8th Grade Science Guide

Grade 8

SEEd Overview

INTRODUCTION

The eighth grade SEEd standards describe the constant interaction of matter and energy in nature. Students will explore how matter is arranged into either simple or complex substances. The strands emphasize how substances store and transfer energy, which can cause them to interact physically and chemically, provide energy to living organisms, or be harnessed and used by humans. Matter and energy cycle and change in ecosystems through processes that occur during photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Additionally, substances that provide a beneft to organisms, including humans, are unevenly distributed on Earth due to geologic and atmospheric systems. Some resources form quickly, allowing them to be renewable, while other resources are nonrenewable. Evidence reveals that Earth systems change and affect ecosystems and organisms in positive and negative ways.

SCIENCE LITERACY FOR ALL STUDENTS

Science is a way of knowing, a process for gaining knowledge and understanding of the natural world. Engineering combines the felds of science, technology, and mathematics to provide solutions to real-world problems. The nature and process of developing scientifc knowledge and understanding includes constant questioning, testing, and refnement, which must be supported by evidence and has little to do with popular consensus. Since progress in the modern world is tied so closely to this way of knowing, scientifc literacy is essential for a society to be competitively engaged in a global economy. Students should be active learners who demonstrate their scientifc understanding by using it. It is not enough for students to read about science; they must participate in the three dimensions of science. They should observe, inquire, question, formulate and test hypotheses, analyze data, report, and evaluate fndings. The students, as scientists, should have hands-on, active experiences throughout the instruction of the science curriculum. These standards help students fnd value in developing novel solutions as they engage with complex problems.

3 DIMENSIONS OF SCIENCE

Science education includes three dimensions of science understanding: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Every standard includes each of the three dimensions; Science and Engineering Practices are bolded, Crosscutting Concepts are underlined, and Disciplinary Core Ideas are in normal font. Standards with specifc engineering expectations are italicized.

DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS

SCIENCE & ENGINEERING PRACTICES CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS

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DCI 1: Earth and Space science DCI 2: Life science

SEP 1: Asking questions or defning problems SEP 2: Developing and using models SEP 3: Planning and carrying out investigations SEP 4: Analyzing and interpreting data SEP 5: Using mathematics and computational thinking SEP 6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions SEP 7: Engaging in argument from evidence SEP 8: Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information

CCC 1: Patterns

CCC 2: Cause and effect: mechanism and explanation CCC 3: Scale, proportion, and quantity CCC 4: Systems and system models CCC 5: Energy and matter: fows, cycles, and conservation CCC 6: Structure and function CCC 7: Stability and change

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DCI 3: Physical science

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DCI 4: Engineering

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