Long Branch High School



long branch public schools

Science Curriculum Guide

8th Grade

2011-2012

LONG BRANCH PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Long Branch, New Jersey

BOARD OF EDUCATION

BILL DANGLER, PRESIDENT

TARA BEAMS, VICE PRESIDENT

MARY L. GEORGE

LUCILLE M. PEREZ

AVERY W. GRANT

MICHELE CRITELLI

ARMAND R. ZAMBRANO, JR

JAMES N. PARNELL

ALLAN MENKIN

ADMINISTRATION

Administration/Educational Center

540 Broadway

(732) 571-2868

MICHAEL SALVATORE

Superintendent of Schools

Alvin L. Freeman

Assistant Superintendent of Schools

Garry Penta

District Administrator

JanetLynn Dudick

District Manager for Personnel and Special Projects

Peter E. Genovese III

School Business Administrator/Board Secretary

Nancy L. Valenti

Assistant School Business Administrator/Assistant Board Secretary

CURRICULUM WRITING COMMITTEE

Administration

Roberta Freeman

Committee Leader

Nicholas Montesano

Teacher(s)

Conover White

Jenny Marques

Developed & Written:

July 2011 - August 2011

Board Approved:

September 21, 2011

Table of Contents

Page

Introduction 5

Units of Study

Science Practics 7

Standard 5.1

Life Science 22

Standard 5.3

Earth Systems Science 41

Standard 5.4

Course Introduction

The science curriculum is designed so that students can be actively engaged as they learn science.  Students will learn to use tools of science and to perform scientific investigations.  Many of the investigations are completed in small cooperative learning groups in which students plan and find solutions with their peers. 

The investigations and activities in the science curriculum are coherently organized and carefully crafted.  They promote an intuitive understanding of scientific concepts and theories.  Only after students come to understand a concept through demonstration and active instruction are they given opportunities to perform laboratory experiments to test theories. 

Investigations encourage students to inquire about relevant ideas and issues beyond the bounds of this course.  Students have opportunities to experiment, hypothesize, analyze, test, talk, write, explain, and justify their ideas. 

Assessments

Throughout the course students will demonstrate their knowledge on quizzes and chapter assessments.  Students will also be required to keep a notebook containing vocabulary, new concepts, laboratory investigations, and solved problems.  Students will create a portfolio of their exemplary work throughout this course.  Student portfolios will be updated at the end of each chapter. 

Class Structure

The order of events in a class period will vary with each lesson.  The following outlines a typical class structure:

• Introduction – The teacher will pose the Do Now problem clearly to the class.  

• Investigation– Students will work in groups to complete laboratory assignments, journal writing, and directed reading assignments. 

• Closing– Check for understanding of the main scientific objective of the lesson, review vocabulary, reinforce concept.

Resources

• Holt series textbooks

• Holt Lab Generator

• Whiz-Bang Demonstrations

• Math Skills for Science

• Holt PuzzlePro

• Brain Food Video Quiz

• Standardized Test Preparation

• National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps

Science Practices

Standard 5.1 Strand A

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 6-8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Understand Scientific Practices Anticipated time frame: Ongoing |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.1 Science Practices: Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that |

|continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning |

|skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science. |

|Strand A. Understand Scientific Explanations: Students understand core concepts and principles of science and use measurement and |

|observation tools to assist in categorizing, representing, and interpreting the natural and designed world. |

|Standards 5.2.6 A-E, 5.3.6 A-E, 5.4.6 A-G |

|Standards 5.2.8 A-E, 5.3.8 A-E, 5.4.8 A-G |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Measurement and observation tools are used to categorize, |How do we build and refine models that describe and explain the |

|represent and interpret the natural world. |natural and designed world? |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Core scientific concepts and principles represent the conceptual |Demonstrate understanding and use interrelationships among |

|basis for model-building and facilitate the generation of new and|central scientific concepts to revise explanations and to |

|productive questions. |consider alternative explanations. |

|Results of observation and measurement can be used to build |Use mathematical, physical, and computational tools to build |

|conceptual-based models and to search for core explanations |conceptual-based models and to pose theories |

|Predictions and explanations are revised based on systematic |Use scientific principles and models to frame and synthesize |

|observations, accurate measurements, and structured data/evidence|scientific arguments and pose theories. |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Explore digital simulations to examine the cause and effect relationship between thermal energy from the sun and global ocean |

|circulation patterns. Construct a written or oral explanation for the phenomenon. |

| |

|You are an entomologist studying the relationship between nutritional needs and life cycle stages in insects. You are interested in|

|raising the healthiest insect colony possible. Choose a model species (darkling beetle, butterfly, fruit fly, etc.) to study its |

|life cycle course. Conduct a series of experiments that track the growth of the insect over time to determine which media or food |

|are the best choices for each life cycle stage. Grow the same type of insect in different nutritional media (oatmeal, fruits, |

|meats, dairy, etc.) and track the growth (length, weight) at several intervals within the life cycle. Why would growth patterns |

|differ over the course of an insect’s lifetime? Are there different nutritional needs for different life cycles? Justify your |

|conclusions using the growth data (length, weight) that you collect. Share and discuss your findings in a class entomology poster |

|session. |

| |

|Create an orrery model of the Solar System that illustrates the relative motions and positions of bodies in the Solar System. Works|

|together as a class to create a human-powered orrery to model the movements of the four inner planets. Assist in setting up this |

|moving model of the Solar System and take turns playing the roles of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. |

