GRADE 8 SYLLABUS INTEGRATED SCIENCE
Course Description
The Integrated Science course for Grade 8 builds on the knowledge and
understanding of Grade 6 and 7 science and offers an expanded and more in-depth
study of the biology, chemistry, physics and earth science. The Integrated Science
course covers the Earth and the universe and geological changes as well as
exploring motion and energy, interactions of matter, ecology, heredity and human
body systems. Through integration, students can discover the way in which the
different science disciplines connect.
Curricular Content
The course has been developed taking into consideration the standards used by the
National Academies of Science, science as inquiry, physical science, life science,
earth and space science, science and technology, personal and social perspectives,
history and nature of science. (Appendix A). The standards and benchmarks reflect
the influence of the 2008 Florida State Science Standards Department of Defense
Science Standards, the Indiana Department of Education Standards for Science, and
the New York State Science Learning Standards and Core Curriculum. (Appendix B).
Each Quarter students are required to complete 2 portfolio assignments and regular
labs. The Secondary Assessment policy is in Appendix C.
ACTIVITIES AND ASSIGNMENTS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR:
Students will begin:
 Understanding scientific concepts and developing abilities of inquiry
 Learning subject matter disciplines in the context of inquiry, technology, science in personal
and social perspectives, and history and nature of science
 Integrating all aspects of science content
 Implementing inquiry as instructional strategies, abilities, and ideas to be learned
 Investigating and analyzing science questions
 Using multiple process skills—manipulation, cognitive, procedural
 Using evidence and strategies for developing or revising an explanation
 Using Science as argument and explanation
 Communicating science explanations
 analyzing and synthesizing data
 Doing investigations in order to develop understanding, ability, values of inquiry and
knowledge of science content
 Managing ideas and information
 Communicating ideas and work
THE FOLLOWING UNITS OF STUDY AND TOPICS RELATE TO THE NATIONAL
STANDARDS FOR EARTH SCIENCE AND ARE ALIGNED TO THE GLENCOE
INTEGRATED SCIENCE TEXTBOOK .
QUARTER 1
Intro: Scientific inquiry
Unit 5: Exploring Ecology
 Interactions within ecosystems
 Biomes and ecosystems
 Environmental impacts
Unit 6: Heredity and Human body systems
 Human body systems
 Heredity
QUARTER 2
Unit 3: Understanding the Universe
 The Solar System – inner and outer planets
 Stars and galaxies – evolution of stars
Unit 4: Earth and Geologic changes
 Minerals and rocks
 Plate tectonics – continental drift
 Earthquakes and volcanoes
 Geologic time – fossils, different eras in geological history
QUARTER 3
Unit 1: Motion and Energy
 Describing Motion and Energy
 Laws of Motion – gravity and friction, Newton’s Laws
 Energy, Work and simple machines
 Sound and light
QUARTER 4
Unit 2: Interaction of Matter
 Thermal Energy, temperature and heat
 States of matter, solid, liquids and gases
 Understanding the atom, protons, neutrons and electrons
 Elements and chemical bonds – compounds, chemical formulas, bonds
 Chemical reactions and equations
 Mixtures, solubility, and acid/base solutions
QUARTER 1
Intro: Scientific inquiry
 Understanding the branches of science
 Understanding scientific inquiry
 Understanding measurements and scientific tools
Unit 5: Exploring Ecology
Interactions within ecosystems (18)
 Describe an ecosystem
 How do energy and matter move through an ecosystem?
 In what ways do humans affect ecosystems?
Biomes and ecosystems (19)
 How do Earth’s biomes and ecosystems differ?
 How Earth’s land biomes differ.
 Identify aquatic ecosystems
Environmental impacts (20)
 What is the relationship between resource availability and human population
and growth?
 Understand human impact on water
 Understand human impact on the atmosphere
Unit 6: Heredity and Human body systems
Human body systems (21)
 Understand homeostasis.
 Understand the functions of inorganic and organic substances in the human
body.
 Understand how nutrients are processed in the body.
 Understand how the body transports and processes oxygen and waste.
Heredity (22)
 Understand how traits are inherited – work of Mendel
 Understand how tools can be used to predict genetic outcomes
 Summarize how natural selection occurs.
QUARTER 2
Unit 3: Understanding the Universe
The Solar System (11)
 Identify inner and outer planets
 Similarities of inner planets
 Similarities of outer planets
Stars and galaxies (12)
 Understand how astronomers divide the night sky.




