Warren County Schools

8TH GRADE PACING GUIDE 2017 – 2018 (Semester/Year)

Philosophical approach to the process of teaching and learning science in the Warren County School District

(WCS).

In WCS there is an emphasis on both traditional and innovative teaching mythologies of science curriculum.

Whereas traditional laboratory experiences provide opportunities to demonstrate how science is constant, historic,

probabilistic, and replicable; intuitive-practical solutions to scientific problem solving are encouraged. Even

though there are no fixed steps that all scientists follow, scientific investigations usually involve collections of

relevant evidence, the use of logical reasoning, the application of imagination to devise hypotheses, and

explanations to make sense of collected evidence. Student engagement in scientific investigation provides

background for understanding the nature of scientific inquiry. In addition, the science process skills necessary for

inquiry are acquired through active experience. The process skills support development of reasoning and problem-

solving ability and are the core of scientific methodologies.

Eighth Grade End of the Grade Assessment and Standards

The unifying concepts within each set of essential standards provide a context for teaching both science content and scientific-process skill goals. Each

essential standard has associated clarifying objectives. The Essential Standards and its clarifying objectives were written using the framework A

Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing—A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (RBT). The Essential Standards for

Science for Grades 5 and 8 were written to include content from each of the three branches of science: Life Science (L), Earth Science (E), and

Physical Science (P). The unifying concepts for grades 5 and 8 include: Forces and Motion; Matter: Properties and Change; Energy:

Conservation and Transfer; Earth Systems, Structures and Processes; Earth History; Structures and Functions of Living Organisms;

Ecosystems; Evolution and Genetics; and Molecular Biology.

Weight Distributions for 8th

Grade per category

UNIFYING CONCEPT 8th

GRADE EOG %

Matter: Properties and Change (14-16)%

Energy: Conservation and Transfer (10-12)%

Earth Systems, Structures and Processes (13-15)%

Earth History (11-13)%

Structure and Function of Living Organisms (19-23)%

Ecosystems (9-11)%

Evolution and Genetics (11-13)%

Molecular Biology (8-10)%

Total 100%

Suggested Time

Frame

(Weeks)

Standard Key Vocabulary Essential Questions/Learning

Intentions

Assessments:

Benchmarks

EOG

1st9 Weeks

(3 Weeks)

8 8. E.1.3 Predict the safety

and portability of water

supplies in North Carolina

based on the physical and

biological factors, including:

Temperature

Dissolved

Oxygen

pH

Nitrates and

Phosphates

Turbidity

Bio-indicators

8.E.1.4 Conclude that the

good health of humans

requires:

Monitoring of the

hydrosphere

Water quality

standards

Methods of water

treatment

Maintaining safe

water quality

Stewardship

Acidic solution

Adhesion

Atmosphere

Atmospheric composition

Atmospheric layers

Atmospheric pressure

Basic Solution

Bio- indicators

Boiling point

Buoyancy Climate

Climate change

Cohesion

Decompose

r Density

Dissolved oxygen

Ecosystem

Energy source

Freezing point

Melting point

Neutral

Nitrates

Parasite

pH Photosynthesis

Polarity

Sonar

Species diversity

Symbiotic relationship

Turbidity

Universal solvent

Analyze the unique

properties of water

including:

Temperature,

Dissolved Oxygen,

pH, Nitrates,

Phosphates, Turbidity,

Bio-indicators

Determine the health of

a water system by

recognizing the balance

of physical, chemical

and biological variables

Recognize that good

health environments and

organisms requires:

Monitoring the

hydrosphere; Water

quality standards;

Methods of water

treatment; Maintaining

safe water quality;

Stewardship

What are the

characteristics and

properties of water?

What technologies and

information systems are

used to monitor the

hydrosphere?

How does North

Carolina’s water quality

compared to other states?

How many water quality

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(3 Weeks)

8.E.1.1 Explain the structure of

the hydrosphere including:

•Water distribution on earth

•Local river basin and water

availability

8.E.1.2 Summarize the

evidence that Earth’s oceans are

reservoirs of nutrients, minerals,

dissolved gasses, and life forms:

Estuaries

Marine ecosystems

Upwelling

Behavior of gasses in

the Marine environment

Value and sustainability

of Marine resources

Deep ocean technology

• Crustal plate movement

• Erosion resistance

• Fossil record

• Geologic force

• Geologic shift

• Geologic time scale

• Half-life

• Index Fossil

• Landforms

• Law of Superposition

• Pangaea

• Predation

• Prey

standards are being used in

North Carolina?

Explain the structure of the

hydrosphere including:

water distribution on earth;

local river basin; local water

availability.

Evaluate evidence that

earth’s oceans are a

reservoir of nutrients,

minerals, dissolved gasses,

and life forms.

How would you explain the

structure of the

hydrosphere?

What is your prediction of

the health of the water

system based on data?

How would you explain that

the Earth’s oceans are a

reservoir of nutrients,

minerals, dissolved gases

and life forms?

Interpret ways in which

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Administration

EARTH SCIENCE PART I

EARTH SCIENCE (PART II)

(2 Weeks)

8. E.2.1 Infer the age of Earth

and relative age of rocks and

fossils from index fossils and

ordering of rock layers (relative

dating and radioactive dating).

8. E.2.2 Explain the use of

fossils, ice cores, composition

of sedimentary rocks, faults,

and igneous rock formations

found in rock layers as evidence

of the history of the Earth and

its changing life forms.

• Radioactivity

• Radiocarbon dating

• Radiometric dating

• Remote Sensing

• Rock layer movement

Sedimentary rock

• Soil analysis

• Soil erosion

• Trace Fossil

• Urban Sprawl

rocks, fossils and ice cores

record Earth’s geologic

history and the evolution of

life including: Geologic

Time Scale; Index Fossils;

Law of Superposition;

Types of Rocks;

Unconformity; Evidence

for climate change;

Extinction of species;

Catastrophic events.

How can fossils and

geological features predict

the relative age of fossils?

How would sedimentary

rocks provide evidence for

the history of earth and the

history of changing life

forms?

TBD by Site

Administration

2nd

9 Weeks

(2 Weeks)

8.P.1.1 Classify matter as

elements, compounds, or

mixtures based on how the

atoms are packed together in

arrangements

• Arrangement Atom

• Atomic

• Conservation of energy

Elements

• Forms of matter

• Heterogeneous mixture

• Homogeneous mixture

Determine the

characteristics properties of

substances?

How would you determine

the different arrangements

of atoms in different

substances?

1 week EARTH SCIENCE PARTS (1-2) REVIEW/BENCHMARK

PHYSICAL SCIENCE (PART I)

(3 weeks)

8. P.1.2 Explain how the

physical properties of elements

and their reactivity have been

used to produce the current

model of the Periodic Table of

elements.

8. P.1.3 Compare physical

changes such as size, shape and

state to chemical changes that

are the result of a chemical

reaction to include changes in

temperature, color, formation of

a gas or precipitate.

8. P.1.4 Explain how the idea of

atoms and a balanced chemical

equation support the law of

conservation of mass.

• Isotopes

• Metal

• Metal reactivity

• Metalloid

• Molecular arrangements

Molecular motion

• Molecule

• Nonmetal

• Properties of elements

• Boiling/Melting Point

• Chemical properties of

substance

• Chemical reactivity

• Density

• Electrical Conductivity

• Magnetism

• Modern Periodic Table

• Physical properties of

substance

• Solubility Specific Heat

• Chemical bonding

• Chemical change

• Chemical compound

• Chemical element

• Chemical energy

• Chemical equation

• Concentration of

reactants

• Electron negativity

• Non-metal reactivity

• Non-reactive gas

How would you classify

matter as elements,

compounds or mixtures?

How many ways can you

identify the physical and

chemical properties?

Explain how the periodic

table is a model for:

Classifying elements

Identifying properties of

elements.

Understanding that both

naturally occurring

synthetic substances are

chemicals.

Identify substances based

on characteristic physical

properties: Density;

Boiling/Melting Point;

Solubility; Chemical

Reactivity; Specific Heat.

How would you classify the

physical properties of

matter?

How would you classify the

chemical properties of

matter?

How would you determine

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TBD by Site

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PHYSICAL SCIENCE (PART II)

(2.5 Weeks)

8.P.2.2 Explain the implications

of the depletion of renewable

and nonrenewable energy

• Oxygen

• Polymerization

• Reaction rate

• Recycling of matter

• Rusting

• Stoichiometry

• Surface area of reactants

• Electrical energy

• Energy

the atomic patterns and

trends in the Modern

Periodic Table?

How are the elements

arranged in the Modern

Periodic Table?

How would you explain the

functions of the different

parts of an atom?

How can you create and

map the elements in the

periodic table using its

groups, periods, atomic

number, atomic mass, mass

number?

How would you propose an

alternative method to

identify common elements

by name and symbol?

How is organization of the

Periodic Table of Elements

set up?

What are ways of assessing

the elemental composition

of familiar substances?

Identify evidence

PHYSICAL SCIENCE (PART III)

resources and the importance of

conservation.

8. P.2.1 Explain the

environmental consequences of

the various methods of

obtaining, transforming and

distributing energy.

• Fossil Fuels

• Photovoltaic cells

• Reflectors

• Solar batteries

• Solar energy

supporting the law of

conservation of matter:

during and ordinary

chemical reaction matter

cannot be created or

destroyed, in a chemical

reaction the total mass of

reactants equals the total

mass of the products.

What are the effects of

ionic and covalent bonding

on a compound’s physical

change?

How would you determine

the reactants and products

in a chemical equation?

How would you

relationship between the

mass of products and

reactants?

How can you develop a

proposal were chemicals

have contributed to human

health conditions?

How can you design an

illustration of the various

structures of carbon

molecules?

What ideas justify the

importance of carbon to

living organisms?

Explain the environmental

impacts of the various

methods of obtaining,

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transforming and

distributing energy.

How would you explain the

different ways of obtaining,

transforming and

distributing energy?

How would you explain the

environmental

consequences of obtaining,

transforming and

distributing energy?

3rd

9 Weeks

(3 Weeks)

8.L.4.1 Summarize the use of

evidence drawn from geology,

fossils, and comparative

anatomy to form the basis for

biological classification systems

and the theory of evolution

8.L.4.2 Explain the relationship

between genetic variation and

an organism’s ability to adapt to

its environment.

8. L.1.1 Summarize the basic

characteristics of viruses,

• Biological adaptation

• Biological evolution

• Extinction

• Geologic time scale

• Law of Superposition

• Plate tectonic

Correlate evolutionary

theories and processes:

Biological; Geological;

Technological.

Examine evidence that the

geologic evolution has had

significant global impact

including: Distribution of

living things; Major

geological events;

Biological Adaptation;

Biological Evolution;

Biological Classification;

Extinction of Species;

Genetic Variation and

LIFE SCIENCE (PART I)

(5 Weeks)

bacteria, fungi and parasites

relating to the spread, treatment

and prevention of disease.

8.L.1.2 Explain the difference

between epidemic and

pandemic as it relates to the

spread, treatment and

prevention of disease

8.L.2.1 Summarize aspects of

biotechnology including:

Specific genetic information

Careers Economic benefits of

North Carolina Ethical Issues

Implications for agriculture

8. L.3.1 Explain how factors

• Active virus

Phenotype Variation

How can we use the Law of

Superposition to explain the

history of earth?

How do fossils determine

what catastrophic events

and climatic changes led to

the extinction of species

and change over time?

Compare and contrast

microbes: Size, shape

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LIFE SCIENCE (PART II)

such as food, water, shelter and

space affect populations in an

ecosystem.

8.L.3.2 Summarize the

relationships among producers,

consumers and decomposers

including the positive and

negative consequences of such

interactions including:

•Coexistence and cooperation

•Competition (predator/pre y)

•Parasitism

•Mutualism

• Antibiotics

• Archaebacterial

• Bacteria

• Bacterial meningitis

• Biotechnology

• Common cold

• Contagions

• Cyanobacteria

• DNA & RNA

• DNA testing

• Ebola

• Epidemic

• Eubacteria

• Forensic testing

• Fungi

• Fungus

• Gene

• Genetic Modification

• Infectious disease

• Influenza

• Latent virus

• Leprosy

• Lyme disease

• Meningitis

• Microbial

• Mutagens

• Non- infectious disease

• Pandemic

• Parasites

• Pathogens

• Polio

• Protozoa

• Rabies

• Small pox

• Tuberculosis

structure.

Compare life functions of

viruses, bacteria, fungi and

parasites.

Describe disease caused by

microscopic biological

hazards including: Viruses,

Bacteria, Parasites,

Contagions, Mutagens.

Analyze data to determine

trends and patterns to

determine how infectious

disease may spread

including: Carriers;

Vectors, Pathogens,

Conditions conducive to

disease, Calculate

reproductive potential of

bacteria.

Evaluate the human attempt

to reduce the risk of and

treatments for microbial

infections including:

Solutions with anti-

microbial properties,

Antibiotic treatment.

Explain the difference

between a epidemic and a

pandemic.

Can you design the major

physical and structural

characteristics of various

types of microbes?

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• Unicellular

• Vectors

• Viral meningitis

• West Nile

• Yellow fever

How are microbes similar

and different in size, shape,

and structure?

What are the causes and

effects of diseases caused

by viruses, bacteria,

parasites, contagions, and

mutagens?

How would you explain the

different ways infectious

diseases may be spread?

How can you distinguish

the physical conditions that

are most likely to influence

disease transmission?

How are infectious and

non-infectious diseases

similar and different?

How can you create the

process of calculating the

reproductive potential of

bacteria?

What would happen if

antibiotic treatment is not

effective?

What are the benefits and

results of biotech research?

What are the most

important issues in

biotechnology research?

Explain how factors such as

food, water, shelter, and

space affect populations in

an ecosystem.

Describe how energy is

transfer from one organism

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to the other.

Describe how terrestrial

and aquatic food webs are

interconnected.

Identify the how the

population of various

species co-exist and

cooperate within an

ecosystem.

Examine how the flow of

energy through ecological

communities affects

nutritional relationship

What evidence reveals that

Earth’s oceans are a

reservoir of nutrients,

minerals and dissolved

gases and life forms?

How are terrestrial and

aquatic food webs

interconnected?

9 4th

9 Weeks

10 (3 weeks)

8. L.3.3 Explain how the flow

of energy within food webs is

interconnected with the cycling

of matter (including water,

nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and

oxygen).

• Abiotic

• Biotic

• Commensalisms

• Ecosystem

• Decomposer

• Habitat

• Mutualism

• Predator

• Prey

Explain how factors such as

food, water, shelter, and

space affect populations in

an ecosystem.

Describe how energy is

transfer from one organism

to the other.

Describe how terrestrial

and aquatic food webs are

LIFE SCIENCE (PART III)

1 week LIFE SCIENCE PARTS (1-2) REVIEW/BENCHMARK

(5 weeks)

8.L.5.1 Summarize how food

provides the energy and the

molecules required for building

materials, growth and survival

of all organisms (to include

plants)

8.L.5.2 Explain the relationship

among healthy diet, and the

general health of the body

(emphasis on the relationship

between respiration and

digestion)

• Symbiotic

• Abnormalities

• Asexual reproduction

• Cell

• Cell division

• Cell growth

• Cell membrane

• Cell structure

• Diffusion

• Eukaryotes

• Meiosis

• Mitosis

• Organ

• Organ system

• Organelles

• Organisms

• Osmosis

• Prokaryotic

• Protista

• Sexual reproduction

• Tissue

interconnected.

Identify the how the

population of various

species co-exist and

cooperate within an

ecosystem.

Examine how the flow of

energy through ecological

communities affects

nutritional relationship.

What evidence reveals that

Earth’s oceans are a

reservoir of nutrients,

minerals and dissolved

gases and life forms?

How are terrestrial and

aquatic food webs

interconnected?

Describe that all living

things are compose of cells,

Cells provide structure and

carry on major functions to

sustain life, some organism

are single cell, other

organisms, including

humans, are multi-cellular,

Cell function is similar in

all living things.

Analyze structures,

functions and processes

within animal cells for:

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LIFE SCIENCE (PART IV)

capture and release of

energy, feedback

information, dispose of

waste, reproduction,

movement, specialized

needs.

Conclude animal cells carry

on complex chemical

processes to balance the

needs of the organism: cells

grow and divide and

produce more cells, cells

take in nutrients to make

the energy for the work

cells do.

How does food provides

molecules that serve as a

fuel and building materials

for all organisms?

How can human activities

such as smoking, lead to a

variety of adverse

conditions within the

human body?

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3 (Weeks) REVIEW for EOG