|Observe the orrery in motion and then, form conclusions about the orbital periods of the inner planets. Afterwards, predict as a |

|class, the orbital periods of the outer planets using the mapped scale model. |

| |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Learn fundamental concepts, principles, theories, and models. |

|Then, build organized and meaningful conceptual structures that incorporate these concepts, principles and theories. |

|Then, use these relationships to revise claims and to discuss alternative explanations. |

|Use mathematical, physical, and computational tools to observe, measure, and explain natural phenomena. |

|Develop evidence-based models to explain the relationships between fundamental concepts and principles. |

|Construct and refine models and propose revised theories as new evidence becomes available |

|Evaluate the strengths of arguments based on the evidence presented. |

|Critique scientific arguments by considering the quality of the experimental design and data. |

|Learning Resources |

|All Holt Textbooks |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

| |

Science Practices

Standard 5.1 Strand B

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 6-8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Generate Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations Anticipated time frame: Ongoing |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.1 Science Practices: Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that |

|continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning |

|skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science. |

|Strand B. Generate Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations: Students master the conceptual, mathematical, physical, and |

|computational tools that need to be applied when constructing and evaluating claims. |

|Standards 5.2.6 A-E, 5.3.6 A-E, 5.4.6 A-G |

|Standards 5.2.8 A-E, 5.3.8 A-E, 5.4.8 A-G |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Evidence is used for building, refining, and/or critiquing |What constitutes useful scientific evidence? |

|scientific explanations. | |

| | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Evidence is generated and evaluated as part of building and |Design investigations and use scientific instrumentation to |

|refining models and explanations. |collect, analyze, and evaluate evidence as part of building and |

|Mathematics and technology are used to gather, analyze, and |revising models and explanations. |

|communicate results. |Gather, evaluate, and represent evidence using scientific tools, |

|Carefully collected evidence is used to construct and defend |technologies, and computational strategies. |

|arguments. |Use qualitative and quantitative evidence to develop |

|Scientific reasoning is used to support scientific conclusions. |evidence-based arguments. |

| |Use quality controls to examine data sets and to examine evidence|

| |as a means of generating and reviewing explanations. |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Work in groups to conduct experimental crosses using fruit flies. Record the specific traits that appear in each generation (eye |

|color, body color, wing type, etc) to determine the patterns of inheritance between generations. |

|After conducting the experimental crosses, document patterns of inheritance, and draw conclusions about the patterns, citing |

|evidence. |

| |

|Conduct an experiment, collecting and graphing data that shows the temperature change of water over time when heated from ice to |

|water vapor. |

| |

|Design investigations and use scientific instruments to collect, analyze and evaluate evidence as part of building an explanation |

|for classifying samples as a pure substance or a compound. Use partner talk and whole-group discussions in order to learn from |

|other’s ideas. |

| |

|Analyze climatographs (graph of the average monthly temperature and rainfall quantities for a location) for coastal and inland |

|locations to identify and generalize patterns. |

|Analyze diurnal temperature patterns for coastal and inland locations to identify and generalize patterns. |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Ask scientific questions and determine what data to collect or measure in order to answer the questions. |

|Develop strategies for accurately measuring and collecting data. |

|Organize the data logically so that it may be used to answer questions or validate predictions. |

|Use scientific tools with accuracy and confidence. |

|Use mathematics in the collection, organization and analysis of data. |

|Use tools of data analysis to organize and represent data. |

|Make claims based on the available qualitative and quantitative evidence. |

|Cite evidence and explain the reasoning for a claim. |

|Use data representations to communicate findings. |

|Evaluate the quality of the available data. |

|Justify claims with connections to other fundamental concepts and principles. |

|Use evidence and data to support both a claim and the reasoning behind a scientific argument |

|Learning Resources |

|All Holt Textbooks |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

| |

Science Practices

Standard 5.1 Strand C

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 6-8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Reflect on Scientific Knowledge Anticipated time frame: Ongoing |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.1 Science Practices: Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that |

|continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning |

|skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science. |

|Strand C. Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time. |

|Standards 5.2.6 A-E, 5.3.6 A-E, 5.4.6 A-G |

|Standards 5.2.8 A-E, 5.3.8 A-E, 5.4.8 A-G |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Scientific knowledge builds upon itself over time. |How is scientific knowledge constructed? |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Scientific models and understandings of fundamental concepts and |Monitor one’s own thinking as understandings of scientific |

|principles are refined as new evidence is considered. |concepts are refined. |

|Predictions and explanations are revised to account more |Revise predictions or explanations on the basis of discovering |

|completely for available evidence. |new evidence, learning new information, or using models |

|Science is a practice in which an established body of knowledge |Generate new and productive questions to evaluate and refine core|

|is continually revised, refined, and extended. |explanations |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Describe in written text or as part of classroom discussion what happens to kinetic and gravitational potential energy as a ball is|

|thrown up in the air and lands on the ground. Explain their thinking about what happens to kinetic and potential energy. |

| |

|Design an experiment that determines if the precipitation in their area is acidic. Graph amounts of precipitation, pH levels, and |

|general weather conditions for the course of the experiment. On the basis of their findings, provide an analysis of the problem. If|

|they can identify the sources of acid rain, they may name them, but they must be able to substantiate their allegation. |

| |

|Your class has been invited to compete in a school science-fiction film festival. The theme of this year’s festival is “A World |

|Without Light.” Using concepts related to photosynthesis and food webs, create a short film (2-8 minutes) depicting the |