How do scientists measure the distance and the brightness of objects in the
sky.
Understand properties of the sun and other
Understand the evolution of stars.
Understand the Big Bang Theory.
Unit 4: Earth and Geologic changes
Minerals and rocks (13)
 Understanding how minerals and rocks form
 Understand how characteristics of rocks helps to classify them.
 Understand the rock cycle.
Plate tectonics (14)
 Understand the evidence that supports continental drift.
 Understand the evidence used to support seafloor spreading.
 Understand the theory of plate tectonics.
Earthquakes and volcanoes (15)
 Explain what an earthquake is.
 Explain how scientists monitor earthquakes.
 Understand how volcanoes form.
 Understand how volcanoes are classified.
Clues to the Earth’s Past (16)
 Understand how fossils are formed.
 Understand how the position of rock layers can be used to determine the age
of rocks.
 Understand how radioactive decay can be used to date rocks.
Geological Time (17)
 Understand what scientists have learned about Earth’s past by studying
rocks and fossils.
QUARTER 3
Grade 8 students will take Pruebas Nacionales in June, the science exam is
divided into biology, chemistry and physics. To support student learning and
understanding students should problem solve using Newton’s laws and
energy/work/potential energy calculations. They will need to understand
atoms, bonding, balancing chemical equations.
Unit 1: Motion and Energy
Describing Motion (1)
 Understand how an objects position depends upon a reference point.
 Understand what speed is.
 Understand how to use a distance-time graph to calculate speed.
 Understand how an object can accelerate.
Laws of Motion (2)
 Understand gravity and friction and their effects on objects.
 Learn Newton’s First Law, Second Law and Third Law of motion.
Energy, Work and simple machines (3)
 Understand types of energy.
 Understand the law of conservation of energy.
 Understand how energy and work are related.
 Understand simple machines.
Sound and light (4)
 Understand how sound waves are produced.
 Understand the similarities and differences between light and sound waves.
 Understand how waves in the electromagnetic spectrum differ.
 Learn about mirrors, lenses and the eye.
QUARTER 4
Unit 2: Interaction of Matter
Thermal Energy (5)
 Understand how temperature and kinetic energy are related.
 Understand how heat and thermal energy differ.
 Understand what happens to material when it is heated.
 How is thermal energy used?
States of matter (6)
 Understand how particles move in Solids, liquids and gases.
 Understand how temperature is related to particle motion.
 Understand the behavior of gas and Boyle’s law.
Understanding the atom (7)
 Discover the parts of an atom.
 Understand protons, neutrons and electrons and how atoms differ.
Elements and chemical bonds (8)
 Understand electrons and energy levels, the periodic table and how atoms
gain, lose or share electrons.
 Understand what an ionic compound is.
 Understand how metallic bonds differ from covalent and ionic bonds.
Chemical reactions and equations (9)
 Understand chemical reactions, what happens to atoms during a chemical
reaction.
 Understand how chemical reactions are written and balanced.
 Recognize the type of chemical reaction by the number or type of reactants
and products.
 Understand the difference between endothermic and exothermic reactions.
Mixtures, solubility, and acid/base solutions (10)
 Understand substances and mixtures.
 Understand the properties of solutions.
 Understand acid and base solutions and pH measures.
GRADING POLICY
Student thinking, writing, reading, listening, and speaking are at the center of class
activity therefore student grades are viewed in this context. The teacher
continuously assesses student performance and progress, as evidenced by in-class
task commitment, finished written pieces, on-demand writing, homework, tests and
quizzes, threaded discussion responses, class notes, and daily preparation. Appendix
C contains more information on the ISS Assessment Policy.
Evaluation System:
 Effort: Participation and Behavior
 Formative: Classwork and Quizzes
 Summative: Major Projects and Tests
 Homework
10%
40%
40%
10%
Semester grades are developed based upon the following formula:
 Quarterly Grades
(average)
80%
 Exam Grade or Semester Project 20%
APPENDIX A
Science Standards, 5-8
Standard 1- Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop-

Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Understandings about scientific inquiry
Standard 2- Physical Science
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an
understanding



Properties and changes of properties in matter
Motions and forces
Transfer of energy
Standard 3- Life Science
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
understanding





Structure and function in living systems
Reproduction and heredity
Regulation and behavior
Populations and ecosystems
Diversity and adaptations of organisms
Standard 4- Earth and Space Science
As a result of their activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop an
understanding



Structure of the earth system
Earth's history
Earth in the solar system
Standard 5- Science and Technology
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop-

Abilities of technological design
Understandings about science and technology
Standard 6- Personal and Social Perspectives
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
understanding





Personal health
Populations, resources, and environments
Natural hazards
Risks and benefits
Science and technology in society
Standard 7- History and Nature of Science
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop
understanding of



