Science in eighth grade explores reproduction, heredity, and evolution; humans in their environment; the earth, sun, and moon system; and forces and motion on earth.
By the end of the school year, all students should be able to:
■ Understand that in all organisms, genetic traits are passed on from generation to generation.
■ Compare and contrast sexual reproduction (reproduction with two parents) and asexual reproduction (which requires only one parent).
■ Understand the elements of heredity, including DNA (the material in a cell that carries genetic instructions), genes (pieces of DNA with instructions for a specific trait, such as red hair), and mutations (changes in traits that occur when DNA is damaged or altered).
■ Understand natural resources and energy, including the energy needs of a nation, region, or family; renewable sources of energy, such as solar energy; and nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal or oil.
■ Understand environmental concerns, such as how to dispose of trash and other waste; how best to use land in our growing cities; air and water pollution; and global warming.
■ Understand the connection between nutrition and health, including the effects of environmental toxins, such as chemicals that get into the food chain; food-borne illness, such as salmonella; and system failures, such as heart disease or diabetes.
■ Classify celestial objects, such as stars, planets, comets, moons, and asteroids.
■ Understand Newton’s Second and Third Laws: An object acted on by a net force will accelerate in the direction of this force; and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
■ Determine an object’s speed and acceleration (rate at which it gains speed).
■ Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
Learning at Home
Talk regularly about science news covered in the media. How might a new breakthrough affect your lives? What can your child do to benefit or learn from this breakthrough?
Encourage your child to get involved in conservation in your neighborhood. Visit the New York State Department of Conservation’s Web site, www.dec.ny.gov/index.html, for a comprehensive guide to events all over the State, including resources and programs for teachers and students.
With your child, visit the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural History, www.amnh.org/rose, on the Upper West Side; locate images of space at www.nasa.gov; or find books on astronomy at the New York Public Library, kids.nypl.org.