Big Idea 1: The Practice of Science.

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  SC.8.N.1.1 Define a problem from the eighth grade curriculum using appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.

  What is Science?

  video, ClosedCaptions

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  SC.8.N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication.

  What is Science?: Repeat and Replicate	video
  Review Scientific Process-6	practice
  Review Scientific Process-5	practice
  Review Scientific Process-7	practice
  Review Scientific Process-10	practice

Teacher notes

You can illustrate the need for repetition and replication by using an activity such as using static charges to stick a balloon to their hair. ( Static Charges) Students will quickly see that the wide range of variables (hair length, hair type, humidity, etc.) cause different results for different students. For some, it will instantly work wonderfully, while others may need help from a hair drier, or may need to use a piece of clothing instead of their hair.

Even when researchers work hard to manage variables, there is always the possibility of one being overlooked, skewing the results. That is why repetition and replication are important. If the results vary from one test to another, that is an indication that some other variable is influencing the result.

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  SC.8.N.1.3 Use phrases such as "results support" or "fail to support" in science, understanding that science does not offer conclusive 'proof' of a knowledge claim.

  What is Science?: Objective	video
  I Saw It on the Internet, part two	text page

Suggest a video or experiment from my site for this benchmark

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  SC.8.N.1.4 Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.

  What is Science?: Objective	video
  Science Fair Panic, part 4	video, checked
  Hypothesis	text page

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  SC.8.N.1.5 Analyze the methods used to develop a scientific explanation as seen in different fields of science.

  The Right Answer

  video

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  SC.8.N.1.6 Understand that scientific investigations involve the collection of relevant empirical evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses, predictions, explanations and models to make sense of the collected evidence.

  What is Science?	video, ClosedCaptions
  Scientific Thinking and Creative Thought, part 3	video, checked
  Scientific Thinking and Creative Thought, part 2	video, checked
  Scientific Thinking and Creative Thought, part 1	video, checked
  Floating Cups	video, checked

Big Idea 2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge

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  SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.

  What is Science?	video, ClosedCaptions
  Feeding Bread to Birds	text page
  Fact checking GMOs	text page
  I Saw It on the Internet, part four	text page
  I Saw It on the Internet, part three	text page
  I Saw It on the Internet, part two	text page
  I Saw It on the Internet, part one	text page
  Review Scientific Process-3	practice
  Review Scientific Process-4	practice
  Review Scientific Process-8	practice

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  SC.8.N.2.2 Discuss what characterizes science and its methods.

  What is Science?	video, ClosedCaptions
  Floating Cups	video, checked
  The Right Answer	video

Big Idea 3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models

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  SC.8.N.3.1 Select models useful in relating the results of their own investigations.

  How Does a Butterfly Fly?

  text page, free

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  SC.8.N.3.2 Explain why theories may be modified but are rarely discarded.

  When Does a Theory Become a Law?

  text page, free, checked

Big Idea 4: Science and Society

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  SC.8.N.4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.

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  SC.8.N.4.2 Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa.

Big Idea 5: Earth in Space and Time

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  SC.8.E.5.1 Recognize that there are enormous distances between objects in space and apply our knowledge of light and space travel to understand this distance.

  Sunprints	video
  Making a Scale Model of the Solar System	video, ClosedCaptions
  Global Science	video, ClosedCaptions
  Sunglass Science: Birefringence	video, free, Updated
  Sunglass Science: Polarized Light	video, free, Updated
  A Color You Can't See	video, free, checked
  How Far is That Planet?	text page
  CD Spectrum	text page
  Review Space-1	practice
  Review Light-3	practice

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  SC.8.E.5.2 Recognize that the universe contains many billions of galaxies and that each galaxy contains many billions of stars.

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  SC.8.E.5.3 Distinguish the hierarchical relationships between planets and other astronomical bodies relative to solar system, galaxy, and universe, including distance, size, and composition.

  Making a Scale Model of the Solar System	video, ClosedCaptions
  Planets and Pennies	video, ClosedCaptions
  How Far is That Planet?	text page
  Review Space-3	practice
  Review Space-2	practice
  Review Space-10	practice

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  SC.8.E.5.4 Explore the Law of Universal Gravitation by explaining the role that gravity plays in the formation of planets, stars, and solar systems and in determining their motions.

  Planets and Pennies

  video, ClosedCaptions

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  SC.8.E.5.5 Describe and classify specific physical properties of stars: apparent magnitude
  (brightness), temperature (color), size, and luminosity (absolute brightness).

  Twinkle, Twinkle, Distant Star

  text page

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  SC.8.E.5.6 Create models of solar properties including: rotation, structure of the Sun, convection, sunspots, solar flares, and prominences.

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  SC.8.E.5.7 Compare and contrast the properties of objects in the Solar System including the Sun, planets, and moons to those of Earth, such as gravitational force, distance from the Sun, speed, movement, temperature, and atmospheric conditions.

  Making a Scale Model of the Solar System	video, ClosedCaptions
  Global Science	video, ClosedCaptions
  Planets and Pennies	video, ClosedCaptions
  Review Space-4	practice
  Review Space-11	practice

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  SC.8.E.5.8 Compare various historical models of the Solar System, including geocentric and heliocentric.

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  SC.8.E.5.9 Explain the impact of objects in space on each other including: 1. the Sun on the Earth including seasons and gravitational attraction 2. the Moon on the Earth, including phases, tides, and eclipses, and the relative position of each body.

