Science 8 Course Guide
Science 8: Course Guide Mr. Gillingham
Demonstrate Student Skills by Managing the Course Material: It is expected that you will learn to manage yourself as a student by learning to manage the course material. Specifically, you will learn to take charge of tasks, pay full attention to instructional details, and seek clarification where needed; you will use class time wisely, submit the tasks on time (on the due date) and then move promptly on to the next task. Additionally, if you find that you have not used your time wisely, then you will find an open classroom at lunch in order to take care of the task in a timely fashion (in other words, today). If you are absent, you will seek out your teacher or a fellow classmate in an effort to ensure that you are up to speed on the current assignments. You will also hand in any assignments that were due the class you missed. If you are absent for an extended period of time, you will consult the teacher about the possibility of due date extensions.
Demonstrate Science Process Skills: Science process skills are developed through experimentation and assessed by the quality of the experimental write-up: It is expected that you will complete all the experimental tasks in an effort to solve the problem (usually stated as the purpose and/or hypothesis). Observations and data should be recorded in an organized manner (i.e. in a table). Solving the experimental problem requires you to come to conclusion. This is a response to the purpose or hypothesis which consists of a statement and a proof. The statement should be precise, to the point and – whenever possible – make use of scientific language. The proof should support the statement by citing precise evidence gathered from the experiment or refer to a display of evidence like a graph.
Demonstrate Conceptual Understanding → Grade 8 Exam Study
Cells and Immunity 8
- Cell Organelles: Recognize cell structures and explain what they do.
- Cellular Respiration: Understand the steps in the process of powering up the cell (converting glucose to energy). Also: How is diffusion and osmosis involved in this process?
- Immunity: How does your body defend itself against key invaders (pathogens); bacteria and viruses? Also: What is the difference between a bacteria and a virus. Also: How does a vaccine work?
Digestion 8
- Digestive Parts: Recognize the key organs in digestion and describe their role.
- Starch Digestion: Describe how and where enzymes chop starch into maltose and then into glucose (blood sugar).
Fluids 8
- Convection Currents: Describe how convection currents develop. In particular; describe how a sea breeze develops.
- Ocean Currents: Describe the process of upwelling.
- The Water of Planet Earth: Describe the water cycle. Also: Understand how much fresh water is available for drinking.
- Fluid Pressure: How can you create a mechanical advantage in a two syringe (piston) system?
- Buoyancy (Not on Exam – This may change): Buoyancy Force versus Gravitational Force – How can a submarine alter the sum of these two opposing forces in order to sink into the depths.
Vision and Light 8
- Refraction: Which optical devices can be used to refract light (a) producing a convergent pattern, or (b) producing a divergent pattern? Furthermore: Which optical devices can be used to divide light into the visible spectrum (the colors of the rainbow)?
- Vision: Describe how the parts of the eye and the brain can be used to process light into images.
Glaciers 8
- Glacial Erosion: Describe the features created as a glacier erodes a landscape.