Eighth-grade students in Clayton will complete the following units
with emphasis on the listed skills and concepts.
Humanity and the Environment
Students investigate the history and consequences of contemporary global
environmental issues and historical examples of a similar issue. The essential
questions of the unit are “How do humans impact the environment?” and “How does the
environment impact humans?” Students approach these questions through current
world issues of water availability, food security, deforestation, human population, and
disease. Students explore these issues through science and social studies and
culminate in completion of individual and group components of a research project.
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Define sustainability and utilize tools for determining and justifying sustainable
choices
Investigate human impacts on Earth systems
Analyze human population data and correlating factors
Explore the demands of the human population on Earth and evaluate potential
consequences and interventions
Investigate and conduct experiments related to five global issues: water, food,
population, deforestation, and disease
Identify circumstances that lead to the spread of disease and the effects of
diseases on populations
Observe the role of trees in water and soil quality
Study water availability and water quality
Investigate the growing food demands of the human population
Climate Chemistry
Students study the effects of the changing global climate by gaining an understanding of
climate science and chemistry. They investigate matter and its predictable nature, then
apply this understanding to climate patterns on Earth. Students explore the factors and
processes of determining climate and the causes and effects of global climate change.
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Investigate the properties of the states of matter and the relationships between
pressure, temperature, and volume
Classify matter as substances or mixtures, and elements or compounds
Explore physical and chemical properties of matter and use them to identify
substances
Define an atom and determine atomic structure using the Periodic Table as a
reference tool
Investigate the relationship between the structure and function of an atom in
terms of its physical and chemical properties
Experiment with reactions to determine evidence that a reaction has occurred
and the energy changes involved
Explore combustion reactions with a focus on the products of the combustion of
impure fossil fuels and how those products affect the environment
Investigate the consequences of changing the atmosphere and the role of
humans in this process
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Explore the effect of increased carbon dioxide emissions on the oceans
Determine the relationships between concentration and density of solutions to
facilitate understanding of ocean currents
Describe what drives ocean currents and how ocean currents transport energy
around the globe, from equator to poles
Observe how climate change impacts the ocean system
Describe what drives atmospheric currents and how atmospheric currents
transport energy around the globe, from equator to poles
Ecology II (2014-15)
Students investigate how ecosystems and populations change over time by studying the
relationships between organisms and their environment. Students will focus on factors
and conditions that cause an ecosystem or a population to adapt and the consequences
of those changes to the ecosystem. They will also investigate human involvement in
impacting change to ecosystems, as well as in preservation, conservation, and
restoration of ecosystems.
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Apply understandings of ocean and atmospheric currents to explain the
relationships between latitudes, biomes, and climates
Compare ecosystems within a biome
Explore the interdependent relationships within ecosystems between organisms,
populations, and resources
Identify the factors of ecosystem dynamics
Investigate the changes that occur in ecosystems that could lead to significant
shift in an ecosystem and predict the consequences of those changes to that
ecosystem
Define adaptations and provide evidence of these adaptations over time
Identify environmental changes that lead to adaptations within populations
Explore the relationship between adaptations and natural selection
Investigate how artificial selection impacts ecosystem dynamics