WELCOME TO
TH
8 GRADE
SCIENCE
Mrs. Karen Joshu
• 11th Year at Altadena Middle School teaching 8th
grade science
• Education
– Bachelor of Arts Degree, Fort Lewis College, Durango,
Colorado
– Post Bacc and Master of Arts in Education, University of
Phoenix
– Graduate Science Courses, ASU
Personal Information
• Colorado
• Married 30 years
• 2 (big) kids
– Clint and Amy
• 1 Spoiled Dog!
– Wilson
How I can be reached
• E-mail
kjoshu@kyrene.org
• Phone
480-541-6147
The 8th Grade Science
Curriculum
The KSD Science curriculum is aligned with
both Arizona State and National Science
Standards for middle school students
Does this sound familiar??
• I can’t find my notes…. homework…
quizzes
• I can’ remember what we did
yesterday in class…..
• I was absent last week and can’t find
my notes…..
Here is the answer…
Interactive Notebook
What is an interactive notebook?
• A place to record information
• Enables the student to process ideas and
make connections
• Culmination of student work throughout
the year
• Demonstrates content learned and
reflective knowledge by the student
8th Grade Curriculum
• Chemistry
– Properties and Changes of Properties in
Matter
– Periodic Table and Chemical Interactions
(Periodic Table Children’s Book examples on the back table)
• Physics
– Relationship Between Force and Motion
– Newton’s 3 Law’s of Motion
– Simple Machines (Rube Goldberg Project)
8th Grade Curriculum
• Cells and Genetics
– Meiosis and Mitosis
– Basic Principals of Heredity
• Ecology
– Diversity, Adaptation and Behavior
– Identify Plant and Animal Adaptations
– Science in Personal and Social
Perspective
Inquiry Program
• Engages students in the
investigative nature of science
• Students answer questions
generated by teachers
• Students explore questions on
their own
• Students experience what
scientists do
Requirements
for Success
• ATTENDANCE
– It is important for students to be in class on
time everyday.
– Lab work can not be made up, but alternate
assignments will be given at the teachers
discretion.
– It is the student’s responsibility to find out
what was missed.
• WORK COMPLETION
– Student work must be turned in on time. If
homework is turned in one day late, students
will earn 50%. Ten percent will be deducted
for every day a project or lab write-up is late!
My Goals as an Educator
• Influence my students to prepare
themselves to become
successful, self confident, self
sufficient citizens.
• Teach them to be life long
learners.
How do I connect these
goals to learning science?
• engage students in the process of
learning science
• encourage students to use scientific
evidence to make decisions
• help educate tomorrow's citizens
about the application of science in
everyday life.
Lets work together to
achieve our common
goals