Grade 8 Science.
(1)~~In Grade 8, the study of science includes planning and conducting field and laboratory investigations using scientific methods, analyzing data, critical-thinking, scientific problem-solving, and using tools such as telescopes to collect and analyze information. Students also use computers and information technology tools to support scientific investigations.
(2)~~As students learn science skills, they identify the roles of both human activities and natural events in altering Earth systems. Students learn that stars and galaxies are part of the universe, identify light years as a way to describe distance, and learn about scientific theories of the origin of the universe. Cycles within Earth systems are studied as students learn about lunar cycles and the rock cycle.
(3)~~Students examine information on the periodic table to recognize that elements are grouped into families. In addition, students demonstrate that exothermic and endothermic chemical reactions indicate that energy is lost or gained during a chemical reaction. Interactions in matter and energy are explored in solar, weather, and ocean systems. Students identify the origin of waves and investigate their ability to travel through different media.
(4)~~Students predict possible outcomes that result from different genetic combinations and explore the extinction of some species.
(5)~~Science is a way of learning about the natural world. Students should know how science has built a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models, and also should know that science may not answer all questions.
(6)~~A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact. Students should understand a whole in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other and to the whole. All systems have basic properties that can be described in terms of space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems and can be observed and measured as patterns. These patterns help to predict what will happen next and can change over time.
(7)~~Investigations are used to learn about the natural world. Students should understand that certain types of questions can be answered by investigations, and that methods, models, and conclusions built from these investigations change as new observations are made. Models of objects and events are tools for understanding the natural world and can show how systems work. They have limitations and based on new discoveries are constantly being modified to more closely reflect the natural world.