Greenwich Public Schools Curriculum Overview

Science 8

Unit 1: Forces and Collisions

The Big Ideas for the Unit

The 8th grade science curriculum begins with a unit of study focused on physical science along with engineering and design components. In this unit, students consider the factors that affect the motion of objects and use these ideas to inform their experience regarding collisions. In the culminating project for this unit, students will use the scientific knowledge and skills they gain throughout the unit, applying engineering and design principles to envision a solution that can prevent an asteroid collision. These concepts are placed within a space science context—a focus they will continue to explore in the next unit.

The content knowledge of this unit spans seven different Disciplinary Core Ideas of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity, Forces and Motion, Types of Interactions, Definitions of Energy, Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems, Developing Possible Solutions, and Optimizing the Design Solution.

As students explore these core ideas, they build on their skills in the following science and engineering practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, Designing Solutions, and Engaging in Arguments with Evidence.

In addition to science and engineering practices, students also continue to build on their knowledge of the following crosscutting concepts: Patterns; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity; Systems and System Models; and Stability and Change.

Note: Teachers retain professional discretion in how the learning is presented based on the needs and interests of their students.

Next Generation Science Standards

The key knowledge and key skills students will acquire from the unit.

MS-LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.

MS-PS3-1. Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and the speed of an object.

MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Advanced Students:

HS-ESS-1-1. Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the lifespan of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy in the form of radiation.

HS-ESS-1-2. Construct an explanation of the Big Bang Theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.

Assessments

    Authentic assessments and performance tasks, like projects or written reflections, allow students to demonstrate that they have accomplished the desired understandings, concepts, and goals of the unit. Ultimately, all science assessments in the unit provide the opportunity for students to reflect upon what they have learned.

In the formative assessments in this unit, students:

• Evaluate scientific evidence for the existence of prehistoric creatures using patterns in fossil record data.
• Develop a scientific claim using a student-created data set and apply the argument to understanding of the gravitational force between objects.
• Evaluate data to determine whether velocity or mass is the most important factor preventing damage to the equipment when it lands

In the summative assessments in this unit, students:

• Model an explanation of the Chicxulub asteroid collision
• Design a solution to avoid a future asteroid collision

Supportive Technology and Resources

TUVA DataLabs software allows students to practice their data literacy from a wide variety of actual data sets. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Explore Learning is a library of virtual simulations for students to design and conduct investigations. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Unit 2: Exploring Our Solar System

The Big Ideas for the Unit

While Unit 2 has a space context that is similar to Unit 1 and continues to explore physical science concepts, it more heavily focuses on concepts related to Earth’s place in the universe. In doing so, students move beyond contact forces and focus on the non-contact forces that might affect a space-borne telescope’s route through the solar system, which

serves as the culminating project for this unit. As students progress through this unit, they will conceptualize and develop a more complex picture of the solar system, which they will use to explain some of the everyday natural phenomena they experience.

This Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)  aligned content knowledge spans five different Disciplinary Core Ideas: The Universe and Its Stars, Earth and the Solar System, Types of Interactions, Definitions of Energy, and Relationships Between Energy and Forces.

As students explore these core ideas, they build on their skills in the following NGSS science and engineering practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Developing and Using Models, Planning and Carrying Out Investigations, Analyzing and Interpreting Data, and Engaging in Arguments From Evidence.

In addition to science and engineering practices, students also continue to build on their knowledge of the following NGSS crosscutting concepts: Patterns; Cause and Effect; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity; and Systems and System Models.

 Note: Teachers retain professional discretion in how the learning is presented based on the needs and interests of their students.

Next Generation Science Standards

The key knowledge and key skills students will acquire from the unit

MS-ESS1-1 Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.

MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within

galaxies and the solar system.

MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar

system.

MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence for arguments could include data generated from simulations or digital tools; and charts displaying mass, strength of interaction, distance from the Sun, and orbital periods of objects within the solar system.

MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

MS-PS3-2. Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

Advanced Students:

HS-ESS 1-4 Use mathematical or computational representations to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.

Assessments

    Authentic assessments and performance tasks, like projects or written reflections, allow students to demonstrate that they have accomplished the desired understandings, concepts, and goals of the unit. Ultimately, all science assessments in the unit provide the opportunity for students to reflect upon what they have learned.