  Global Science	video, ClosedCaptions
  Why is a Full Moon So Bright?	text page, free, checked
  Review Space-13	quest
  Review Space-12	practice

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  SC.8.E.5.10 Assess how technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.

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  SC.8.E.5.11 Identify and compare characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum such as wavelength, frequency, use, and hazards and recognize its application to an understanding of planetary images and satellite photographs.

  Sunprints	video
  Sunglass Science: Birefringence	video, free, Updated
  Sunglass Science: Polarized Light	video, free, Updated
  A Color You Can't See	video, free, checked
  CD Spectrum	text page
  Review Light-3	practice

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  SC.8.E.5.12 Summarize the effects of space exploration on the economy and culture of Florida.

Big Idea 8: Properties of Matter

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  SC.8.P.8.1 Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by using models to explain the motion of particles in solids, liquids, and gases.

  A Bouncing Water Balloon	video
  Egg States	video, checked
  Experimenting with Dry Ice	video, free, checked
  Ice Cream Science	video, checked
  Expansion of Solids	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Review Matter-1	practice
  Review Matter-3	practice

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  SC.8.P.8.2 Differentiate between weight and mass recognizing that weight is the amount of gravitational pull on an object and is distinct from, though proportional to, mass.

  The Difference Between Weight and Mass

  video, checked

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  SC.8.P.8.3 Explore and describe the densities of various materials through measurement of their masses and volumes.

  The Pool, the Boat, and the Anchor, part 1	video
  Making a Density Column	video, checked
  Density: Ice, Oil, and Water	video, checked
  Cartesian Diver	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Fish in a Bucket	text page
  Air has Weight	text page
  946	photo challenge
  945	photo challenge

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  SC.8.P.8.4 Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.

  Stale Bread	video
  Floating Bubbles	video, checked
  Candles in a Jar, part 2	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Candles in a Jar, part 1	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Microscopes: Growing Crystals	video, free, learnalong, Updated
  Density: Ice, Oil, and Water	video, checked
  Wax and Wood, part 1	video, checked
  Wax and Wood, part 2	video, checked
  Identifying Minerals	video, learnalong
  Making Turmeric Paper	video, checked
  Testing for Tannic Acid	video
  Cartesian Diver	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Growing Crystals Under the Microscope	video, free, learnalong, checked
  Review Matter-5	practice

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  SC.8.P.8.5 Recognize that there are a finite number of elements and that their atoms combine in a multitude of ways to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we encounter.

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  SC.8.P.8.6 Recognize that elements are grouped in the periodic table according to similarities of their properties.

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  SC.8.P.8.7 Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by recognizing that atoms are the smallest unit of an element and are composed of sub-atomic particles (electrons surrounding a nucleus containing protons and neutrons).

  Making a Cloud Chamber	video, Updated, checked
  Radioactive	video, Updated, checked

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  SC.8.P.8.8 Identify basic examples of and compare and classify the properties of compounds, including acids, bases, and salts.

  Investigating Acid Rain	video, checked
  Cabbage Indicator	video, checked
  The Science of Rubber Bands	video, checked
  Science and the Haunted Pumpkin	video, free, checked
  Making Turmeric Paper	video, checked
  Testing for Tannic Acid	video
  Color Changing Flowers	video, checked
  Acid Hunt	text page

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  SC.8.P.8.9 Distinguish among mixtures (including solutions) and pure substances.

  Iron Cereal	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Microscopes: Growing Crystals	video, free, learnalong, Updated
  Making Butter	video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
  Fats and Emulsions	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Growing Crystals Under the Microscope	video, free, learnalong, checked
  Changing How We Look at Changing	text page, free

Big Idea 9: Changes in Matter

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  SC.8.P.9.1 Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating and concluding that mass is conserved when substances undergo physical and chemical changes.

  Making Butter	video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
  Review Matter-2	practice
  Review Matter-6	practice

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  SC.8.P.9.2 Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.

  Changing Colors, part 1	video
  Changing Colors, part 2	video
  Making Butter	video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
  Polymers and Slime	video, free, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Silver Pictures	video, checked
  Chemical and Physical Changes	video, ClosedCaptions, checked
  Changing How We Look at Changing	text page, free
  Review Matter-4	practice

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  SC.8.P.9.3 Investigate and describe how temperature influences chemical changes.

  Why Wet Things Don't Burn	video, checked
  Silver Pictures	video, checked

Big Idea 18: Matter and Energy Transformations

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  SC.8.L.18.1 Describe and investigate the process of photosynthesis, such as the roles of light, carbon dioxide, water and chlorophyll; production of food; release of oxygen.

  Measuring Photosynthesis	video, checked
  Testing a Leaf for Starch	video, ClosedCaptions

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  SC.8.L.18.2 Describe and investigate how cellular respiration breaks down food to provide energy and releases carbon dioxide.

  Yeast and Sugar, part 2	video, checked
  Yeast and Sugar, part 1	video, checked
  Calories: Measuring the Energy	text page, free

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  SC.8.L.18.3 Construct a scientific model of the carbon cycle to show how matter and energy are continuously transferred within and between organisms and their physical environment.

  Scavengers and Decomposers	video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated
  Secondary Consumers	video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
  Producers	video, free, Updated, checked
  Primary Consumers	video, ClosedCaptions, Updated, checked
  Measuring Calories	video, ClosedCaptions, checked

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  SC.8.L.18.4 Cite evidence that living systems follow the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy.

  Thoughts on Trees	text page
  What is a Food Web?	text page, free, checked
  Review Food Web-10	practice

Back to the Florida Standards page