8th Grade Colorado Science Standards

Content Area Science Standards for 8th Graders

8th graders in Colorado will focus on these content areas:

Physical Science

In this grade, students will study movement, force, speed and acceleration. Types of energy, energy transfer, physical and chemical changes and the conservation of mass will also be discussed. They'll look at waves, pitch, frequency and principles related to light.

Students can put in extra study time by checking out this physical science course for middle schoolers. Kids will be able to review what they're learning about motion and forces at their own speed with these short, fun lessons. Lessons can be accessed from home, making it easy to personalize study time.

Life Science

8th graders will focus on how humans interact with ecosystems and environmental issues. They will consider genetic information, reproduction, phenotypes and genotypes.

This life science course is a great way for students to focus on different types of ecosystems and the ways that they can change. They can also find lessons that deal with the reproduction of living things. All the lessons include interactive quizzes that can help students determine how well they understand the concepts they're studying.

Earth Systems Science

Different weather conditions and weather prediction will be covered in this grade. Students will study Earth's climates and consider why different climates exist. The movement of celestial objects and the tools scientists use to study the solar system will be discussed. Kids will learn about the formation of the solar system, as well as the orbits of objects in the solar system. Additionally, they will focus on the Earth, Sun, Moon and seasons.

Working on this earth science course can help students go over the subjects they're covering in class. They can review this information whenever they want and get in contact with earth science experts if they find a concept that they can't figure out on their own.

21st Century Skills and Readiness Competencies in Science for 8th Graders

Science standards in Colorado also focus on students developing competent scientific skills. Students will work on their abilities related to:

• Invention
• Self-direction
• Collaboration
• Information literacy
• Critical thinking and reasoning

To that end, 8th graders will consider the nature of science by studying the history of scientific understanding. They'll work on asking questions, researching and using information, communicating their results, understanding scientific ethics and grasping the results of scientific investigations. Kids will learn to ensure experiments can be reproduced and to report their data. Students will work with models, study scientific assumptions and use tools.

Kids should also learn to judge scientific claims. The importance of mathematics to science will also be considered in this grade, along with various scientific techniques. Connections between science, technology and humanity will be explored.

They will also answer inquiry questions throughout the school year. Additionally, students will be provided with real world applications of the scientific concepts they're covering in class, allowing them to understand the usefulness of what they're studying. These competencies will be interwoven throughout the curriculum, allowing students to practice applying these abilities while they gain new scientific knowledge.