|consequences of a world without solar energy. Focus first on the effects on the plant and non-human animal world, and then explore|

|how humans might respond. Present your film at the school’s festival for review. |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Monitor and reflect on their ideas as those ideas change over time. |

|Extend investigations beyond inquiry and practice modeling, organizing observations, and historical reconstructions. |

|Search for core explanations and connections between fundamental concepts and principles as they develop their understandings. |

|Engage in evidence-based arguments as they explore and refine predictions or explanations. |

|Explore the reasoning for multiple interpretations for the same phenomenon. |

|Justify, citing evidence and reasoning, the revision of explanations or predictions. |

|Collaborate with peers to generate new questions and investigations to explore cause-and-effect relationships. |

|Create multiple representations of the results of an investigation. |

|Move confidently between multiple forms of representations (e.g., graph, chart, data table). |

|Learning Resources |

|All Holt Textbooks |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

| |

| |

| |

Science Practices

Standard 5.1 Strand D

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 6-8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Participate Productively in Science Anticipated time frame: Ongoing |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.1 Science Practices: Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that |

|continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning |

|skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science. |

|Strand D. Participate Productively in Science: The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and communication, which are |

|social practices that are governed by a core set of values and norms. |

|Standards 5.2.6 A-E, 5.3.6 A-E, 5.4.6 A-G |

|Standards 5.2.8 A-E, 5.3.8 A-E, 5.4.8 A-G |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and |How does scientific knowledge benefit, deepen, and broaden from |

|communication - social practices that are governed by a core set |scientists sharing and debating ideas and information with peers?|

|of values and norms. | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Science involves practicing productive social interactions with |Engage in multiple forms of discussion in order to process, make |

|peers, such as partner talk, whole-group discussions, and |sense of, and learn from others’ ideas, observations, and |

|small-group work. |experiences. |

|In order to determine which arguments and explanations are most |Engage in productive scientific discussion practices during |

|persuasive, communities of learners work collaboratively to pose,|conversations with peers, both face-to-face and virtually, in the|

|refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and |context of scientific investigations and model-building. |

|theories (e.g., argumentation, representation, visualization, |Demonstrate how to safely use tools, instruments, and supplies |

|etc.). |Handle and treat organisms humanely, responsibly, and ethically |

|Instruments of measurement can be used to safely gather accurate | |

|information for making scientific comparisons of objects and | |

|events. | |

|Organisms are treated humanely, responsibly, and ethically. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|You are a cargo inspection agent working in Guam to prevent the introduction of non-native species to your island. People coming |

|into your territory often do not understand why you must spend so much time checking their cargo. Working in small groups, develop |

|a public service announcement and media campaign to explain to the public how devastating the introduction of non-native species |

|can be to an island ecosystem. Research how the region has been affected by invasive species. Connect with experts in the field to |

|further your understandings, especially those living in the target country. Use video clips, podcasts, and other authentic media to|

|help explain the impact. Focus your message on how non-native species can become invasive and affect the biodiversity of the |

|island. |

| |

|Engage in a globally collaborative project, such as The Noon Day Project, where students from around the world collect and share |

|data that will be used to measure the circumference of the earth using a method that was first used by Eratosthenes over 2000 years|

|ago. |

| |

|Design and carry out an investigation involving a chemical change. Compare the mass of the reactants with the mass of the |

|products. Use data derived from the investigation to confirm or reject the principle of conservation of mass. |

| |

|Work in groups to conduct experimental crosses using fruit flies. Vary one environmental factor (temperature, light, etc.), and |

|then collect and analyze data. Record the specific traits that appear in each generation (eye color, body color, wing type, etc) to|

|determine if the offsprings’ traits are altered in any way by the changed environmental factor as compared to a control situation. |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Engage in productive conversations with their peers. |

|Use partner talk, whole-group discussions, and small group work in order to learn from other other’s ideas. |

|Engage in multiple modes of communication such as speech, print, and electronic. |

|Pose, refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and theories collaboratively (e.g., argumentation, representation, |

|visualization, etc.). |

|Engage in evidence-based scientific arguments. |

|Persuade peers of the validity of one’s own ideas and the ideas of others. |

|Demonstrate understanding of safe and accurate measurement in the context of an investigation. |

|Take proactive measures to insure their personal safety and the safety of their peers. |

|Demonstrate an individual sense of responsibility and good habits for safety. |

|Investigate potential health hazards such as E Coli, dander, or other allergens prior to bringing them into the classroom. |

|Demonstrate knowledge about the care of organisms so that both students and specimens stay safe and healthy during all activities. |

|Follow local, state, and national laws, policies, and regulations when live organisms are included in classroom activities. |

|Engage in research and discussions about the ethical questions regarding the use of organisms in instruction. |

|Learning Resources |

|All Holt Textbooks |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

| |

Life Science

Standard 5.3 Strand A

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Organization and Development Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, |

|and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |

|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |

|Strand A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions |

|required for life. Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Living organisms have a variety of observable features that |What do all living things have in common? |

|enable them to obtain food and reproduce. | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|All organisms are composed of cell(s). |Compare the benefits and limitations of existing as a single or |

|In multicellular organisms, specialized cells perform specialized|multicellular organism. |

|functions. |Relate the structures of cells, tissues, organs and systems to |

|Tissues, organs and organ systems are composed of cells and |their functions in supporting life. |

