8th Grade Science Standards
Science Practices:
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
1. Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Forces and Motion
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the force of gravity, the motion of objects, the properties of waves, and the wavelike property of energy in light waves.
MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
√ MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
√ MS-PS2-4.Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
√ MS-PS2-5.Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Matter and Energy
Maine State Learning Results
D3 Students describe physical and chemical properties of matter, interactions and changes in matter, and transfer of energy through matter.
√ MS-PS3-1.Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
√ MS-PS3-2.Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
√ MS-PS3-3.Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
MS-PS3-4.Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the 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.
√ MS-PS3-5.Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
√MS-PS1-1.Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
MS-PS1-3.Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
√ MS-PS1-4.Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
Chemical Reactions
Next Generation Science Standards
√MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
√MS-PS1-5.Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.
√MS-PS1-6.Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
Earth
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the various cycles, physical and biological forces and processes, position in space, energy transformations, and human actions that affect the short term and long-term changes to the Earth.
√d. Describe significant Earth resources and how their limited supply affects how they are used.
Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the force of gravity, the motion of objects, the properties of waves, and the wavelike property of energy in light waves.
√MS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
√MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
√MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.
Weather and Climate
Next Generation Science Standards
√MS-ESS2-5.Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
√MS-ESS2-6.Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
√MS-ESS3-5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Earth and Human Activity
Next Generation Science Standards
MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how~increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources~impact Earth's systems.
Common Core Science
Reading:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1
√ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2
√ Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Newton's 3rd Law:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4
√ Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.6
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7
√ Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.8
√Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9
√Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10
√By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing:
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
√Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.C
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.D
Establish and maintain a formal style.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.E
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.B
√ Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.C
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.D
√ Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.F
√Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
√Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
√ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the force of gravity, the motion of objects, the properties of waves, and the wavelike property of energy in light waves.
- √ c. Describe and apply an understanding of how the gravitational force between any two objects would change if their mass or the distance between them changed.
- d. Describe and apply an understanding of how electric currents and magnets can exert force on each other.
- √ e. Describe and apply an understanding of the effects of multiple forces on an object, and how unbalanced forces will cause changes in the speed or direction.
MS-PS2-1. Apply Newton’s Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.
√ MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
√ MS-PS2-4.Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
√ MS-PS2-5.Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Matter and Energy
Maine State Learning Results
D3 Students describe physical and chemical properties of matter, interactions and changes in matter, and transfer of energy through matter.
- √a. Describe that all matter is made up of atoms and distinguish between/among elements, atoms, and molecules.
- √b. Describe how physical characteristics of elements and types of reactions they undergo have been used to create the Periodic Table.
- c. Describe the difference between physical and chemical change.
- √ d. Explain the relationship of the motion of atoms and molecules to the states of matter for gases, liquids, and solids.
- √e. Explain how atoms are packed together in arrangements that compose all substances including elements, compounds, mixtures, and solutions.
- f. Explain and apply the understanding that substances have characteristic properties, including density, boiling point, and solubility and these properties are not dependent on the amount of matter present.
- √ g. Use the idea of atoms to explain the conservation of matter.
- √ h. Describe several different types of energy forms including heat energy, chemical energy, and mechanical energy.
- √ i. Use examples of energy transformations from one form to another to explain that energy cannot be created or destroyed.
- √ j. Describe how heat is transferred from one object to another by conduction, convection, and/or radiation.
- k. Describe the properties of solar radiation and its interaction with objects on Earth.
√ MS-PS3-1.Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
√ MS-PS3-2.Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
√ MS-PS3-3.Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
MS-PS3-4.Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the 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.
√ MS-PS3-5.Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.
√MS-PS1-1.Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
MS-PS1-3.Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
√ MS-PS1-4.Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
Chemical Reactions
Next Generation Science Standards
√MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
√MS-PS1-5.Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.
√MS-PS1-6.Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
Earth
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the various cycles, physical and biological forces and processes, position in space, energy transformations, and human actions that affect the short term and long-term changes to the Earth.
√d. Describe significant Earth resources and how their limited supply affects how they are used.
Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation
Maine State Learning Results
Students describe the force of gravity, the motion of objects, the properties of waves, and the wavelike property of energy in light waves.
- √a. Describe the similarities and differences in the motion of sound vibrations, earthquakes, and light waves.
- √b. Explain the relationship among visible light, the electromagnetic spectrum, and sight.
√MS-PS4-1. Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.
√MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
√MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.
Weather and Climate
Next Generation Science Standards
√MS-ESS2-5.Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.
√MS-ESS2-6.Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
√MS-ESS3-5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.
Earth and Human Activity
Next Generation Science Standards
MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how~increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources~impact Earth's systems.
Common Core Science
Reading:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1
√ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.2
√ Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Newton's 3rd Law:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3
Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4
√ Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.6
Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7
√ Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.8
√Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9
√Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10
√By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing:
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.A
√Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.C
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.D
Establish and maintain a formal style.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1.E
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.B
√ Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.C
Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.D
√ Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.F
√Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
√CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
√Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8
Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9
√ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.