In the formative assessments in this unit, students:

• Use a model to explain how the relative position of the Sun and Earth create different lengths of shadows based on geographical location
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a model in explaining orbital patterns between a comet and a planet.
• Utilize knowledge of gravitational and magnetic forces to reverse engineer a levitating planter

In the summative assessments in this unit, students:

• Model an explanation of our solar system
• Design a route through space for a probe to collect information

Supportive Technology and Resources

TUVA DataLabs software allows students to practice their data literacy from a wide variety of actual data sets. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Explore Learning is a library of virtual simulations for students to design and conduct investigations. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Unit 3: Adaptation Over Time

The Big Ideas for the Unit

In the first science Unit 1 of eighth grade, students analyzed the fossil record for biodiversity patterns and events of mass extinction. In this unit, students build on that knowledge and skill set, as they continue to explore the fossil record and use it to form a more cohesive picture of Earth’s history, which they will come to know as the geologic time scale. From here, students discover that the fossil record is not the only piece of evidence that helps tell the story of life on Earth. There is also anatomical and embryological evidence to explain common ancestry and mechanisms like natural selection and

human intervention to explain change over time. In exploring these concepts, Unit 3 thus becomes the unit with the

most life science content of the 8th grade curriculum.

This content knowledge spans six different Disciplinary Core Ideas: The History of Planet Earth, LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits, Variation of Traits, LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity, LS4.B: Natural Selection, and  Adaptation.

As students explore these core ideas, they build on their skills in the following science and engineering practices: Developing and Using Models; Analyzing and Interpreting Data; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument From Evidence; and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information.

In addition to science and engineering practices, students also continue to build on their knowledge of the following crosscutting concepts: Patterns; Cause and Effect; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity; Structure and Function; and Stability and Change.

 Note: Teachers retain professional discretion in how the learning is presented based on the needs and interests of their students.

Next Generation Science Standards

The key knowledge and key skills students will acquire from the unit

ESS1-4. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth’s 4.6-billion-year old history.

LS3-1. Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.

LS4-1. Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

LS4-2. Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

LS4-3. Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

LS4-5. Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms

LS4-6. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Advanced Students:

HS-ESS1-6. Apply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth’s formation and early history.

Assessments

    Authentic assessments and performance tasks, like projects or written reflections, allow students to demonstrate that they have accomplished the desired understandings, concepts, and goals of the unit. Ultimately, all science assessments in the unit provide the opportunity for students to reflect upon what they have learned.

In the formative assessments in this unit, students:

• Identify observable patterns based on anatomical changes to determine the relative age of an extinct species
• Determine patterns in the mammalian order of extant species to develop a claim and construct an explanation about the relationship to an extinct species
• Make a claim, describe the evidence, and consider implications based on data about a study of finches in the Galapagos Islands. 
• Evaluate data to infer the relationship between weather and beak depth to construct an explanation using relative quantitative data

In the summative assessments in this unit, students:

• Model an explanation of the “peppered moths” in the Industrial Revolution
• Participate in a Socratic Seminar on whether we should intervene to protect endangered species

Supportive Technology and Resources

TUVA DataLabs software allows students to practice their data literacy from a wide variety of actual data sets. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Explore Learning is a library of virtual simulations for students to design and conduct investigations. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Unit 4: Using Engineering and Technology to Sustain Our World

The Big Ideas for the Unit

While Unit 3 focused more heavily on life science concepts, this unit emphasizes more physical science along with engineering knowledge and skills. In this unit, students engage in an earth science context—the impact of human overpopulation on natural resource consumption and Earth systems. Building upon learning of the previous unit students focus on waves and energy and how these scientific concepts might offer solutions to our resource consumption problem.

This Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aligned content knowledge spans seven different Disciplinary Core Ideas: Human Impacts on Earth Systems, Natural

Selection, Wave Properties, Electromagnetic Radiation, Information Technologies, Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems, and Developing Possible Solutions.

As students explore these core ideas, they build on their skills in the following NGSS science and engineering practices: Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Developing and Using Models; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Arguments From Evidence; and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information.

In addition to science and engineering practices, students also continue to build on their knowledge of the following NGSS crosscutting concepts: Patterns, Cause and Effect, Energy and Matter, and Structure and Function.

 Note: Teachers retain professional discretion in how the learning is presented based on the needs and interests of their students.

Next Generation Science Standards

The key knowledge and key skills students will acquire from the unit

ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Advanced Students:

HS-ESS2-2.        Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS2-4.        Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth’s systems result in changes in climate

Assessments

    Authentic assessments and performance tasks, like projects or written reflections, allow students to demonstrate that they have accomplished the desired understandings, concepts, and goals of the unit. Ultimately, all science assessments in the unit provide the opportunity for students to reflect upon what they have learned.

In the formative assessments in this unit, students:

• Engage in a scientific argument using supporting evidence from multiple sources regarding the effects of CO2 emissions
• Observe data to identify patterns in various graphs and use mathematics and computational thinking to explain the patterns of waves

In the summative assessments in this unit, students:

• Model an explanation of how satellites use waves to create images
• Design a solution for a global or local environmental issue

Supportive Technology and Resources

TUVA DataLabs software allows students to practice their data literacy from a wide variety of actual data sets. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.

Explore Learning is a library of virtual simulations for students to design and conduct investigations. Students use their school Google accounts to log in.