|function to serve the needs of cells for food, air, and waste | |

|removal. | |

|During the early development of an organism, cells differentiate | |

|and multiply to form the many specialized cells, tissues, and | |

|organs that compose the final organism. | |

|Tissues grow through cell division | |

|Assessment Evidence |

| |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

| |

|Students imagine that they are slime molds, which are capable of living as singular or multi-cellular organisms. They write a |

|persuasive essay to the rest of the slime molds, asking them to either unite or separate, using the benefits and drawbacks living |

|as a singular or multi-celled organism to guide their argument. Students make a claim about the preferred lifestyle, and support it|

|with evidence and reasoning. |

|How is a skin cell from a mouse similar to an amoeba? |

|Both need energy. |

|Both have cell walls. |

|Both move with pseudopodia. |

|Both consume carbon dioxide. |

| |

|Students answer the question how does structure relate to function? by creating a pictorial essay using cell images. There will be |

|no words accompanying the essay, just images. Students select the appropriate images (and sequence the images) to demonstrate to |

|the viewer how cellular and tissue structures determine the function of these elements. |

| |

|The numbered drawings below show the organization within a multicellular organism from simple to complex. |

|[pic] |

| |

|Which of these numbered drawings represents a tissue? |

|1 |

|2 |

|3 |

|4 |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

| |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Compare live or digital video images of a variety of single-celled organisms to multicellular organisms. Consider factors such as |

|behavior, growth, development, movement, etc. to describe the differences. |

|Explain the division of labor among the levels of the hierarchy in multicellular organisms that allow these organisms to carry out |

|necessary life processes, and how that may differ from single-celled organisms. |

|Compare prepared slides or digital images of a variety of cells from human body systems (nervous, digestive, cardiac, circulatory |

|etc.). Consider how the shape and structure of each cell type is related to the function of the cell. Describe the differences with|

|respect to cell functioning. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Cells ,Heredity and Classification” textbook . Chapter 3, sec 1-3. |

|Holt “Cells ,Heredity and Classification” textbook. Chapter 2, sec 1,3 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|Teachers’ Domain provides lesson plans and other multimedia resources (video clips and simulations). |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

| |

Life Science

Standard 5.2 Strand B

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Matter and Energy Transformations Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, |

|and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |

|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |

|Strand B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an |

|ecosystem have different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to|How is matter transformed, and energy transferred/transformed in |

|another. |living systems? |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Food is broken down to provide energy for the work that cells do,|Relate the energy and nutritional needs of organisms in a variety|

|and is a source of the molecular building blocks from which |of life stages and situations, including stages of development |

|needed materials are assembled. |and periods of maintenance. |

|All animals, including humans, are consumers that meet their |Analyze the components of a consumer’s diet and trace them back |

|energy needs by eating other organisms or their products. |to plants and plant products. |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|You are an entomologist studying the relationship between nutritional needs and life cycle stages in insects. You are interested in|

|raising the healthiest insect colony possible. Choose a model species (darkling beetle, butterfly, fruit fly, etc.) to study its |

|life cycle course. Conduct a series of experiments that track the growth of the insect over time to determine which media or food |

|are the best choices for each life cycle stage. Grow the same type of insect in different nutritional media (oatmeal, fruits, |

|meats, dairy, etc.) and track the growth (length, weight) at several intervals within the life cycle. Why would growth patterns |

|differ over the course of an insect’s lifetime? Are there different nutritional needs for different life cycles? Justify your |

|conclusions using the growth data (length, weight) that you collect. Share and discuss your findings in a class entomology poster |

|session. |

| |

|Your class has been invited to compete in a school science-fiction film festival. The theme of this year’s festival is “A World |

|Without Light.” Using concepts related to photosynthesis and food webs, create a short film (2-8 minutes) depicting the |

|consequences of a world without solar energy. Focus first on the effects on the plant and non-human animal world, and then explore|

|how humans might respond. Present your film at the school’s festival for review. |

| |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Conduct an experiment to monitor the growth and development of an organism, tracking the changes in nutritional needs throughout an|

|organism’s life cycle |

|Create a digital graphic organizer or model to trace the flow of energy through an ecosystem, beginning at photosynthesis. |

|Model or simulate the flow of energy through relationships between organisms expressed in food webs, and explain how energy and |

|matter are both acquired and used by each organism in a food web. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Cells, Heredity and Classification” textbook. Chapter 2, sec 2 |

|Holt “Environmental Science” textbook. Chapter 1, sec 2 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|Annenberg Media’s Teachers’ Resources offer short video courses covering essential science content for K-6 teachers. |

| |

|Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Digital Video Library provides short video clips of an interview with a science |

|education expert regarding content associated with this standard. |

| |

|Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Digital Video Library provides short video clips of a workshop covering content |

|associated with this standard. |

| |

|Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Digital Video Library provides short video clips of an interview with a science |

|education expert regarding student misconceptions associated with this standard. |

| |

Life Science

Standard 5.2 Strand C

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Interdependence Anticipated time frame: 8 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, |

|and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |

|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |

|Strand C. Interdependence: All animals and most plants depend on both other organisms and their environment to meet their basic |

|needs. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|All animals and most plants depend on both other organisms and |In what ways do organisms interact within ecosystems? |

|their environments for their basic needs. | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Symbiotic interactions among organisms of different species can |Model the effect of positive and negative changes in population |

|be classified as: |size on a symbiotic pairing. |

|Producer/consumer | |

|Predator/prey | |

|Parasite/host | |

|Scavenger/prey | |

|Decomposer/prey | |

| | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|You are a cargo inspection agent working in Guam to prevent the introduction of non-native species to your island. People coming |