Science as a human endeavor
Nature of science
History of science
APPENDIX B : PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
Standard 1.
Science as Inquiry
Standard 4- Earth
and Space Science
Standard 5Science and
Technology
Standard 6Personal and
Social
Perspectives
Standard 7History and
Nature of Science
1.
Constructs questions that initiate and guide scientific
investigations
2. Designs and conducts scientific investigations using established
procedures
3. Uses technology and mathematics to systematically gather and
interpret data
4. Formulates and revises scientific conclusions, explanations
based on scientific knowledge, logic, and evidence
5. Recognizes, analyzes and evaluates alternative explanations
and models
6. Evaluates and defends scientific arguments, acknowledging
references and contributions of others
7. Communicates the scientific inquiry process
1. Categorizes sources and types of energy in the Earth’s systems
2. Investigates relationships among weather, cloud cover, land
features, atmosphere and oceans
3. Critiques theories on origin and evolution of the Earth’s
systems and other celestial bodies
1. Uses technology to perform scientific investigations
2. Identifies and/or constructs a problem or need in relation to
technological designs
3. Constructs understandings about the fields of science and
engineering, the interrelationships between science and
technology
4. analyzes innovations in science and technology
1. Employs the tenets of personal and community health, safety
and resource conservation
2. Identifies, accesses and uses data to construct explanations
3. Assesses potential danger and risk of natural and humaninduced hazards
4. Analyzes the relationships among technological, social,
political, and economic changes and the impact on humans and
the environment
1. Describes how the work of scientists is influenced by their
ethical standards and how scientists use the habits of mind
2. Compares and contrasts the difference between science and
other ways of knowing
3. Assesses the work of scientists showing that all scientific ideas
depend on experimental and observational confirmation
4. Describes the contributions of diverse cultures to scientific
knowledge
5. Describes the changes to scientific thinking that evolve over
time
APPENDIX C: Secondary Assessment Policy
Assessment monitors the progress of student learning and produces feedback for
students, teachers, parents and external institutions. The following policy outlines
the general assessment procedures for the school. Teachers are responsible for
communicating their individual assessment policies to the students and parents at
the beginning of the school year.
Teachers are expected to communicate assessment expectations and criteria,
including major assignments and projects clearly to students prior to a chunk of
learning. Assessment should take into account the ISS diverse group of learners
and learning styles. Feedback on assignments should be positive, constructive and
prompt. Teachers should provide a wide variety of different assessment
opportunities which are relevant and motivational to students. Formative
assessments assist student in building understanding, knowledge and skills and
summative assessments assess students’ acquired understanding, knowledge and
skills.
External
Definition External
assessments are
assessments
which are
designed and
marked
externally
Primary
To measure
Purpose
growth and
progress, to
inform teaching,
to identify needs,
to collect data, to
determine level
of
understanding,
to determine
reading or math
levels against
national norms,
assessing
student learning,
providing a
qualification for
university or
Summative
Summative
assessments are
those assessments
given within a class at
the end of a chunk of
learning (such as a
unit).
To inform teaching, to
identify needs, to
determine level of
understanding, to
measure progress, to
communicate with
parents
Formative
Formative assessments are
those given regularly and
continuously throughout
the school year.
To determine prior
knowledge, to determine
student interest, to modify
teacher practice, measure
understanding, ensuring
short-term knowledge and
understanding objectives
and targets are being met, to
ensure students are
progressing
Policies
Practices
college entry.
Some external
assessments are
taken twice a
year, some are
once and some
are on-going.
STAR Math,
NWEA,
Accelerated
Math, PSAT, SAT,
AP
Assessments are
aligned to curriculum,
teachers model in
advance, authentic
assessments,
differentiated if
necessary.
Essays, projects, test,
RAFTS, portfolio,
investigations, realworld examples,
exams, oral
presentation, reports,
reflections, midtrimester reports,
mid-quarter reports
Assessments are aligned to
curriculum, differentiated if
necessary.
Observation, journal, quiz,
exit cards, peer assessment
or self-assessment (not
graded on Gradequick), role
play, conferencing, small
group discussion, debate,
create/present, note-taking,
reflection, homework,
classwork, effort, behavior,
participation, Gradequick
reporting,
Teachers will be asked to implement IEP's/ILP's in their classroom should it contain
students receiving necessary support. Teachers will be provided with the
document, as well as support in how to effectively implement the modifications in
order to ensure student success. We strongly suggest that teachers consult with the
learning specialist or principal during the design and implementation of all
summative evaluations for students with IEPs.