Grade 8 Science GSE Standards

Introduction

In Grades 6 through 8 Science, content is organized into recurring strands. The concepts within each grade level build on prior knowledge, prepare students for the next grade level, and establish a foundation for high school courses. In Grade 8, the following concepts will be addressed in each strand.

Scientific and engineering practices. Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate investigation of the natural world using scientific and engineering practices. Scientific methods of investigation are descriptive, correlative, comparative, or experimental. The method chosen should be appropriate to the grade level and question being asked. Student learning for different types of investigations includes descriptive investigations, which have no hypothesis that tentatively answers the research question and involve collecting data and recording observations without making comparisons; correlative and comparative investigations, which have a hypothesis that predicts a relationship and involve collecting data, measuring variables relevant to the hypothesis that are manipulated, and comparing results; and experimental investigations, which involve processes similar to comparative investigations but in which a hypothesis can be tested by comparing a treatment with a control.

Scientific practices. Students ask questions, plan and conduct investigations to answer questions, and explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.

Engineering practices. Students identify problems and design solutions using appropriate tools and models.

Matter and energy. Students make connections between elements, compounds, and mixtures that were introduced in prior grade levels. Students examine the properties of water, acids, and bases. In addition, students understand the basic concept of conservation of mass using chemical equations.

Force, motion, and energy. Students are introduced to Newton's Second Law of Motion and investigate how all three laws of motion act simultaneously within systems. Students understand that waves transfer energy and further explore the characteristics and applications of waves.

Earth and space. Students learn that stars and galaxies are part of the universe. In addition, students use data to research scientific theories of the origin of the universe. Students learn how interactions in solar, weather, and ocean systems create changes in weather patterns and climate. In addition, students understand that climate can be impacted by natural events and human activities.

Organisms and environments. Students identify the function of organelles. Traits are contained in genetic material that is found on genes within a chromosome from the parent. These traits influence the success of a species over time. Students explore how organisms and their populations respond to environmental changes, including those caused by human activities.

Nature of science. Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process." This vast body of changing and increasing knowledge is described by physical, mathematical, and conceptual models. Students should know that some questions are outside the realm of science because they deal with phenomena that are not currently scientifically testable.

Scientific observations, inferences, hypotheses, and theories. Students are expected to know that:

observations are active acquisition of either qualitative or quantitative information from a primary source through the senses;

inferences are conclusions reached on the basis of observations or reasoning supported by relevant evidence;

hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must be capable of being supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses of durable explanatory power that have been tested over a wide variety of conditions are incorporated into theories; and

scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are capable of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses, scientific theories are well established and highly reliable explanations, but they may be subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are developed.

Science and social ethics. Scientific decision making is a way of answering questions about the natural world involving its own set of ethical standards about how the process of science should be carried out. Students distinguish between scientific decision-making practices and ethical and social decisions that involve science.

Recurring themes and concepts. Science consists of recurring themes and making connections between overarching concepts. Recurring themes include structure and function, systems, models, and patterns. All systems have basic properties that can be described in space, time, energy, and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems as patterns and can be observed, measured, and modeled. These patterns help to make predictions that can be scientifically tested. Models have limitations but provide a tool for understanding the ideas presented. Students analyze a system in terms of its components and how these components relate to each other, to the whole, and to the external environment.

Statements containing the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

Knowledge and skills

Scientific and engineering practices. The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:

ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations;

use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems;

use appropriate safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards;

use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, weather maps, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals;

collect quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative data as evidence;

construct appropriate tables, graphs, maps, and charts using repeated trials and means to organize data;

develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems; and

distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.

Earth and space. The student knows that interactions between Earth, ocean, and weather systems impact climate. The student is expected to:

describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather and climate;

identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather; and

describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes.

Earth and space. The student knows that natural events and human activity can impact global climate. The student is expected to:

use scientific evidence to describe how natural events, including volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release and absorption of greenhouse gases influence climate;

use scientific evidence to describe how human activities, including the release of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and urbanization, can influence climate; and

describe the carbon cycle.