|into your territory often do not understand why you must spend so much time checking their cargo. Working in small groups, develop |

|a public service announcement and media campaign to explain to the public how devastating the introduction of non-native species |

|can be to an island ecosystem. Research how the region has been affected by invasive species. Connect with experts in the field to |

|further your understandings. Use video clips, podcasts, and other authentic media to help explain the impact. Focus your message on|

|how non-native species can become invasive and affect the biodiversity of the island. |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Illustrate patterns of how populations in a given area depend on each other for their basic needs. |

|Explain how energy resources of a community are shared through the interactions of producers, consumers, and decomposers. |

|Diagram the systems, order and organizations within and between populations. |

|Understand and use interrelationships between systems and equilibrium to explain the idea that each organism fills a specific role |

|or niche in its community. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Environmental Science. Chapter 1, sec 3 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|Annenberg Media’s Teachers’ Resources offer short video courses covering essential science content for teachers. |

| |

|National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) provides data and information regarding invasive species, including covering |

|Federal, State, local, and international sources. This site supports the performance assessment associated with the CPI. |

| |

Life Science

Standard 5.2 Strand D

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Heredity and Reproduction Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, |

|and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |

|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |

|Strand D. Heredity and Reproduction: Organisms reproduce, develop, and have predictable life cycles. Organisms contain genetic |

|information that influences their traits, and they pass this on to their offspring during reproduction. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Organisms reproduce, develop, have predictable life cycles, and |How do organisms change as they go through their life cycle? |

|pass on some traits to their offspring. | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Some organisms reproduce asexually. In these organisms, all |Defend the concept that through reproduction, genetic traits are |

|genetic information comes from a single parent. Some organisms |passed from one generation to the next using evidence collected |

|reproduce sexually through which half of the genetic information |from observations of inherited traits. |

|comes from each parent. |Explain the source of variation among siblings. |

|The unique combination of genetic material from each parent in |Describe the environmental conditions or factors that may lead to|

|sexually reproducing organisms results in the potential for |a change in a cell’s genetic information or to an organism’s |

|variation. |development and how these changes are passed on. |

|Characteristics of organisms are influenced by heredity and/or | |

|their environment. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Document patterns of inheritance, and draw conclusions about the patterns, citing evidence after conducting experimental crosses |

|using fruit flies. |

|The figures below represent two chromosomes from an animal. |

|[pic] |

|Using the table below that describes the traits carried on Chromosome #6, which trait can the animal inherit only from its mother? |

|Genes on |

|Chromosome #6 |

|Trait |

| |

|H |

|long hair |

| |

|h |

|short hair |

| |

|B |

|black hair |

| |

|b |

|white hair |

| |

|a. short hair |

|b. long hair |

|c. white hair |

|black hair |

| |

|Determine which individuals are parents, which are siblings, etc. from a group of related individuals (plants, animals, etc.) with |

|images provided. Present their ideas of relatedness, justifying their claim with reasoning based on the physical evidence. |

| |

|The pictures below represent forms of reproduction. In which form of reproduction will the offspring differ most from the parent? |

|A. [pic] B.[pic] C. [pic] D. [pic] |

|Explain why DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was banned from use in the United States, and how it affected certain wildlife |

|species. |

| |

|Widespread use of chemical pesticides has been linked to harmful mutations in many wild frog populations. For a mutation to affect |

|the next generation of frogs, it must have altered the genetic code in the frog’s: |

|skin cells |

|cardiac cells |

|muscle cells |

|reproductive cells |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Work in groups to conduct experimental crosses using fruit flies. |

|Record the specific traits that appear in each generation (eye color, body color, wing type, etc) to determine the patterns of |

|inheritance between generations. |

|Explain how this variation occurs, justifying their claim using evidence. |

|Alter one environmental factor (temperature, light, etc.), then collect and analyze data. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Cells, Heredity and Classification” textbook. Chapter 3, sec 1-3 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|Annenberg Media’s Teachers’ Resources offer short video courses covering essential science content for K-6 teachers. |

| |

|Pearson’s LabBench program offers an interactive site that allows students to explore the content associated with this CPI. |

| |

Life Science

Standard 5.2 Strand E

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Evolution and Diversity Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, |

|and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |

|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |

|Strand E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and |

|reproducing in different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in |

|a population over extremely long periods of time. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Sometimes differences between organisms of the same kind give |In what ways are organisms of the same kind different from each |

|advantages in surviving and reproducing in different |other? |

|environments. | |

| |How does this help them reproduce and survive? |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than |Organize and present evidence to show how the extinction of a |

|others to survive and have offspring in particular environments. |species is related to an inability to adapt to changing |

|The advantages or disadvantages of specific characteristics can |environmental conditions using quantitative and qualitative data.|

|change when the environment in which they exist changes. |Compare the anatomical structures of a living species with fossil|

|Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and |records to derive a line of descent. |

|the characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow | |

|survival. | |

|Anatomical evidence supports evolution and provides additional | |

|detail about the sequence of branching of various lines of | |

|descent. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|You are a US Fish and Wildlife officer in a Midwestern state. Conservation biologists Josh Donlan and Harry Greene have asked to |

|speak to you regarding their “Pleistocene Rewilding Project” which proposes to reintroduce giant tortoises, wild horses, lions and |

|elephants to the Midwest, where their distant relatives once roamed. They argue that these introductions would contribute |

|biological, economic, and cultural benefits to North America. Before you decide to speak with Donlan and Green, research the |

