Indiana's 8th grade Science Standards
(Wonder what you're going to learn in science class this year? See below!)
Physical Science (PS)
8.PS.1 Create models to represent the arrangement and charges of subatomic particles in an atom (protons, neutrons and electrons). Understand the significance that the currently 118 known chemical elements combine to form all the matter in the universe.
8.PS.2 Illustrate with diagrams (drawings) how atoms are arranged in simple molecules. Distinguish between atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds.
8.PS.3 Use basic information provided for an element (atomic mass, atomic number, symbol, and name) to determine its place on the Periodic Table. Use this information to find the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
8.PS.4 Identify organizational patterns (radius, atomic number, atomic mass, properties and radioactivity) on the Periodic Table.
8.PS.5 Investigate the property of density and provide evidence that properties, such as density, do not change for a pure substance.
8.PS.6 Compare and contrast physical change vs. chemical change. Analyze the properties of substances before and after substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
8.PS.7 Balance chemical equations to show how the total number of atoms for each element does not change in chemical reactions and as a result, mass is always conserved in a closed system. (Law of Conservation of Mass.)
Earth and Space Science (ESS)
8.ESS.1 Research global temperatures over the past century. Compare and contrast data in relation to the theory of climate change.
8.ESS.2 Create a diagram or carry out a simulation to describe how water is cycled through the earth's crust, atmosphere and oceans. Explain how the water cycle is driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
8.ESS.3 Research how human consumption of finite natural resources (i.e. coal, oil, natural gas, and clean water) and human activities have had an impact on the environment (i.e. causes of air, water, soil, light, and noise pollution).
Life Science (LS)
8.LS.1 Compare and contrast the transmission of genetic information in sexual and asexual reproduction. Research organisms that undergo these two types of reproduction.
8.LS.2 Demonstrate how genetic information is transmitted from parent to offspring through chromosomes via the process of meiosis. Explain how living things grow and develop.
8.LS.3 Create and analyze Punnett squares to calculate the probability of specific traits being passed from parents to offspring using different patterns of inheritance.
8.LS.4 Differentiate between and provide examples of acquired and genetically inherited traits.
8.LS.5 Explain how factors affecting natural selection (competition, genetic variations, environmental changes, and overproduction) increase or decrease a species’ ability to survive and reproduce.
8.LS.6 Create models to show how the structures of chromatin, chromosomes, chromatids, genes, alleles and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules are related and differ.
8.LS.7 Recognize organisms are classified into taxonomic levels according to shared characteristics. Explain how an organism’s scientific name correlates to these shared characteristics.
8.LS.8 Explore and predict the evolutionary relationships between species looking at the anatomical differences among modern organisms and fossil organisms.
8.LS.9 Examine traits of individuals within a species that may give them an advantage or disadvantage to survive and reproduce in stable or changing environment.
8.LS.10 Gather and synthesize information about how humans alter organisms genetically through a variety of methods.
8.LS.11 Investigate how viruses and bacteria affect the human body.
Engineering (E)
6-8.E.1 Identify the criteria and constraints of a design to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
6-8.E.2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to identify how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
6-8.E.3 Analyze data from investigations to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
6-8.E.4 Develop a prototype to generate data for repeated investigations and modify a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
(Wonder what you're going to learn in science class this year? See below!)
Physical Science (PS)
8.PS.1 Create models to represent the arrangement and charges of subatomic particles in an atom (protons, neutrons and electrons). Understand the significance that the currently 118 known chemical elements combine to form all the matter in the universe.
8.PS.2 Illustrate with diagrams (drawings) how atoms are arranged in simple molecules. Distinguish between atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds.
8.PS.3 Use basic information provided for an element (atomic mass, atomic number, symbol, and name) to determine its place on the Periodic Table. Use this information to find the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in an atom.
8.PS.4 Identify organizational patterns (radius, atomic number, atomic mass, properties and radioactivity) on the Periodic Table.
8.PS.5 Investigate the property of density and provide evidence that properties, such as density, do not change for a pure substance.
8.PS.6 Compare and contrast physical change vs. chemical change. Analyze the properties of substances before and after substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
8.PS.7 Balance chemical equations to show how the total number of atoms for each element does not change in chemical reactions and as a result, mass is always conserved in a closed system. (Law of Conservation of Mass.)
Earth and Space Science (ESS)
8.ESS.1 Research global temperatures over the past century. Compare and contrast data in relation to the theory of climate change.
8.ESS.2 Create a diagram or carry out a simulation to describe how water is cycled through the earth's crust, atmosphere and oceans. Explain how the water cycle is driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
8.ESS.3 Research how human consumption of finite natural resources (i.e. coal, oil, natural gas, and clean water) and human activities have had an impact on the environment (i.e. causes of air, water, soil, light, and noise pollution).
Life Science (LS)
8.LS.1 Compare and contrast the transmission of genetic information in sexual and asexual reproduction. Research organisms that undergo these two types of reproduction.
8.LS.2 Demonstrate how genetic information is transmitted from parent to offspring through chromosomes via the process of meiosis. Explain how living things grow and develop.
8.LS.3 Create and analyze Punnett squares to calculate the probability of specific traits being passed from parents to offspring using different patterns of inheritance.
8.LS.4 Differentiate between and provide examples of acquired and genetically inherited traits.
8.LS.5 Explain how factors affecting natural selection (competition, genetic variations, environmental changes, and overproduction) increase or decrease a species’ ability to survive and reproduce.
8.LS.6 Create models to show how the structures of chromatin, chromosomes, chromatids, genes, alleles and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules are related and differ.
8.LS.7 Recognize organisms are classified into taxonomic levels according to shared characteristics. Explain how an organism’s scientific name correlates to these shared characteristics.
8.LS.8 Explore and predict the evolutionary relationships between species looking at the anatomical differences among modern organisms and fossil organisms.
8.LS.9 Examine traits of individuals within a species that may give them an advantage or disadvantage to survive and reproduce in stable or changing environment.
8.LS.10 Gather and synthesize information about how humans alter organisms genetically through a variety of methods.
8.LS.11 Investigate how viruses and bacteria affect the human body.
Engineering (E)
6-8.E.1 Identify the criteria and constraints of a design to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
6-8.E.2 Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to identify how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
6-8.E.3 Analyze data from investigations to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
6-8.E.4 Develop a prototype to generate data for repeated investigations and modify a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.