Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8 Introduction In 2014, the Shelby County Schools Board of Education adopted a set of ambitious, yet attainable goals for school and student performance. The District is committed to these goals, as further described in our strategic plan, Destination 2025. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, we must collectively work to provide our students with high quality, College and Career Ready standards-aligned instruction. The Tennessee State Standards provide a common set of expectations for what students will know and be able to do at the end of a grade. College and Career Ready Standards are rooted in the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in post-secondary study or careers. While the academic standards establish desired learning outcomes, the curriculum provides instructional planning designed to help students reach these outcomes. The curriculum maps contain components to ensure that instruction focuses students toward college and career readiness. Educators will use this guide and the standards as a roadmap for curriculum and instruction. The sequence of learning is strategically positioned so that necessary foundational skills are spiraled in order to facilitate student mastery of the standards. Our collective goal is to ensure our students graduate ready for college and career. The standards for science practice describe varieties of expertise that science educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and proficiencies” with longstanding importance in science education. The Science Framework emphasizes process standards of which include planning investigations, using models, asking questions and communicating information. The science maps contain components to ensure that instruction focuses students toward college and career readiness. The maps are centered around four basic components: the state standards and framework (Tennessee Curriculum Center), components of the 5E instructional model (performance tasks), scientific investigations (real world experiences), and informational text (specific writing activities). The Science Framework for K-12 Science Education provides the blueprint for developing the effective science practices. *The TOOLBOX contains additional resources for each unit. SCS 2016-2017 1 of 28
Transcript
Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
Introduction
In 2014, the Shelby County Schools Board of Education adopted a set of ambitious, yet attainable goals for school and student performance. The District is committed to these goals, as further described in our strategic plan, Destination 2025. In order to achieve these ambitious goals, we must collectively work to provide our students with high quality, College and Career Ready standards-aligned instruction. The Tennessee State Standards provide a common set of expectations for what students will know and be able to do at the end of a grade. College and Career Ready Standards are rooted in the knowledge and skills students need to succeed in post-secondary study or careers. While the academic standards establish desired learning outcomes, the curriculum provides instructional planning designed to help students reach these outcomes. The curriculum maps contain components to ensure that instruction focuses students toward college and career readiness. Educators will use this guide and the standards as a roadmap for curriculum and instruction. The sequence of learning is strategically positioned so that necessary foundational skills are spiraled in order to facilitate student mastery of the standards.
Our collective goal is to ensure our students graduate ready for college and career. The standards for science practice describe varieties of expertise that science educators at all levels should seek to develop in their students. These practices rest on important “processes and proficiencies” with longstanding importance in science education. The Science Framework emphasizes process standards of which include planning investigations, using models, asking questions and communicating information. The science maps contain components to ensure that instruction focuses students toward college and career readiness. The maps are centered around four basic components: the state standards and framework (Tennessee Curriculum Center), components of the 5E instructional model (performance tasks), scientific investigations (real world experiences), and informational text (specific writing activities).
The Science Framework for K-12 Science Education provides the blueprint for developing the effective science practices. The Framework expresses a vision in science education that requires students to operate at the nexus of three dimensions of learning: Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. The Framework identified a small number of disciplinary core ideas that all students should learn with increasing depth and sophistication, from Kindergarten through grade twelve. Key to the vision expressed in the Framework is for students to learn these disciplinary core ideas in the context of science and engineering practices. The importance of combining science and engineering practices and disciplinary core ideas is stated in the Framework as follows:
Standards and performance expectations that are aligned to the framework must take into account that students cannot fully understand scientific and engineering ideas without engaging in the practices of inquiry and the discourses by which such ideas are developed and refined. At the same time, they cannot learn or show competence in practices except in the context of specific content. (NRC Framework, 2012, p. 218)
To develop the skills and dispositions to use scientific and engineering practices needed to further their learning and to solve problems, students need to experience instruction in which they use multiple practices in developing a particular core idea and apply each practice in the context of multiple core ideas. We use the term “practices” instead of a term such as “skills” to emphasize that engaging in scientific investigation requires not only skill but also knowledge that is specific to each practice. Students in grades K-12 should engage in all eight practices over each grade band. This guide provides specific goals for science learning in the form of grade level expectations, statements about what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
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Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
An instructional model or learning cycle, such as the 5E model is a sequence of stages teachers may go through to help students develop a full understanding of a lesson concept. Instructional models are a form of scaffolding, a technique a teacher uses that enables a student to go beyond what he or she could do independently. Some instructional models are based on the constructivist approach to learning, which says that learners build or construct new ideas on top of their old ideas. Engage captures the students’ attention. Gets the students focused on a situation, event, demonstration, of problem that involves the content and abilities that are the goals of instruction. In the explore phase, students participate in activities that provide the time and an opportunities to conducts activities, predicts, and forms hypotheses or makes generalizations. The explain phase connects students’ prior knowledge and background to new discoveries. Students explain their observations and findings in their own words. Elaborate, in this phase the students are involved in learning experience that expand and enrich the concepts and abilities developed in the prior phases. Evaluate, in this phase, teachers and students receive feedback on the adequacy of their explanations and abilities. The components of instructional models are found in the content and connection columns of the curriculum maps.
