8th Grade Science Curriculum Regular and Pre-AP
Year at a Glance
2013 - 2014
1st Grading Period
1 wk.
6 wks.
1 wk.
Nature of Science

Safety, Lab Reports, and Interactive Notebooks (if needed)
(TEKS 8.1, 8.2, 8.4)
Atom Review and Chemistry

Atoms (Location/Mass/Charge of Subatomic Particles) (TEKS
8.5A)**

Protons determine identity (TEKS 8.5B)**

Periodic Table ; Element Key (TEKS 8.5A)**

Metals/Non-metals/Metalloids include arrangement on
Periodic Table (TEKS 8.5C)** along with Review Properties of
Metal/Non-metal (TEKS 6.6A)*

Review Elements and Compounds (TEKS 6.5C)*

Review Organic Compounds contain Elements (TEKS 7.6A)*

Physical / Chemical Changes (TEKS 8.5BE**, and 7.6B*
include those in the digestive system)

Review Density (TEKS 6.6B)*

Valence Electrons (TEKS 8.5B)**

Reactions and Formulas (TEKS 8.5DE)**

Conservation of Mass with Balancing Equations (TEKS 8.5F)*
Universe

Origin of Universe (TEKS 8.8E)

Life Cycle of Star and H-R Diagram (TEKS 8.8A)**

Electromagnetic Spectrums (TEKS 8.8C)*

Galaxies, Star, and Nebulae (TEKS 8.8A)**

Sun is medium sized and closer to Earth (TEKS 8.8B) *

Light Years (TEKS 8.8D)*
2nd Grading Period
2 wks.
2 wks.
2 wks.
2 wks.
3rd Grading Period
2 wks.
4 wks.
3 wks.
1 wk.
Weather and Oceans (Continued)

High/ Low Pressure Systems, Fronts, Weather Maps (TEKS
8.10B)*

Review Watershed (TEKS 7.8C)*

Review Energy Transformations (TEKS 6.9C)*
Ecology and Oceans

Biotic/Abiotic Factors, Food Webs (TEKS 8.11B)**

Review characteristics of organisms (TEKS 6.12D)*

Review food chains, webs, and energy pyramids (TEKS 7.5C)*

Biomes – terms only as a review from elementary

Ecological Relationships (producer/consumer,
predator/prey, parasite/host) (TEKS 8.11A)**

Impact of human activity and human dependence on oceans
(TEKS 8.11D)*

Short/Long term environmental changes (TEKS 8.11C)**

Review Organisms and Ecosystems (TEKS 7.10B, 7.10C,
7.11A, 7.11C)*
Erosion, Weathering, Plate Tectonics

Weathering and Erosion (TEKS 8.9C)**

Theory of Plate Tectonics, Convection Currents, Crustal
Features (TEKS 8.9A)* (TEKS 8.9B)**

Models/ Topographic Maps/Satellite Views (TEKS 8.9C)**
Physics

Balanced/Unbalanced Forces (TEKS 8.6A)**
Universe (Continued)

Origin of Universe (TEKS 8.8E)

Life Cycle of Star and H-R Diagram (TEKS 8.8A)**

Electromagnetic Spectrums (TEKS 8.8C)*

Galaxies, Star, and Nebulae (TEKS 8.8A)**

Sun is medium sized and closer to Earth (TEKS 8.8B) *

Light Years (TEKS 8.8D)*
Earth and Moon

Cause of Day and Night (TEKS 8.7A)**

Lunar Cycle (TEKS 8.7B)**

Tides (TEKS 8.7C)*

Review Gravity (TEKS 6.11B)*
Weather and Oceans

Role of oceans in weather (TEKS 8.10C)*

Convection in Atmosphere and Oceans, Winds, Currents,
(TEKS 8.10A)*
Review and Midterm
4th Grading Period
1 wk.
3 wks.
1 wk.
5 wks.
1 wk.
Physics
 Newton’s Laws (TEKS 8.6C)**
 Speed, velocity, and acceleration (TEKS 8.6B)*
 Review Energy, Speed, and Work TEKS 6.8A, 6.8C, 6.8D, 7.7A)*
STAAR Crunch
STAAR
Preparation for High School

Chemistry topics for biology
o Ionic/Covalent Bonding – basic definition, groups 1 & 2
combine with groups 16 & 17 (ionic bonds), groups 13 15 bond with elements (usually covalent), ionic is weaker
than covalent
o Microscopes
o Labs of choice that promote graphing
Review and Final Exam
** indicates Readiness Standard
* indicates Supporting Standard
Process Skills (8.1 – 8.4) are embedded throughout investigations.
Teachers will have to adjust time allotments to allow for lost teaching days due to testing or special campus activities. The order of topics may be
rearranged or integrated within a grading period, but topics shouldn’t flow into the next grading period.