Organisms and environments. The student understands stability and change in populations and ecosystems. The student is expected to:

explain how disruptions such as population changes, natural disasters, and human intervention impact the transfer of energy in food webs in ecosystems;

describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity; and

describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem.

Organisms and environments. The student knows how cell functions support the health of an organism and how adaptation and variation relate to survival. The student is expected to:

identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells;

describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring; and

describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:

identify advantages and limitations of models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials;

analyze data by identifying any significant descriptive statistical features, patterns, sources of error, or limitations;

use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative relationships in data; and

evaluate experimental and engineering designs.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is expected to:

develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models and consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories;

communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats; and

engage respectfully in scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence.

Scientific and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society. The student is expected to:

relate the impact of past and current research on scientific thought and society, including the process of science, cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to the content;

make informed decisions by evaluating evidence from multiple appropriate sources to assess the credibility, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and methods used; and

research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers.

Recurring themes and concepts. The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines. The student is expected to:

identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions;

identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems;

analyze how differences in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system's structure or performance;

examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system;

analyze and explain how energy flows and matter cycles through systems and how energy and matter are conserved through a variety of systems;

analyze and explain the complementary relationship between the structure and function of objects, organisms, and systems; and

analyze and explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems.

Matter and energy. The student understands that matter can be classified according to its properties and matter is conserved in chemical changes that occur within closed systems. The student is expected to:

explain by modeling how matter is classified as elements, compounds, homogeneous mixtures, or heterogeneous mixtures;

use the periodic table to identify the atoms involved in chemical reactions;

describe the properties of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension in water and relate to observable phenomena such as the formation of droplets, transport in plants, and insects walking on water;

compare and contrast the properties of acids and bases, including pH relative to water; and

investigate how mass is conserved in chemical reactions and relate conservation of mass to the rearrangement of atoms using chemical equations, including photosynthesis.

Force, motion, and energy. The student understands the relationship between force and motion within systems. The student is expected to:

calculate and analyze how the acceleration of an object is dependent upon the net force acting on the object and the mass of the object using Newton's Second Law of Motion; and

investigate and describe how Newton's three laws of motion act simultaneously within systems such as in vehicle restraints, sports activities, amusement park rides, Earth's tectonic activities, and rocket launches.

Force, motion, and energy. The student knows how energy is transferred through waves. The student is expected to:

compare the characteristics of amplitude, frequency, and wavelength in transverse waves, including the electromagnetic spectrum; and

explain the use of electromagnetic waves in applications such as radiation therapy, wireless technologies, fiber optics, microwaves, ultraviolet sterilization, astronomical observations, and X-rays.

Earth and space. The student describes the characteristics of the universe and the relative scale of its components. The student is expected to:

describe the life cycle of stars and compare and classify stars using the HertzsprungRussell diagram;

categorize galaxies as spiral, elliptical, and irregular and locate Earth's solar system within the Milky Way galaxy; and

research and analyze scientific data used as evidence to develop scientific theories that describe the origin of the universe.

Organisms and environments

Organisms and environments

Earth and space

Earth and space

Earth and space

Force, motion, and energy

Force, motion, and energy

Matter and energy

Recurring themes and concepts

Scientific and engineering practices

The student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions using appropriate tools and models

ask questions and define problems based on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or investigations

use scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions to problems

use appropriate safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety standards

use appropriate tools such as graduated cylinders, metric rulers, periodic tables, balances, scales, thermometers, temperature probes, laboratory ware, timing devices, pH indicators, hot plates, models, microscopes, slides, life science models, petri dishes, dissecting kits, magnets, spring scales or force sensors, tools that model wave behavior, satellite images, weather maps, hand lenses, and lab notebooks or journals

collect quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative data as evidence

construct appropriate tables, graphs, maps, and charts using repeated trials and means to organize data

develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions to engineering problems

distinguish between scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws

The student knows that interactions between Earth, ocean, and weather systems impact climate.