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Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
Science is not taught in isolation. There are commonalities among the practices of science (science and engineering), mathematics (practices), and English Language Arts (student portraits). There is an early focus on informative writing in ELA and science. There’s a common core in all of the standards documents (ELA, Math, and Science). At the core is: reasoning with evidence; building arguments and critiquing the arguments of others; and participating in reasoning-oriented practices with others. The standards in science, math, and ELA provide opportunities for students to make sense of the content through solving problems in science and mathematics by reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Early writing in science can focus on topic specific details as well use of domain specific vocabulary. Scaffold up as students begin writing arguments using evidence during middle school. In the early grades, science and mathematics aligns as students are learning to use measurements as well as representing and gathering data. As students’ progress into middle school, their use of variables and relationships between variables will be reinforced consistently in science class. Elements of the commonalities between science, mathematics and ELA are embedded in the standards, outcomes, content, and connections sections of the curriculum maps.
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Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
Science Curriculum Maps OverviewThe science maps contain components to ensure that instruction focuses students toward college and career readiness. The maps are centered around four basic components: the state standards and framework (Tennessee Curriculum Center), components of the 5E instructional model (performance tasks), scientific investigations (real world experiences), informational text (specific writing activities), and NGSS (science practices). At the end of the elementary science experience, students can observe and measure phenomena using appropriate tools. They are able to organize objects and ideas into broad concepts first by single properties and later by multiple properties. They can create and interpret graphs and models that explain phenomena. Students can keep notebooks to record sequential observations and identify simple patterns. They are able to design and conduct investigations, analyze results, and communicate the results to others. Students will carry their curiosity, interest and enjoyment of the scientific world view, scientific inquiry, and the scientific enterprise into middle school.
At the end of the middle school science experience, students can discover relationships by making observations and by the systematic gathering of data. They can identify relevant evidence and valid arguments. Their focus has shifted from the general to the specific and from the simple to the complex. They use scientific information to make wise decision related to conservation of the natural world. They recognize that there are both negative and positive implications to new technologies.
As an SCS graduate, former students should be literate in science, understand key science ideas, aware that science and technology are interdependent human enterprises with strengths and limitations, familiar with the natural world and recognizes both its diversity and unity, and able to apply scientific knowledge and ways of thinking for individual and social purposes.
Purpose of the Science Curriculum MapsThe Shelby County Schools curriculum maps are intended to guide planning, pacing, and sequencing, reinforcing grade level expectations of the grade/subject. Curriculum maps are NOT meant to replace teacher preparation or judgment; however, they serve as a resource for good first teaching and making instructional decisions based on best practices, and student learning needs and progress. Teachers should consistently use student data differentiate and scaffold instruction to meet the needs of students. The curriculum maps should be referenced each week as you plan your daily lessons, as well as daily when instructional support and resources are needed to adjust instruction based on the needs of your students.
How to Use the Science Curriculum Maps
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Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
Tennessee State StandardsThe TN State Standards are located in the first three columns. Each content standard is identified as the following: grade level expectations, embedded standards, and outcomes of the grade/subject. Embedded standards are standards that allow students to apply science practices. Therefore, you will see embedded standards that support all science content. It is the teachers' responsibility to examine the standards and skills needed in order to ensure student mastery of the indicated standard.
ContentThe performance tasks blend content, practices, and concepts in science with mathematics and literacy. Performance tasks should be included in your plans. These can be found under the column content and/or connections. Best practices tell us that making objectives measureable increases student mastery.
ConnectionsDistrict and web-based resources have been provided in the Instructional Support and Resources column. The additional resources provided are supplementary and should be used as needed for content support and differentiation.
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Science 1st Nine Weeks Grade 8
State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
Standard 5 - Adapting to the EnvironmentGLE 0807.5.3 Analyze how structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations within a population enable it to survive in a given environment.