|proposed reasons for the ancestral extinction of the megafauna. As a class, use scientific evidence found in journal articles and |

|primary sources to debate if the plan will have any ecological or cultural benefit, and decide if your state should consider their |

|reintroduction plan. |

| |

|A fisherman in coastal New Jersey found the carcass of a whale. The man reported that the stomach contained the bones of a mermaid.|

|He described the bones for the tabloid news artist, who drew the picture below. The artist left out the skull because the fisherman|

|was unable to find it. |

|[pic] |

|Based on the image above, the fisherman probably found bones of a large |

|mollusk, like a giant squid |

|mammal, like a sea lion |

|fish, like a sea bass |

|crustacean, like a king crab |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

|Use current news and journal articles to locate scientific evidence to explain current extinctions due to changing environmental |

|conditions. |

|Explain why the species is at risk, clarifying the concept that evolution occurs at the level of the species, not at the level of |

|the individual. |

|Explain to peers the evolution of a species based on anatomical evidence in a digital or video representation. |

|Learning Resources |

| |

|Holt “Cells, Heredity and Classification” textbook. Chapter 5, sec 1-3 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|Science NetLinks offers lesson plans and support materials associated with this standard. |

| |

| |

Earth Systems Science

Standard 5.4 Strand B

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: History of Earth Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.4 Earth System Science: The Earth operates as a set of complex and dynamic interconnected systems, and is a part of the|

|all encompassing system of the Universe. |

|Strand B. History of Earth: From the time that the earth formed from a nebula 4.6 billion years ago, it has been evolving as a |

|result of geologic, biological, physical and chemical processes. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Earth’s components form systems. These systems continually |How do geologic events occurring today provide insight Earth’s |

|interact at different rates of time, affecting the shape of the |past? |

|Earth’s surface regionally and globally. | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Today’s planet is very different than early Earth. |Correlate the evolution of organisms and the environmental |

|Evidence for one-celled forms of life, bacteria, extends back |conditions on Earth as they changed throughout geologic time |

|more than 3.5 billion years. |Evaluate the appropriateness of increasing the human population |

|Fossils provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions|in a region (e.g., barrier islands, pacific northwest, Midwest |

|have changed. |United States) based on the region's history of catastrophic |

|The principle of Uniformitarianism makes possible the |events such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and floods. |

|interpretation of Earth’s history. The same Earth processes that| |

|have occurred in the past occur today. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|How has the complexity of life changed over time? |

|How is looking for primitive life forms in hot vents like a time capsule of Earth's history? |

| |

|You are considering the purchase of a home on the Jersey Shore. The realtor representing the property owner claims that you do not|

|need to worry about hurricanes in NJ, so the fact that you cannot buy flood or storm insurance is not a problem. Is she correct? |

|Explain your claim citing evidence and your reasoning. |

| |

|An unusual type of fossil clam is found in rock layers high in the Swiss Alps. The same type of fossil clam is also found in the |

|Rocky Mountains of North America. From this, scientists conclude that |

|glaciers carried the fossils up the mountains |

|the Rocky Mountains and the Swiss Alps are both volcanic in origin |

|clams once lived in mountains, but have since evolved into sea-dwelling creatures |

|the layers of rocks in which the fossils were found are from the same geologic age |

| |

| |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

| |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

| |

|Use the Deep Time interactive timeline to find out: |

|When fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, and humans appeared in geologic time. |

|What geological changes were occurring at the time of their appearance. |

|How has the complexity of life changed over time. |

|See: Teachers Domain: Deep Time at |

|Observe fossil evidence of bacteria as it existed over geologic time and compare it to bacteria as it exists today. |

|Investigate and explain the mechanisms for how changes in Earth's atmosphere affected the kinds and distribution of life forms. See|

|Teachers Domain, Life before Oxygen at: |

|Explore and explain why the Grand Canyon is such a valuable site for geologists studying the history of the changing Earth. See |

|NOVA on Teachers Domain, The Grand Canyon: Evidence of Earth's Past at: |

| |

|Create a scale model of geologic time with significant known geologic events plotted along the timeline. |

|Identify the eras and periods of geologic time, and the rock and fossil evidence that support the transition from one time period |

|to the next. |

|Sequence fossil remains based on the time periods in which they existed, and describe changes in sophistication of these organisms |

|over geologic time. |

|Apply the principle of Uniformitarianism to current spatial distribution populations and hazardous events such as earthquakes, |

|volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods, and assess the implications of increasing populations in these hazardous regions. |

| |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Inside the Restless Earth” textbook. Chapter 3, sec 4 |

|Holt ”Earth’s Changing Surface” textbook. Chapter 3, sec 1 |

|Holt “Astronomy” textbook. Chapter 3, sec 3 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Living Environment: Biological Evolution |

| |

|NSDL Collection K-12 Short Cuts: Middle School |

| |

|Historical perspectives: Moving the Continents |

| |

| |

Earth Systems Science

Standard 5.4 Strand C

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Properties of Earth Materials Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.4 Earth System Science: The Earth operates as a set of complex and dynamic interconnected systems, and is a part of the|

|all encompassing system of the Universe. |

|Strand C. Properties of Earth Materials: The Earth’s composition is unique, related to the origin of our solar system, and provides|

|us with the raw resources needed to sustain life. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|How do changes in one part of an Earth system affect other parts |How do changes in one part of an Earth system affect other parts |

