Science in Our Classroom
8th Grade
CPO Physical Science
2008-2009 Curriculum
Unit
1 – Experimentation (Review)
How can we make
discoveries about the world?
§
Testable
questions
§
Components
of a scientific study
§
Lab
equipment and safety
§
Measurement
§
Graphing
§
Hypotheses,
theories, and beliefs
Unit 2 – Motion: Speed
and Acceleration
How can we tell that
something is moving?
§
Reference
points
§
Distance and
position
§
Speed
and velocity
§
Graphs
(distance vs. time, position vs. time, speed vs.
position, speed vs. time)
§
Acceleration
Unit 3 – Motion and
Related Forces
How
do we know that forces exist?
§
Mass
§
Gravity and
weight
§
Friction
§
Inertia
§
Newton’s
laws of motion
§
Momentum
Unit
4 – Work and Machines
How do simple machines
make life easier?
§
Mechanical
advantage
§
Pulleys,
levers, wheel and axle, inclined plane, screw,
wedge, and gears
§
Work
§
Fluid power
systems
Unit
5 - Energy
How does energy behave?
§
Kinetic and
potential energy
§
Mechanical,
electrical, chemical, radiant, and nuclear energy
§
Law of
conservation of energy
§
Energy
transformations
§
Conduction,
convection, and radiation
Unit
6 - Waves
What are the properties of
waves?
§
Frequency,
wavelength, and amplitude
§
Reflection
and refraction
§
Electromagnetic spectrum
§
Doppler
effect
§
Law
of reflection
Unit 7 - Matter
What is true about matter?
§
Protons,
neutrons, and electrons
§
Mixtures,
elements, and compounds
§
Chemical and
physical properties
§
Density
§
Products and
reactants of chemical reactions
Unit
8 - Electricity
How can we produce and
control electricity?
§
Components
of a circuit
§
Series and
parallel circuits
§
Electric
charge and voltage
§
Current
§
Conductors,
insulators, and semiconductors
§
Ohm’s law
§
Resistors
Course Summary
The
grade 8 science course focuses on physics, examining
applications of physical principles of motion,
energy, waves, and electricity. This course
provides a core of knowledge and skills to prepare
students for high school physics. This course is a
true hands-on, inquiry-based program that combines
the best attributes of “conceptual” and
“mathematical” approaches to teaching physics.
Every new concept is introduced through a connection
to real experiences, either in the lab or the real
world. Problem solving and critical thinking skills
are the most important part of the course. Students
learn to solve real life problems by designing
experiments, using accurate measuring equipment, and
constructing and testing conclusions based on
accurate data. The goal of the course is to develop
practical knowledge as well as conceptual
understanding to prepare students for high school
sciences.
Last year’s
grade 7 Life Science curriculum provided
a core of knowledge and skills to prepare students
for high school biology. Students engaged in an
in-depth study of the following components of life
science: the diversity unity of life, cells as the
basic structural and functional unit of living
things, genetic inheritance, natural selection,
Earth and life history, structure and functions in
living systems, and interactions within ecosystems.
They also studied a brief unit in planetary
sciences.
Heat and energy
power point