GLE 0807.5.4 Explain why variation within a population can enhance the chances for group survival.
GLE 0807.5.5 Describe the importance of maintaining the earth’s biodiversity.
GLE 0807.5.6 Investigate fossils in sedimentary rock layers to gather evidence of changing life forms.
GLE 0807.Inq.3 Synthesize information to determine cause and effect relationships between evidence and explanations.
GLE 0807.Inq.5 Communicate scientific understanding using descriptions, explanations, and models.
Analyze structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations to predict which populations are likely to survive in a particular environment.
Identify several reasons for the importance of maintaining the earth’s biodiversity.
Compare fossils found in sedimentary rock to determine their relative age.
Aligned resources:
Tennessee Holt Science and Technology TE Chapter 3 - section 4: Adaptations and Survival p. 84-89
Tennessee Holt Science and Technology TE Chapter 4 section 2: How Do Population Changes Happen and Section 3: Natural Selection in Action p. 108-117
Glencoe Science Tennessee Science Grade 8 Chapter 2 section 1: Ideas about evolution pp. 40-47
Recommended activities:
Science Activity a Day: Natural selection (Life as a
Peppered Moth) pp. 103-104
Advantageous traits (Which creature is the fittest) pp. 105
Primate Adaptations (The importance of the opposable thumb) p. 106
Steps of Natural selection (Natural selection sequencing) p. 107
Performance task: Draw a family tree that deals with evolution and describe how the changes occur over time. Develop an explanation on how specific changes produce evolutionary shifts.
Performance task: Make a concept map that shows how raccoons, pandas, and polar bears are related to a common ancestor. Provide explanations on their connections by using a model to clarify the premise.
Performance task: Create a visual display that represents your habitat. Describe the processes of your design. Discuss how you would redesign it.
Performance task: Antarctica – After completing this investigation, students will write an argumentative essay on how Adelie and
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
Plant adaptations (Features for Survival in the rain forest) p. 108
Lesson:A free lesson plan from Biology Alliance about natural selection Investigating Natural Selection
Activities:
Bird beaks - The bird beak activity allows students to explore and classify adaptations through hands on inquiry.
A simple explanation of natural selection, genetic variations, and adaptations is available at Evolution Use the links on the left side of the page.
A more complex explanation of the Theory of Natural Selection Natural selection
Another summary about adaptations Adaptation
In this hands-on activity, students become the subjects in a demonstration of natural selection. Students select candies from a bowl and have an opportunity to think about what traits brought about the “survival” of some candies. Natural selection - "candy dish"
This website has multiple activities
Gentoo penguins are able to sustain themselves.
Performance task: Examine pictures showing the evolution of fish into amphibians and later reptiles. In your graphic organizer, list four physical adaptations that occurred at each stage. Using what you know about natural selection, analyze the adaptations, and, draw conclusions about the reason the adaptation took place. Consider factors such as the environment, climate, food source, and predators of each organism. Post your analysis of their adaptations on sticky notes and attach to posters. Review your classmates’ ideas. Students will summarize the activity by using what they know about natural selection to write a paragraph explaining the process by which fish evolved.
Performance task: Complete the task identified in Genetic engineering.
Performance task: Based on the articles that you have researched and read, determine whether or not the United States should ban the future use of genetic engineering. Students at your school have been asked to write an argumentative essay either supporting the use of genetic engineering or arguing against it. Write your own
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
that help students to identify animal adaptations. Adaptations
Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection and Adaptation HHMI provides an explanation of the rock pocket mouse as a living example of Darwin’s process of natural selection. Fittest
Labs:
Model-making on designing an organism with adaptations you choose (Holt textbook pp. 90-91)
Crazy adaptations - In this investigation, you will build a creature that is adapted to its environment anddescribe its adaptations. Then you will play the game of Adaptation Survivor.
Animal adaptations - This activity is to explore niche partitioning by pretending to be an animal trying to eat materials using common eating utensils.
Online simulation:
This online simulation allows students to manipulate factors that influence species survival (adaptation, overproduction, variation, and competition). Natural selection
argumentative essay that takes a
clear position, using material from the articles you have read as support. Be sure that your recommendation acknowledges both sides of the issue so that people know that you have considered this recommendation carefully. You do not need to use all the sources, only the ones that most effectively and credibly support your position and your consideration of the opposing view.
Performance task: Complete a brochure for the Galapagos Islands. The purpose of your brochure is to attract tourists to the island in order to support research and preservation of the island and its many natural resources.
