MASCONOMET REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

COURSE SYLLABUS

COURSE NAME: SCIENCE 8 -DEPARTMENT: SCIENCE

COURSE NUMBER 3285--GRADE LEVEL 8

YEAR: 2006-2007

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The purpose of the Earth Science course is to enhance an appreciation and an awareness of the environment. In this course, you will be made aware of the following general concepts:

· That our Earth is but one small part of an immense universe. By studying this universe, we become more aware of our planet’s incredibly tiny place in the universe.

· That the Earth has only a certain amount of natural resources, and that these resources must be conserved if this planet is to remain habitable for future generations

· That the Earth’s atmosphere and oceans play a most important part in the balance of life on Earth, and that if we continue to abuse them, we will have to “pay the price” in the future!

· That the Earth is undergoing continual change and by studying these changes, we may one day be able to predict and perhaps modify some of these changes, resulting in an improved quality of life for all mankind.

11. CENTRAL OBJECTIVES-Learning Standards of “The Massachusetts Science-Engineering and Technology Curriculum Frameworks (Grades 6-8)” covered.

Skills of Inquiry

· Formulate a testable hypothesis.

· Design and conduct an experiment specifying variables to be changed, controlled, and measured.

· Select appropriate tools and technology (e.g., calculators, computers, thermometers, meter sticks, balances, graduated cylinders, and microscopes), and make quantitative observations.

· Present and explain data and findings using multiple representations, including tables, graphs, mathematical and physical models, and demonstrations.

· Draw conclusions based on data or evidence presented in tables or graphs, and make inferences based on patterns or trends in the data.

· Communicate procedures and results using appropriate science and technology terminology.

· Offer explanations of procedures, and critique and revise them.

Earth Science:

· Recognize, interpret, and be able to create models of the earth’s common physical features in various mapping representations, including contour maps.

· Describe the layers of the solid earth, including the lithosphere, the hot convecting mantle, and the dense metallic core.

· Differentiate among radiation, conduction, and convection, the three mechanisms by which heat is transferred through the earth’s system.

· Explain the relationship among the energy provided by the sun, the global patterns of atmospheric movement, and the temperature differences among water, land, and atmosphere.

· Describe how the movement of the earth’s crustal plates causes both slow changes in the earth’s surface (e.g., formation of mountains and ocean basins) and rapid ones (e.g., volcanic eruptions and earthquakes).

· Recognize that gravity is a force that pulls all things on and near the earth toward the center of the earth. Gravity plays a major role in the formation of the planets, stars, and solar system and in determining their motions.

· Describe lunar and solar eclipses, the observed moon phases, and tides. Relate them to the relative positions of the earth, moon, and sun.

· Compare and contrast properties and conditions of objects in the solar system (i.e., sun, planets, and moons) to those on Earth (i.e., gravitational force, distance from the sun, speed, movement, temperature, and atmospheric conditions).

· Explain how the tilt of the earth and its revolution around the sun result in an uneven heating of the earth, which in turn causes the seasons.

· Recognize that the universe contains many billions of galaxies, and that each galaxy contains many billions of stars.

Physical Science:

· Differentiate between weight and mass, recognizing that weight is the amount of gravitational pull on an object.

· Differentiate between volume and mass. Define density.

· Recognize that the measurement of volume and mass requires understanding of the sensitivity of measurement tools (e.g., rulers, graduated cylinders, balances) and knowledge and appropriate use of significant digits.

· Explain and give examples of how mass is conserved in a closed system

· Recognize that there are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude of ways to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter

· Differentiate between an atom (the smallest unit of an element that maintains the characteristics of that element) and a molecule (the smallest unit of a compound that maintains the characteristics of that compound).

· Give basic examples of elements and compounds.

· Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances.

· Recognize that a substance (element or compound) has a melting point and a boiling point, both of which are independent of the amount of the sample.

· Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.

· Explain and give examples of how the motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion, and speed.

· Graph and interpret distance vs. time graphs for constant speed.

· Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy. Identify situations where kinetic energy is transformed into potential energy and vice versa.

· Recognize that heat is a form of energy and that temperature change results from adding or taking away heat from a system.

· Explain the effect of heat on particle motion through a description of what happens to particles during a change in phase

· Give examples of how heat moves in predictable ways, moving from warmer objects to cooler ones until they reach equilibrium

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE