Georgia Grade 8 science standards

Physical Science

• S8P1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the structure and properties of matter. a. Develop and use a model to compare and contrast pure substances (elements and compounds) and mixtures. b. Develop and use models to describe the movement of particles in solids, liquids, gases, and plasma states when thermal energy is added or removed. c. Plan and carry out investigations to compare and contrast chemical (i.e., reactivity, combustibility) and physical (i.e., density, melting point, boiling point) properties of matter. d. Construct an argument based on observational evidence to support the claim that when a change in a substance occurs, it can be classified as either chemical or physical. e. Develop models (e.g., atomic-level models, including drawings, and computer representations) by analyzing patterns within the periodic table that illustrate the structure, composition, and characteristics of atoms (protons, neutrons, and electrons) and simple molecules. f. Construct an explanation based on evidence to describe conservation of matter in a chemical reaction including the resulting differences between products and reactants.

  Lessons: Hot and Cold: Particles on the Move (Why do bike tires go soft in winter?, Why does food colouring spread faster in hot water?) (partly) · Kitchen Chemistry (Is it a new substance?, Where does the mass go?, Can red cabbage tell acid from base?) (partly)

  Practice: Kitchen Chemistry workbook

• S8P2 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the law of conservation of energy to develop arguments that energy can transform from one form to another within a system. a. Analyze and interpret data to create graphical displays that illustrate the relationships of kinetic energy to mass and speed, and potential energy to mass and height of an object. b. Plan and carry out an investigation to explain the transformation between kinetic and potential energy within a system (e.g., roller coasters, pendulums, rubber bands, etc.). c. Construct an argument to support a claim about the type of energy transformations within a system [e.g., lighting a match (light to heat), turning on a light (electrical to light)]. d. Plan and carry out investigations on the effects of heat transfer on molecular motion as it relates to the collision of atoms (conduction), through space (radiation), or in currents in a liquid or a gas (convection).

  Lessons: Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop (How fast is a toy car really going?, Why does a heavier cart hit harder?) (partly)

  Practice: Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop workbook

• S8P3 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about cause and effect relationships between force, mass, and the motion of objects. a. Analyze and interpret data to identify patterns in the relationships between speed and distance, and velocity and acceleration. b. Construct an explanation using Newton’s Laws of Motion to describe the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. c. Construct an argument from evidence to support the claim that the amount of force needed to accelerate an object is proportional to its mass (inertia).

  Lessons: Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop (Why do you lurch forward when a bus stops?, How fast is a toy car really going?, Why does a heavier cart hit harder?) (partly)

  Practice: Forces and Motion: Crash, Push and Stop workbook