Science - 8th Grade

Avon Lake City Schools 

Curriculum Framework

8th Grade Science

Course Overview:

The course covers topics in Earth Science, Life Science, and Physics. In Earth Science and Life Science we focus on Change over Time (Changes to Earth and Life over time).  In Physics we study types of forces and how they affect motion.  

Textbook (Title and Publishing Company): 

Ohio Science Fusion (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Online/Supplemental Materials:

Explore Learning Gizmos

Assessments: 

Unit tests and quizzes (Earth’s Surface, Earth’s Interior, Plate Tectonics, Earth’s History,

Reproduction, Genetics, Population Change over Time, Relative Motion, Forces and 

Force Diagrams)

Midterm Exam, Final Exam

Ohio State Test

Content/Topics/Learning Goals

Subject to Pacing and Schedules

1st Quarter- 

  • Changes to Earth’s Surface by Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition (Ohio Science Standard ESS 3)

    • What is weathering, erosion, deposition

    • Landforms created by erosion and deposition

    • Factors that increase or decrease erosion

    • How to interpret topographic maps

  • Properties of the Earth’s Interior (Ohio Science Standard ESS 1)

    • Properties of the layers of the Earth

    • How are seismic waves used to study the inside of the Earth.

2nd Quarter- 

  • Changes to Earth’s Surface by Plate Tectonics (Ohio Science Standard ESS 2)

    • Theories that led to the development of the Theory of Plate Tectonics

    • Convection currents create three types of tectonic plate boundaries

    • Landforms and features are created at the three types of boundaries

  • Evidence of changes to Earth’s surface are found in the geologic record (Ohio Science Standard ESS 4)

    • Relative dating techniques can be used to sequence rock layers

    • Absolute dating techniques can be used to determine the ages of some rocks and fossils

3rd Quarter- 

  • Species pass on DNA through Asexual and Sexual Reproduction (Ohio Science Standard LS 2)

    • Mitosis is used for organism growth and repair

    • Meiosis creates gametes used for sexual reproduction

    • There are differences between asexual and sexual reproduction

    • There are advantages to asexual and sexual reproduction

  • Genetic Traits are Determined by Combinations of Alleles in DNA (Ohio Science Standard LS 3)

    • Dominant and recessive alleles create different genetic traits

    • Genetic traits could be completely dominant or codominant

    • Punnett Squares can be used to determine the likely outcome of genetic crosses

    • Pedigrees can be used to determine genotypes of individuals

4th Quarter -  

  • Populations can Change over Time (Ohio Science Standard LS 1)

    • Changes can happen in populations if a trait is heritable, there is variation in the population, and there is a reproductive advantage to a trait.

  • Motion is Based on Reference Point (Ohio Science Standard PS 2)

    • Motion is determined by reference point

    • Speed and direction an object moves is affected by the reference point used

  • Forces Affect Motion (Ohio Science Standard PS 2)

    • Forces acting on an object can be shown in a diagram

    • Unbalanced forces cause an acceleration, balanced forces do not cause and acceleration

  • Forces Can Act Over a Distance

    • Magnetism, electricity, and gravity all are forces that create fields

    • Factors can affect the strength of fields (distance between objects, strength of charge, strength of magnet, mass of object)

Last Updated:

September, 2023