describe how energy from the Sun, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and influence weather and climate

identify global patterns of atmospheric movement and how they influence local weather

describe the interactions between ocean currents and air masses that produce tropical cyclones, including typhoons and hurricanes

The student knows that natural events and human activity can impact global climate

use scientific evidence to describe how natural events, including volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release and absorption of greenhouse gases influence climate

use scientific evidence to describe how human activities, including the release of greenhouse gases, deforestation, and urbanization, can influence climate

describe the carbon cycle

The student understands stability and change in populations and ecosystems

explain how disruptions such as population changes, natural disasters, and human intervention impact the transfer of energy in food webs in ecosystems

describe how primary and secondary ecological succession affect populations and species diversity after ecosystems are disrupted by natural events or human activity

describe how biodiversity contributes to the stability and sustainability of an ecosystem and the health of the organisms within the ecosystem

The student knows how cell functions support the health of an organism and how adaptation and variation relate to survival

identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells

describe the function of genes within chromosomes in determining inherited traits of offspring

describe how variations of traits within a population lead to structural, behavioral, and physiological adaptations that influence the likelihood of survival and reproductive success of a species over generations

The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs.

identify advantages and limitations of models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials

analyze data by identifying any significant descriptive statistical features, patterns, sources of error, or limitations

use mathematical calculations to assess quantitative relationships in data

evaluate experimental and engineering designs

The student develops evidence-based explanations and communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions.

develop explanations and propose solutions supported by data and models and consistent with scientific ideas, principles, and theories

communicate explanations and solutions individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats

engage respectfully in scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical evidence

The student knows the contributions of scientists and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society

relate the impact of past and current research on scientific thought and society, including the process of science, cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to the content

make informed decisions by evaluating evidence from multiple appropriate sources to assess the credibility, accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and methods used

research and explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations, private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field to investigate STEM careers

The student understands that recurring themes and concepts provide a framework for making connections across disciplines

identify and apply patterns to understand and connect scientific phenomena or to design solutions

identify and investigate cause-and-effect relationships to explain scientific phenomena or analyze problems

analyze how differences in scale, proportion, or quantity affect a system's structure or performance

examine and model the parts of a system and their interdependence in the function of the system

analyze and explain how energy flows and matter cycles through systems and how energy and matter are conserved through a variety of systems

analyze and explain the complementary relationship between the structure and function of objects, organisms, and systems

analyze and explain how factors or conditions impact stability and change in objects, organisms, and systems

The student understands that matter can be classified according to its properties and matter is conserved in chemical changes that occur within closed systems

explain by modeling how matter is classified as elements, compounds, homogeneous mixtures, or heterogeneous mixtures

use the periodic table to identify the atoms involved in chemical reactions

describe the properties of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension in water and relate to observable phenomena such as the formation of droplets, transport in plants, and insects walking on water

compare and contrast the properties of acids and bases, including pH relative to water

investigate how mass is conserved in chemical reactions and relate conservation of mass to the rearrangement of atoms using chemical equations, including photosynthesis

The student understands the relationship between force and motion within systems.

calculate and analyze how the acceleration of an object is dependent upon the net force acting on the object and the mass of the object using Newton's Second Law of Motion

investigate and describe how Newton's three laws of motion act simultaneously within systems such as in vehicle restraints, sports activities, amusement park rides, Earth's tectonic activities, and rocket launches

The student knows how energy is transferred through waves

compare the characteristics of amplitude, frequency, and wavelength in transverse waves, including the electromagnetic spectrum

explain the use of electromagnetic waves in applications such as radiation therapy, wireless technologies, fiber optics, microwaves, ultraviolet sterilization, astronomical observations, and X-rays

The student describes the characteristics of the universe and the relative scale of its components

describe the life cycle of stars and compare and classify stars using the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

categorize galaxies as spiral, elliptical, and irregular and locate Earth's solar system within the Milky Way galaxy

research and analyze scientific data used as evidence to develop scientific theories that describe the origin of the universe