Eighth Grade Science
Course Outline

No one can become really educated without having pursued some study in which he took no interest. For it is part of education to interest ourselves in subjects for which we have no aptitude.

T S Eliot

See the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter112/index.html.

Below is the proposed scope and sequence for this year.  Education is a dynamic enterprise, and this may be revised at any time to accommodate the changing needs of the students.

 

First Semester

 

I. The Nature of Science

Definition of science

Definition of technology

Types of research

Descriptive

Experimental

Science skills

Observing

Inferring

Predicting

Hypothesizing

Communicating

Measuring

Precision

Accuracy

Metrics

Designing investigations

Analyzing

Graphing

Bar

Line

Scatter

Circle

Interpolation

Extrapolation

Statistics

Central tendencies

Frequency

Range

Percent

Rates of change

Models

Types

Uses

Limitations

Evaluation

Physical properties

Phase changes

Temperature

Heat

Specific heat

Fluids

Elements & the Periodic Table

Families

Periods

Metals non-metals

Metalloids

Transition elements

Rare Earth elements

Noble gases

Periodic properties

Compounds

Bonding

Formulas

Properties

Change in properties

Chemical Reactions

Endothermic

Exothermic

Indicators

Release of gas

Color change

Change in temperature

Precipitate

Formulas & Equations

Reactants

Products

Balancing

Law of conservation of mass

Subscripts

Coefficients

Naming

 

Second Semester

IV. Physical Interactions

Motion

Frame of reference

Calculations

Speed

Velocity

Distance

Acceleration

Motion graphs

Forces

Combining

Balanced / unbalanced

Friction

Air resistance

Newton's Laws

Gravity / weight / mass

Universal gravitation

Waves

General characteristics

Amplitude

Crest

Trough

Wavelength

Frequency

Color & pitch

Speed

Wave behavior

Reflection

Refraction

Diffraction

Interference

Energy

Movement

Medium

Mechanical waves

Transverse

Compressional

Sound

Electromagnetic

Seismic

 

V. History of the Earth

Origin of the universe

Big bang

Stars and galaxies

History of the Earth

Fossils

Formation

Types

Interpretation

Fossil record

History of rocks

Rock cycle

Law of superposition

Relative dating

Unconformities

Absolute dating

Principle of uniformitarianism

Genetics

DNA / Chromosomes / Genes

Traits

Dominant

Recessive

Co-dominant

Punnett squares

Mutations & adaptations

Species definition

Darwin

Natural selection

Selective breeding

Adaptive radiation

Extinction