|of the system? |of the system? |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposed organic material |Determine the chemical properties of soil samples in order to |

|from dead plants, animals, and bacteria. Soils are often found in|select an appropriate location for a community garden. |

|layers, each having a different chemical composition and texture.|Explain how chemical and physical mechanisms (changes) are |

|Physical and chemical changes take place in the Earth materials |responsible for creating a variety of landforms. |

|when Earth features are modified through weathering and erosion. |Model the vertical structure of the atmosphere using information |

|Earth’s atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace |from active and passive remote sensing tools (e.g., satellites, |

|gases that include water vapor. |balloons, and/or ground based sensors) in the analysis. |

|The atmosphere has a different physical and chemical composition | |

|at different elevations. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Compare and contrast large scale commercial farming practices with those implemented by organic farmers. |

| |

|On steep slopes along the sides of new roads, highway department workers often grow plants to prevent soil from being eroded. |

|Describe two ways that these plants keep the soil from eroding. |

| |

|All of the following are examples of erosion EXCEPT: |

|The wind in the desert blows sand against a rock. |

|A glacier picks up boulders as it moves. |

|A flood washes over a riverbank, and the water carries small soil particles downstream. |

|An icy winter causes the pavement in a road to crack. |

|(NAEP) |

|The picture below can be used to show how sandstone can form along the edge of a large lake. |

| |

|4. Draw and write on the picture to show and explain the two main processes of sandstone formation. |

| |

|[pic] |

|(NAEP) |

| |

|5. Which of the following best explains why the pressure inside a high-flying airplane must be controlled? |

|At high altitudes there is greater atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth. |

|At high altitudes there is lower atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth. |

|If the cabin is not pressurized, ozone and other upper atmospheric gases will enter the airplane. |

|If the cabin is not pressurized, carbon dioxide will escape from the airplane. |

|(NAEP) |

|Recent studies indicate that ozone in the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere is being depleted. What effect does the depletion of |

|ozone have, and how is this effect harmful to humans? |

|(NAEP) |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

| |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

| |

|Design and conduct experiments to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the soil near their school. |

|Use the physical and chemical properties of local soil to uncover the story of the formation of the soil. |

|Construct and operate a composting system and use the products to amend the soil of a community garden. |

|Use existing data sets to compare the: |

|Rate of disintegration of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks to the composition of the rock. |

|Surface area exposed to mechanical and chemical environments in which the weathering takes place. |

|Create a model of the rock cycle that integrates the various forms of mechanical and chemical weathering. |

|Observe landforms, such as river valleys and geologically old and young mountain ranges, and infer the process that took place to |

|form the landform. |

|Identify the gases in the atmosphere, and explain why there is variation in some of the gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide) at |

|different locations around the globe and at different altitudes. |

|Relate the location and construction of active and passive remote sensing satellites to the data collected. |

|Apply the data collected by satellites to create a scale model of the vertical (physical and chemical) structure of the Earth’s |

|atmosphere that describes how the chemical and physical properties of each layer effect the existence of life on Earth. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Earth’s Changing Surface” textbook. Chapter 2, sec 3-4 |

|Holt “ Weather and Climate” textbook. Chapter 1, sec 1 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Changes in the Earth's Surface |

| |

|NSDL Collection K-12 Short Cuts: Middle School |

| |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Weather and Climate |

| |

Earth Systems Science

Standard 5.4 Strand D

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

| |

|Unit: Tectonics Anticipated time frame: 9 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.4 Earth System Science: The Earth operates as a set of complex and dynamic interconnected systems, and is a part of the|

|all encompassing system of the Universe. |

|Strand D. Tectonics: The theory of Plate Tectonics provides a framework for understanding the dynamic processes within and on the |

|Earth. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Energy flow and movement of material from the Earth’s interior |To what extent does the exchange of energy within the Earth drive|

|causes geologic events on the Earth’s surface. |geologic events on the surface? |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|The Earth is layered with a lithosphere; hot, convecting mantle; |Model the interactions between the layers of the Earth. |

|and dense, metallic core. |Present evidence to support arguments for the theory of plate |

|Major geological events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,|motion. |

|and mountain building, result from the motion of plates. |Explain why geomagnetic north and geographic north are at |

|Mapping of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, revealing sea floor spreading,|different locations. |

|and subduction zones are evidence for the theory of plate | |

|tectonics. | |

|Earth’s magnetic field has north and south poles and lines of | |

|force that are used for navigation. | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|Seafloor spreading provides evidence of which of the following Earth processes? |

|erosion of coastlines |

|weathering of mountains |

|movement of crustal plates |

|formation of sedimentary rocks |

|(NAEP) |

|You are a captain of a commercial offshore fishing boat based in Manasquan, NJ. After cruising for three hours on a heading of 450 |

|northeast from the harbor you discover that you are 120 and 55” west of your intended fishing spot. Explain to your first mate why |

|it is necessary to adjust his compass from true north to magnetic north when traveling over long distances. |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

| |

|Describe and compare the characteristics of each layer of the Earth. |

|Describe how technology has influenced what we know about the internal structure of Earth. |

|Investigate the role of the transfer of energy in geophysical processes that create unique landforms. |

|Locate and map current evidence and data, such as volcanism, earthquakes, and ocean features (e.g., mid-ocean ridges and trenches),|

|to reveal the location of plate margins. |

|Apply historical field evidence, such as the location of fossils, glacial moraines, and rock structures, to the theory of plate |

