Welcome to grade 8 Earth Science! I look forward to our journey together. There will be challenging times as well as easy times for you this year. I want you to remember that I am here to help you learn. I need you to be yourself, make mistakes, try new things, identify how you learn best, be your best self everyday, know that everyone has good and bad days, but that with consistent effort you will always move closer to your goals.
Our Topics for the year include:
Observation Unit: Recognizing Constellations, Understanding and explaining the causes of moon phases, solar and lunar eclipses, daily and monthly tides, and seasonal change. Primary Assessment is a test. Additional assessments include star quizzes and thought questions. There are regular and accelerated versions of the test.New York Geology Unit: To understand the formation of Eastern NY and Western MA, I will be introducing concepts about plate tectonics, weathering, erosion, fossilization, evolution, glaciation and the rock cycle. Primary Assessment for Earth Science is a day by day time machine travel log explaining the geology seen on the trip to an imaginary friend. The accelerated students will be writing a chronological explanation of the geologic evolution Eastern NY and Western MA using background readings and incorporating evidence collected on the trip. There will also be thought questions.
Plate Tectonics Unit: Explaining the theory and evidence for continental drift, seafloor spreading and plate tectonics. Explaining the relationship between the layers of the earth and heat transfer in causing convection currents in the mantle to move the plates and in some cases generate hot spot plumes. Assessments include: ~ 4 Standards Based Quizes, thought questions and regular and accelerated versions of a test.
DERT (Density, Earthquakes, Rocks and Topographic Maps) Unit: Explaining and using the concept of density, explaining how earthquakes allow us to map the Earth's Interior and plate boundaries as well as predict volcanic eruptions, explain how igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks form and change over time revealing the evolution of Earth's surface and how topographic maps reveal surface features on our planet. Assessment: Quizzes and Thought questions
Climate Change Unit: Looking at data from ice cores, sea ice cover, sea level changes, precipitation maps, storms data, changes in habitat, migration patterns, ocean acidification and temperature and drawing conclusions about changes in the Earth's climate over time. Explaining the relationship between greenhouse gas production from natural and human sources and global warming focusing on the feedback systems that occur when temperatures rise and melt water ice and methane ices trapped in permafrost and ocean sediments. Assessment: thought questions, possibly evidence based opinion paper or test.
Weather Unit: Explaining the water cycle and forces which govern how it functions, Explaining and diagraming global and local winds, formation of severe storms and national weather patterns as time allows. Assessment: Quizzes and Test
Astronomy Unit: Comparing and Contrasting the inner and outer planets, formation of the solar system and universe, relative sizes and distances in space, orbits, galaxies .... as time allows
MCAS Review: Concepts review for physical, life, earth technological sciences followed by practice multiple choice and open response questions culled from previous tests. No Assessment other than daily assignments.
