Welcome to 8th Grade Science

Mrs. Lorie Zenker   lzenker-sas@eupschools.org

Lessons for 8th grade science are designed around the following standards utilizing the Battle Creek Cereal City Science Curriculum. 

Interactions Among Earth and Space Systems

MSENG3 - Middle School - Earth Science - NGSS

Interactions Among Earth and Space Systems is a two part unit, one that focuses on interactions among Earth systems and one that focuses on interactions among space systems. Interactions Among Earth and Space Systems: Earth Systems is geared toward Middle School students and is designed so that students figure out the phenomenon of large cracks in the Arizona desert and how they are related to human activity. The theme throughout the Earth Systems unit is human impact on Earth’s resources.

Anchor Phenomenon: Earth Systems: Large cracks are forming in the Arizona desert where large quantities of water are being drawn to the surface for irrigation.

Driving Question: Earth Systems: What is the effect of drawing large quantities of water from groundwater for irrigating a desert? Are we running out of water? Are we running out of stuff?

Anchor Phenomenon: Space Systems: Surfers ride large waves called tidal bores against the river current. Stars appear to shoot across the sky.

Driving Question: Space Systems: What causes the tidal bores to occur and how do they move against the flow of the river? What causes “shooting stars”?

Energy and the Electromagnetic Spectrum

MSPNG3 - Middle School - Physical Science - NGSS

In Energy and the Electromagnetic Spectrum, middle school students continue their exploration into energy by delving into the concept of energy and energy transfer through the exploration of the transfer of energy between kinetic energy and potential energy within the system of a roller coaster. Students will continue their study of energy and waves by planning investigations, testing devices, developing models, and looking at thermal and kinetic energy and their transfers. Students will use mathematical representations to describe waves and observe wave reflection, absorption, and transmission.

Student-led investigations throughout this unit will help them to answer the basic questions of “What is the relationship among energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample?” and “What is the relationship to kinetic energy by the mass and speed of an object?”

Classroom Expectations: Students are expected to come to class ready to learn. Students are expected to behave respectfully. 

Link to NGSS 8th grade science standards https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf