Grade 8

The Nature of Science

Physical Science

The Practice of Science

The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models

Design, Process, and Problem Solving (STREAM)

Science and Society (STREAM)

Properties of Matter

Changes in Matter

Forces and Changes in Motion

Forms of Energy

Energy Transfer and Transformations

Define a problem from the eighth grade curriculum using appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.

Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.

Analyze the methods used to develop a scientific explanation as seen in the field of physical science.

Recognize and explain the difference between theories and laws and give several examples of scientific theories and the evidence that supports them.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision 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.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Analyze data from tests 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.

Participate in service projects and offer reflections on how serving others continues in building the Kingdom of God on earth.

Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.

Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa.

Examine multiple perspectives on public and current scientific issues.

Recall that God made human beings with freedom to act responsibly when confronted with moral choices. 

Describe consequences of positive and negative behaviors/actions and how sin effects the whole community. 

Review and identify a moral decision-making process which includes reflection on faith, law, context, and self/others.

Recognize how the Church continues to work toward understanding the issues and problems of today in light of the Church's social teachings.

Identify the responsibility of the Body of Christ to work for the Kingdom of God on earth throughout history.

Identify ways that we can act now and could act in the future as Christ would act with an impact on the good of all God's people.

Understand how technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to remote locations, sample collection, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.

Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by using models to explain the motion of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.

Differentiate between weight and mass recognizing that weight is the amount of gravitational pull on an object and is distinct from, though proportional to, mass.

Explore and describe the densities of various materials through measurement of their masses and volumes.

Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.

Recognize that there are a finite number of elements and that their atoms combine in a multitude of ways to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter.

Recognize that elements are grouped in the periodic table according to similarities of their properties.

Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by recognizing that atoms are the smallest unit of an element and are composed of sub-atomic particles (electrons surrounding a nucleus containing protons and neutrons).

Identify basic examples of and compare and classify the properties of compounds, including acids, bases, and salts.

Distinguish among mixtures (including solutions) and pure substances.

Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating and concluding that mass is conserved when substances undergo physical and chemical changes.

Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.

Investigate and describe how temperature influences chemical changes.

Investigate and describe types of forces including contact forces and forces acting at a distance, such as electrical, magnetic, and gravitational.

Explore the Law of Gravity by recognizing that every object exerts gravitational force on every other object and that the force depends on how much mass the objects have and how far apart they are.

Investigate and describe that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed, or direction of motion, or both.

Measure and graph distance versus time for an object moving at a constant speed. Interpret this relationship.

Illustrate that the sun's energy arrives as radiation with a wide range of wavelengths, including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet, and that white light is made up of a spectrum of many different colors.

Compare characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum such as wavelength, frequency, use, and hazards.

Observe and explain that light can be reflected, refracted, and/or absorbed.

Recognize that light waves, sound waves, and other waves move at different speeds in different materials.

Recognize that adding heat to or removing heat from a system may result in a temperature change and possibly a change of state.

Investigate and describe the transformation of energy from one form to another.

Cite evidence to explain that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another.

Observe and describe that heat flows in predictable ways, moving from warmer objects to cooler ones until they reach the same temperature.

Explore the Law of Conservation of Energy by differentiating between potential and kinetic energy. Identify situations where kinetic energy is transformed into potential energy and vice versa.