How to learn Grade 8: Science
Nebraska academic standards: Science, Grade 8
0 of 9 concepts ready to learn · Markdown, for your AI
1. History of Earth · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence to explain Earth’s history.
- Galaxies and the universe: Describe the scale of the universe, including the structure of galaxies, the position of the Sun in the Milky Way, and the use of light years as a unit of distance, and appreciate why space exploration requires enormous timescales
2. Space Systems · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of the interactions among bodies in space.
- Universal Gravitation: Describe gravity as a universal attractive force between all masses, explain that orbital motion arises because gravity provides the centripetal force keeping objects in orbit, and compare gravitational field strengths on different planets
3. Natural Selection and Adaptations · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of natural selection and adaptations.
- How Natural Selection Works: Explain natural selection as the mechanism of evolution: heritable variation + competition for resources + differential survival and reproduction = change in allele frequency over generations
4. Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of the inheritance and variation of traits.
- Genetic Mutation: Explain genetic mutation as a random change in DNA sequence, describe causes of mutation (e.g. radiation, chemicals, copying errors), and explain that most mutations are neutral, some harmful, and a few beneficial
5. Energy · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of energy.
- Energy stores and transfers: Identify the main energy stores (kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic potential, thermal, chemical, nuclear, electromagnetic) and the pathways by which energy is transferred between stores (mechanically, electrically, by heating, by radiation)
- Calculating Dietary Energy: Calculate and evaluate energy intake and requirements in a healthy daily diet, interpreting food labels and nutritional data
6. Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of waves and electromagnetic radiation.
- Waves & Different Materials: Explain how waves can be absorbed, transmitted, or reflected by different materials, and apply these interactions to explain colour perception, sight, communication technologies, and the effects of different surfaces on wave behaviour
7. Forces and Interactions · Gather, analyze, and communicate evidence of forces and interactions.
- Investigating Forces: Plan and carry out investigations into forces, including measuring force with a newton meter, investigating Hooke's Law, and collecting and interpreting motion data to test Newton's laws
- Newton's Third Law: State and apply Newton's Third Law: every force has an equal and opposite reaction force acting on a different object, distinguishing action-reaction pairs from balanced forces