hall. Texts include: Cells and Heredity and From Bacteria to Plants.
In Sound & Light students will learn more about these waves they take for granted. Using everyday objects, we will construct models that enable students to explore various aspects of wave behavior. Topics include:
Characteristics of Waves
The Nature and Properties of Sound
The Electromagnetic Spectrum
Light
Characteristics of Waves: Students will understand the nature of waves and be able to predict their properties and interactions. They will be able to give real-world examples of each type of wave.
The Nature and Properties of Sound: Students will be able to explain how sounds arise and how changes in their wave properties would affect the sound we hear. They will recognize how our society uses sound waves outside the range of human hearing in many common devices.
The Electromagnetic Spectrum: Students will be introduced to the electromagnetic spectrum and investigate the many impacts its various wavelengths have on our modern world.
Light: Students will explore the properties of light including reflection, refraction, color and interference. They will examine how mirrors and lenses are used to create familiar effects.
Textbooks: This course utilizes the textbook Sound and Light from Prentice Hall's Science Explorer series.