GRADE: 8

TOPIC: Forces and Motion (8.1)

 

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Content Standard(s)

Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do

Established Goals:

State Conceptual Theme IV: Forces and Motion

 What makes objects move the way they do?

Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy

 

Enduring Understandings

Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)

Essential Questions

Inquiry used to explore generalizations

 

8.1 - An object’s inertia causes it to continue moving the way it is moving unless it is acted upon by a force to change its motion.

 

 

What makes objects move the way they do?

 

Knowledge and Skills

What students are expected to know and be able to do

Students will know…

 

The motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion and speed. (motion, reference point, speed = d/t, velocity, acceleration)

 

An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed and/or direction of motion. (Newton’s 3 laws of motion, inertia, momentum, force diagrams)

 

Objects moving in circles must experience force acting toward the center (centripetal force, satellite motion, gravity, law of universal gravitation).

 

Students will be able to…

 

Calculate the average speed of a moving object and illustrate the motion of objects in graphs of distance over time.

 

Describe the qualitative and quantitative relationships among force, mass and changes in motion.

 

Describe the effect of friction on moving objects.

 

Calculate momentum and its effect on motion.

 

Describe the forces acting on an object moving in a circular path.

 

STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)

Other Evidence

Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results

CT State Department Embedded Task for Grade 8 ~ “Shipping and Sliding” - MANDATORY

 

A series of labs with data, calculations, graphs and analysis questions.

Homework

Projects involving application of Newton’s laws of motion.

Presentations or student demonstrations

Topic Assessments

STAGE 3: SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Text -  “Motion, Forces, and Energy”, published by Prentice Hall

“Interaction of Matter and Energy”

 

 

TOPIC: Reproduction & Heredity (8.2)

 

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Content Standard(s)

Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do

Established Goals: 

State Conceptual Theme VII: Heredity and Evolution

 What are the processes responsible for life’s unity and diversity?

Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy

 

Enduring Understandings

Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)

Essential Questions

Inquiry used to explore generalizations

 

8.2 - Reproduction is a characteristic of living systems and it is essential for the continuation of every species.

 

 

What processes are responsible for life’s unity and diversity?

Knowledge and Skills

What students are expected to know and be able to do

Students will know…

 

Heredity is the passage of genetic information from one generation to another (genes, chromosomes, dominant, recessive, heterozygous, homozygous, Punnett square, trait, genotype, phenotype, DNA, hybrid).

 

Some of the characteristics of an organism are inherited and some result from interaction with the environment (nature vs. nurture).

 

 

Students will be able to…

 

Explain the similarities and differences in cell division in somatic and germ cells.

 

Describe the structure of the male and female reproductive system, including the process of egg and sperm production.

 

Describe the structure of the genes on chromosomes, and explain sex determination in humans.

 

Students will be able to construct Punnett squares and predict expected outcomes for one trait complete dominant crosses.

STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)

Other Evidence

Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results

 

You are a botanist who is given the challenge of finding the dominant color of the Wisconsin Fast Plant through hybridization experiments.  Conduct your experiments under the supervision of the Head Scientists and be prepared to defend your conclusions in an oral presentation supported by visuals.

 

A series of labs with data, calculations, graphs and analysis questions (create a baby using dominant and recessive traits found on chromosomes).

Homework

Projects

Presentations or student demonstrations

Topic Assessments

STAGE 3: SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Text – “Cells and Heredity” and “Bacteria to Plants”, published by Prentice Hall

Interaction of Matter and Energy.

United Streaming

DNA Epicenter

Wisconsin Fast Plants

Fruit fly investigation

 

 

 

TOPIC: The Solar System (8.3)

 

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Content Standard(s)

Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do

Established Goals:

State Conceptual Theme X:  Earth in the Solar System

 How does the position of the Earth in the solar system affect the conditions on our planet?

Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy

 

Enduring Understandings

Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)

Essential Questions

Inquiry used to explore generalizations

 

8.3 - The solar system is composed of planets and other objects that orbit the sun.

 

 

How does the position of a planet in the solar system affect conditions on that planet?

Knowledge and Skills

What students are expected to know and be able to do

Students will know…

 

Gravity is the force that governs the motions of objects in the solar system.

 

The motion of the Earth and moon relative to the sun causes daily, monthly and yearly cycles on Earth.

 

The contributions that Galileo, Copernicus, Ptolemy, Kepler and Einstein made to astronomy. 

 

Students will be able to…

 

Explain the effect of gravity on the orbital movements of planets in the solar system.

 

Explain how the regular motion and relative position of the sun, Earth and moon affect the seasons, phases of the moon and eclipses.

 

Describe the effects of technology on our ability to study the solar system.

 

Demonstrate an awareness of the scale of the solar system including distance and size.

STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)

Other Evidence

Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results

You have been chosen by the International Astronomical Union Working Group to determine whether or not the newly discovered celestial body is actually a planet.  After conducting research, you will prepare a persuasive presentation explaining your views with evidence.  The Head of the IAUWG will assess your work.

 

A series of labs with data, calculations, graphs and analysis questions.

Homework

Topic Assessments

STAGE 3: SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Text – “Astronomy”, published by Prentice Hall

Reasons for the Seasons, GEMS Kit

NASA at Eastern CT State University

Down on the Moon

NASA Astrobiology Website

 

 

 

TOPIC: Building Bridges (8.4)

 

STAGE 1: IDENTIFY DESIRED RESULTS

Content Standard(s)

Generalizations about what students should know and be able to do

Established Goals:

State Conceptual Theme XI:  Science and Technology in Society

 How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives?

Scientific Inquiry, Literacy and Numeracy

 

Enduring Understandings

Insights learned from exploring generalizations via the essential questions (Students will understand THAT…)

Essential Questions

Inquiry used to explore generalizations

 

8.4 - In the design of structures there is a need to consider factors such as function, materials, safety, cost and appearance.

 

 

How do science and technology affect the quality of our lives?

Knowledge and Skills

What students are expected to know and be able to do

Students will know…

 

Bridges can be designed in different ways to withstand certain loads and potentially destructive forces.

 

Students will be able to…

 

Explain how beam, truss and suspension bridges are designed to withstand the forces that act on them.

STAGE 2: DETERMINE ACCEPTABLE EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

Authentic application in new context to evaluate student achievement of desired results designed according to GRASPS (Goal, Role, Audience, Setting Performance, Standards)

Other Evidence

Application that is functional in a classroom context only to evaluate student achievement of desired results

 

You are a structural engineer and you have to design and build a bridge to withstand the greatest load.  Be prepared to work as a member of an engineering team to build your bridge, defend your strategy and enter your model into a competition. 

 

 

Lab activities in which students will test materials for bridge building.

Homework

Topic Assessments

 

STAGE 3: SUGGESTED RESOURCES

PITSCO bridge building kit.

Text – “Motion, Forces, and Energy”, published by Prentice Hall.

Westpoint Bridge Project – website.

 

 

 

Scoring Rubric

 

 

4

Exceeds the objectives of the task.

Demonstrates high level of understanding.

Student demonstrates evidence of advanced planning and shows a highly systematic and organized approach that is neat and clearly presented.  Explanations are very clear  and easy to follow.

3

Meets the objectives of the task.

Demonstrates a complete understanding.

Student demonstrates evidence of expected planning and shows an organized approach that is neat and clearly presented.

Explanations are clear and the thinking process is easy to follow.

2

Does not meet all the objectives of the task.  Demonstrates some understanding.

Student demonstrates evidence of some planning and organization.  Presentation is

disorganized and not neatly presented.

1

Demonstrates insufficient understanding of the objectives of the task.

Student demonstrates minimal understanding of the task with little effort shown.