Performance task: In teams of four, make a plan to inform others via the Internet about biodiversity and why it is a global challenge. Include examples and suggestions for stopping the decline in biodiversity. Write a letter to the Mayor Strickland on how the dollars should be allocated to support this effort.
Performance task: Share what you have learned about biodiversity and humans’ impact locally, regionally, and globally giving both positive and
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
This is a natural selection simulation. In this activity students demonstrate how natural selection operates, using different colored paper chips to represent prey and a piece of fabric as a background (the environment). The predator (student) will hunt (select chips) to show that the best adapted, by color, are NOT chosen, and others which are poorly adapted (by standing out) ARE chosen (removed). Natural selection simulation
Informational text:
Readworks.org articles about Natural Selection and survival: Lexile 1110 Naturally selected to survive
Readworks.org article about Wetlands and Habitat Loss: Wetlands and habitat loss
Tennessee Holt Science and Technology TE Chapter 6 - section 2: Environmental Solutions p.162-169
Glencoe Science Tennessee Science Grade 8 Chapter 3 Conserving life p. 64-97.
Recommended activities:
Science Activity a Day:
negative examples.
Performance task: In Fossils, Your team of dinosaur hunters has been asked to create a presentation for the people involved in making a new movie about dinosaurs. Your presentation will need to give these people important information about where dinosaur bones can be found around the world. Your presentation should explain what types of dinosaurs are found in certain areas and why they were there. They should also understand how long ago they lived and how the Earth’s landscape has changed over time. See the products in the attached file.
Performance task: This is a culminating activity for 8th grade review lessons on classification and evidence of evolution. Fossils
Performance task: Use images from magazines to create a display about how humans threaten Earth’s biodiversity.
Performance task: Design a wildlife management plan to allow deer hunting in a state park without damaging the ecosystem.
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
Adaptive radiation (The Beaks of Darwin’s Finches) p. 109
Variations and Survival (Pine needle variation) p. 110
Activities:
Bird island – What is Biodiversity? Students will manipulate information layers to identify, describe, compare, and graph bird distribution patterns in the island’s different ecoregions.
Explore the outdoors Visit a nearby ecosystem (ex. backyard, city park) and record your observations about the different organisms you discover there.
Video: Adaptations – 13 minute footage about plants and animals
Labs: Biodiversity pp. 9-16
Assessment - What do you know? 10-question online quiz on biodiversity
Tennessee Holt Science and Technology TE Chapter 4 – section
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Performance task: Determine what problem solving techniques a scientist would need in order to discover how dolphins learn.
Performance task: Find magazine pictures of ferns and flowering plants that grow in North America. Use resources books to identify the plants. Create a visual and label the pictures.
Performance task: Construct a dichotomous key to identify people (or another group of items) in a classroom, using questions based on gender, hair length/color, glasses (or not), clothing color, etc.
Performance task: Create a dichotomous key that identifies types
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
pictures, articles, maps, information about the species of life on Earth
The article, “What is Biological Classification?” has extensive information about this subject at this link What is Biological classification?
This is a fun activity for practicing using a dichotomous key using common household/classroom stuff. Silly science
In this activity, Dichotomous key students complete two activities. In the first activity, students use the Creature Identification Key to identify 12 aliens. In the second activity, students pretend to be the aliens and write the dichotomous key that identifies earthly animals.
This site has multiple activities to assist students with the classifying organisms. Students have multiple games that identify the different characteristics of the classification system. Animal classification
Website that allows students to work in groups or by themselves to learn more about classification and dichotomous keys. What is the key?
of cars.
Performance task: Shelby Farms has a variety of species. Observe seeds and notice their features from the area. Classify seeds using features such as color, length, shape, and texture. Create a table for your data. Compare your conclusions with those of other students in your class.
Performance task: The Mississippi River is an aquatic ecosystem near downtown Memphis. In thinking about this body of water and others, particularly oceans, design and carry out an experiment using scientific methods to infer why brine shrimp live in the ocean.
Performance task: Working in small groups, find out more about the Amazon rain forest. Which plants and animals live there? What products come from the rain forest? How does what happens in the Amazon rain forest affect you? Prepare a multimedia presentation.
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State Standards Embedded Standards Outcomes Content Connections
Education Portal's video "Taxonomy: Classification and Naming of Living Things" gives an overview of taxonomy and explains the hierarchical system of classification.
Pink Palace Museum Field Trips
Exhibits: Adaptations
Memphis Botanic Garden
Dixon Gallery & Gardens
Mud Island River Park
Lichterman Nature Center
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