|tectonics. |

|Create explanations for the evidence of plate tectonics that includes our current understanding of the Earth’s interior. |

|Experiment with a topographic map and a corrected and uncorrected compass to locate places on Earth utilizing the compass rose in |

|the map legend. |

|Analyze models of the interior of the Earth that show the conducting, fluid outer core to conceptualize the changing geomagnetic |

|poles. |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Inside the Restless Earth” textbook. Chapter 4, sec 1. |

|Holt “Earth’s Changing Surface” textbook. Chapter 1, sec 1 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Plate Tectonics |

| |

|NSDL Collection K-12 Short Cuts: Middle School |

| |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Electricity and Magnetism |

| |

Earth Systems Science

Standard 5.4 Strand G

|Unit Plan |

| |

|Grade: 8 Subject Area: Science |

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|Unit: Biogeochemical Cycles Anticipated time frame: 10 days |

|Desired Outcomes |

|Standards addressed: |

|Standard 5.4 Earth System Science: The Earth operates as a set of complex and dynamic interconnected systems, and is a part of the|

|all encompassing system of the Universe. |

|Strand G. Biogeochemical Cycles: The biogeochemical cycles in the Earth System include the flow of microscopic and macroscopic |

|resources from one reservoir in hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, or biosphere to another, are driven by the Earth's internal and|

|external sources of energy, and are impacted by human activity. |

|Standard 5.1 A-D |

|RST 6-8. 1-10 |

|Enduring Understandings: |Essential Questions: |

| | |

|Earth’s components form systems that have cycles and patterns |How do changes in one part of the Earth system affect other parts|

|that allow us to make predictions. These systems continually |of the system and in what ways can Earth processes be explained |

|interact at different rates of time, affecting the Earth locally |as interactions among spheres? |

|and globally. | |

| | |

| | |

|Learners will know: |Learners will be able to: |

| | |

|Water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat, and therefore |Represent and explain how ocean currents impact the climate of |

|significantly affects the global climate system. |coastal communities using sea surface temperature maps. |

|Investigations of environmental issues address underlying |Investigate a local or global environmental issue by defining the|

|scientific causes and may inform possible solutions. |problem, researching possible causative factors, understanding |

| |the underlying science, and evaluating the benefits and risks of |

| |alternative solutions. |

|Assessment Evidence |

|Performance Tasks: |

|Summative and formative assessment |

|Teacher observation |

|Student/Teacher conferencing |

|Student demonstrations |

|Student journals |

|Homework |

|Authentic Assessments: |

|While packing for your senior trip to London England you notice something unexpected in the packing list provided by your teacher. |

|Your teacher recommends sweaters and raincoats but not winter coats and gloves. Has your teacher sent you the wrong packing list? |

|Explain your claim. |

| |

|Use the map below to answer the following question. |

|[pic] |

|Springfield, Missouri, and San Francisco, California, are at similar latitudes, but they have very different climates. Springfield |

|has very hot summers and cold winters, while San Francisco has about the same temperatures all year. |

| |

|2. What is the most likely reason the two cities have such different climates? |

|the amount of sunlight on each city |

|the distance of each city from an ocean |

|the elevation above sea level of each city |

|the distance of each city from the equator |

|(LA) |

|3. Some scientists think that the Earth’s climate is getting warmer. The Earth's climate may be getting warmer because of some |

|things that people do. |

| |

|List two human activities that may contribute to warming of the Earth's climate. |

| |

|If these scientists are correct and the Earth keeps getting warmer for the next 50 years, what will happen to the oceans? Explain |

|why this would happen. |

|(NAEP) |

| |

| |

|Learning Plan |

|Anticipated daily activities: |

|Do Now |

|Science Journal Writing |

|Interactive Labs |

|Quick Labs |

|Laboratory Investigations |

|Directed Readings |

|Vocabulary review/quiz |

|Reinforcement/Enrichment activities and worksheets |

| |

|Suggested Activities |

| |

|Conduct an experiment, collecting data, and graphing data that show the temperature change of water over time when heated from ice |

|to water vapor. |

|Compare this data to the global water cycle and how water moves in and out of different locations of the water cycle at different |

|rates (residence time). |

|Identify patterns in coastal sea surface temperature by making observations of temperature changes over a period of a year. |

|Compare average daily temperatures for a coastal community versus a community located 30 miles inland to identify a relationship |

|between proximity to the ocean and daily temperature. |

|Design an experiment that determines if the precipitation in their area is acidic. Graph amounts of precipitation, pH levels, and |

|general weather conditions for the course of the experiment. On the basis of their findings, provide an analysis of the problem. If|

|they can identify the sources of acid rain, they may name them, but they must be able to substantiate their allegation. See Acid |

|and Its Effect found at: |

|Engage in the Problem Based Learning Module titled Exploring the Environment: Global Climate Change at: |

| |

|Learning Resources |

|Holt “Water on Earth” textbook. Chapter 2, sec 1. |

|Holt “Environmental Science” textbook. Chapter 4, sec 1-2 |

|Holt Lab Generator |

|Whiz-Bang Demonstrations |

|Math Skills for Science |

|Holt PuzzlePro |

|Brain Food Video Quiz |

|Standardized Test Preparation |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Weather and Climate |

| |

|NSDL Collection K-12 Short Cuts: Middle School |

| |

|National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps |

|The Physical Setting: Use of Earth's Resources |

| |

|The Living Environment: Interdependence of Life |

| |

|NSDL Collection K-12 Short Cuts: Middle School |

| |

| |

| |

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