Components

6-8 Benchmark

Properties of Substances

• Use physical and chemical properties to sort and identify substances, for example, density, boiling point, and solubility.

Motion of Objects

• Describe the positions, relative speeds, and changes in speed of objects.

Wave Behavior

• Describe sound, water waves, and light, using wave properties such as wavelength, reflection, refraction, transmission, absorption, scattering, and interference.

Energy Sources and Kinds

• Understand that energy is a property of matter, objects, and systems and comes in many forms, including potential energy, kinetic energy, and thermal energy such as heat, light, electrical, mechanical, sound, nuclear, and chemical.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Systems Approach

• Describe how the parts of a system interact and influence each other.

Energy Transfer and Transformation

• Determine factors that affect rate and amount of energy transfer; associate a decrease in one form of energy with an increase in another.

Structure of Matter

• Understand that all matter is made up of atoms, which may be combined in various kinds, ways, and numbers to make molecules of different substances.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Nature of Forces

• Know the factors that determine the strength and interactions of various forces.

Forces to Explain Motion

• Understand the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of objects along a straight line.

Physical/Chemical Changes

• Understand physical and chemical changes at the particle level, and know that matter is conserved.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Nature and Properties of Earth Materials

• Classify rocks and soils into groups based on their chemical and physical properties; describe the processes by which rocks and soils are formed.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Systems Approach

• Describe how the parts of a system interact and influence each other.

Components and Patterns of the Earth System

• Understand the components and interconnections of Earth systems, including the core, the mantle, oceanic and crustal plates, they hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
• Understand the relationships among the components of the solar system including the Sun, Earth, the Moon, asteroids, comets, and the other planets and their moons.

Components of the Solar System and Beyond (Universe)

• Describe the components of the solar system including the Sun, Earth, Moon, the other planets and their moons, and smaller objects such as asteroids and comets.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Processes and Interactions in the Earth System

• Describe constructive and destructive processes at work and how they continually change landforms on Earth.

History and Evolution of the Earth

• Describe how fossils and other evidence are used to document life and environmental changes over time.

Hydrosphere/Atmosphere

• Relate global atmospheric movement and the formation of ocean currents to weather and climate.

Interactions in the Solar System and Beyond (Universe)

• Describe how the regular and predictable motions of objects in the solar system account for phenomena such as the day, year, phases of the moon, eclipses, seasons, and ocean tides.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Characteristics of Living Things

• Categorize plants and animals into groups according to how they accomplish life processes and by similarities and differences in external and internal structures.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Systems Approach

• Describe how the parts of a system interact and influence each other.

Structure and Organization of Living Systems

• Know that specialized cells within multi-cellular organisms form different kinds of tissues, organs, and organ systems to carry out life functions.

Molecular Basis of Heredity

• Understand that all living things reproduce and pass on genetic information and that an organism's characteristics are determined by both genetic and environmental influences.

Human Biology

• Identify and describe human life functions, and the interconnecting organ systems necessary to maintain human life, such as digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, disease prevention, control, and coordination.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Life Processes and the Flow of Matter and Energy

• Understand that individual organisms and ecosystems use matter and energy for life processes, and the mechanisms accomplishing these processes are complex, integrated, and regulated.

Biological Evolution

• Describe how the theory of biological evolution and natural selection accounts for species diversity, adaptation, extinction, and change in species over time.

Interdependence of Life

• Explain how organisms interact with their environment and with other organisms to acquire energy, cycle matter, influence behavior, and establish competitive or mutually beneficial relationships.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Questioning

• Generate questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.

Planning and Conducting Safe Investigations

• Plan, conduct and evaluate scientific investigations, using appropriate equipment, mathematics, and safety procedures.

Explaining

• Use evidence from scientific investigations to think critically and logically to develop descriptions, explanations, and predictions.

Modeling

• Correlate models of the behavior of objects, events, or processes to the behavior of the actual things; test models by predicting and observing actual behaviors or processes.

Communicating

• Communicate scientific procedures, investigations, and explanations visually, orally, in writing, with computer-based technology, and in the language of mathematics.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Intellectual Honesty

• Understand the operational and ethical traditions of science and technology such as skepticism, cooperation, intellectual honesty, and proprietary discovery.

Limitations of Science and Technology

• Understand how scientific investigations are used to answer questions about the natural and constructed worlds.

Evaluating Inconsistent Results

• Provide more than one explanation for events or phenomena; defend or refute the explanations using evidence.

Evaluating Methods of Investigation

• Describe how methods of investigation relate to the validity of scientific experiments, observations, theoretical models and explanation.

Evolution of Scientific Ideas

• Explain how scientific theory, prediction or hypothesis generation, experimentation, and observation are interrelated and may lead to changing ideas.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

Identifying Problems

• Identify and examine common, everyday challenges or problems in which science/technology can be or has been used to design solutions.

Designing and Testing Solutions

• Identify, design, and test alternative solutions to a challenge or problem.

Evaluating Potential Solutions

• Compare and contrast multiple solutions to a problem or challenge.

Components

6-8 Benchmark

All People Contribute to Science and Technology

• Know that science and technology have been developed, used, and affected by many diverse individuals, cultures, and societies throughout human history.

Relationship of Science and Technology

• Compare and contrast scientific inquiry and technological design in terms of activities, results, and influence on individuals and society; know that science enables technology and vise versa.

Careers and Occupations Using Science, Mathematics, and Technology

• Investigate the use of science, mathematics, and technology within occupational/career areas of interest.

Environmental and Resource Issues

• Explain how human societies' use of natural resources affects quality of life and the health of ecosystems.