• Scientist

    8th grade science will continue with the focus on projects based on engineering practices and hands on activities to embed best practices and create global thinkers for todays challenges and opportunities. 

    8th Grade Science Course Description:

    As a topic for learning, science lends itself naturally to the idea of global responsibility.  Being globally responsible means appreciating that there is a world beyond us, a world where each of us can play an active role in maintaining and even improving life for all.  The major tenets of our global responsibility will be stressed throughout our year of learning, regardless of the specific topic: from chemistry to the environment, from matter to genetics; as students learn about each subject, they will also come to understand the importance of how our actions are interconnected throughout our world.  

    Science instruction capitalizes on the inherent curiosity and interests of students when learning about the natural world.  Areas of focus this year in 8th grade include a heavy emphasis on project based learning and real world applications. The content areas for 8th grade are: properties and phases of matter,  chemistry and atomic structure, the periodic table, bonding and chemical reactions, DNA and genetics,  physics, and astronomy. Blended learning and hands on activities will be the methods we use to move toward full implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) over the next several years. Three-dimensional learning will be emphasized as the Scientific and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and grade-specific Disciplinary Core Ideas are interwoven to enhance and strengthen our students’ ability to problem solve and think critically.