Norm Yoast
![Picture]()
Craig Middle School
8th grade science
SCHOOL PHONE:
970-824-3289
I have been teaching at CMS for 16years. 19 years total. I have a major in
geology, minors in
physics, chemistry and biology and a masters in techonolgy and curriculum. I
currently teach 8th grade science, river watch and some science exploratory
classes. I also am the girls freshman
basketball at MCHs and football and track at CMS. I grew up in Hayden,
graduated in 1982
and
attended Western State College. After graduation I taught in Leadville and
Monte Vista, before returning to the Yampa Valley. My hobbies are
camping, riding motorcyles and atv's, hunting, archery and fishing and
spending time with family. My
wife Deb teaches at CMS also and we have two kids, Colten is a 7th grader at
CMS and Lindsey is a junior at MCHS
Moffat County School District RE-1
Science Objectives
Eighth Grade
STANDARD 1: Scientific Investigation
Students understand the processes of scientific investigation and design,
conduct, communicate
about, and evaluate such investigations.
Students will:
• identify and evaluate alternative explanations and procedures
? design a process/procedure including appropriate variables,
constants and controls to
investigate a scientific question (in a chart, table, graph or qualitative
observations).
? state two or more reasonable explanations for the data from an
investigation
• use examples to demonstrate that scientific ideas are used to
explain previous observations
and to predict future events (for example, plate tectonics and future
earthquake activity).
? predict a possible pattern or future event from scientific data (in
a chart, table, graph or
qualitative observations)
• ask questions and state hypotheses that lead to different types of
scientific investigations (for
example, experimentation, collecting specimens, constructing models,
researching scientific
literature)
? select appropriate methods (experimentation, collecting specimens,
constructing models,
researching scientific literature) to answer a scientific question
? given a situation/dilemma/issue, write a scientific question to
frame an investigation
? identify a question that could have motivated the collection of data
? select a question that can be answered by a scientific investigation
? write a hypothesis that matches a given question using an “If, Then”
statement or other format
• create a written plan for an investigation
? identify the evidence you need to collect in order to answer a
certain scientific question
? given a question or hypothesis, write or critique an investigative
process/procedure
? identify the data that you would collect and the conditions that
remain constant in a scientific
investigation
? explain why multiple trials or large sample sizes improve the
confidence in or accuracy of
results from an investigation.
? identify multiple trials or large sample sizes as a means of
improving the confidence in or
accuracy of results from an investigation
• use appropriate tools, technologies, and measurement units to gather
and organize data
? determine the volume, mass, or dimensions of an object or substance
? select appropriate tools and metric measurement units to gather data
given an experimental
procedure
? organize data appropriately into tables, charts, and/or graphs
given the hypothesis and
procedure/design process of a scientific investigation
? given a set of data, construct a graph
• interpret and evaluate data in order to formulate conclusions
? given a question and a set of data, select a graph that best
displays the data
? describe the relationships between two variables (e.g., time and
temperature) in a given
scientific investigation based on a given data table, chart, and graph
? given data in a table or graph, describe whether or not the data
supports a given hypothesis.
Use evidence from that data table, chart or graph to back up conclusions or
explain why the
hypothesis should be rejected
? given a data table or graph and hypothesis, generate new questions
to investigate based on
results given
• communicate results of their investigations in appropriate ways (for
example, written reports,
graphic displays, oral presentations)
? given a question and a set of data, select a graph that best
displays the data
• use metric units in measuring, calculating, and reporting results.
? use an illustration of a graduated cylinder, gram scale or metric
ruler to determine the volume
in millimeters, mass in grams or dimensions in centimeters of an illustrated
object
? describe data using appropriate metric units
• explain that scientific investigations sometimes result in
unexpected findings that lead to new
questions and more investigations
? given data in a table or graph that does not support a given
hypothesis, explain why the
hypothesis should be rejected
? given data in a table or graph that does not support a given
hypothesis, identify another
question that could be investigated
• give examples of how collaboration can be useful in solving
scientific problems and sharing
findings
? identify ways of collaboration can be useful in solving scientific
problems and advancing
scientific knowledge
? given several scientific problems (e.g. making a map of the Earth’s
interior; exploring the
surface of Venus; learning the structure of an atom; finding out how DNA
works; learning what
causes a new disease), choose one problem and explain how scientists from at
least two different
areas (e.g., biology, chemistry) might have contributed to solving it
STANDARD 2: Physical Science
Students know and understand common properties, forms and changes in matter.
Students will know:
• matter has characteristic properties, which are related to its
composition and structure. extend
their knowledge within Standard #2
? examine, describe, compare, measure, and classifying objects based
on common physical and
chemical properties (for example, states of matter, mass, volume, electrical
charge, temperature,
density, boiling points, pH, magnetism, solubility)
? distinguish between physical (e.g., density, states of matter -->
solid, liquid, gas, and plasma,
magnetism, hardness, melting point, boiling point, solubility) and chemical
properties (e.g.,
flammability, pH, chemical reactivity)
? describe and compare substances using physical properties
? describe and compare substances using chemical properties
? distinguish between physical and chemical changes
? use appropriate tools, and metric measurement units to gather data
about an object's
characteristics (e.g., metric ruler (mm, cm), thermometer (Celsius),
graduated cylinder (mL), balance
(g), stopwatch (s). For example, given the volume. mass and formula be able
to calculate density
• separate mixtures of substances based on their properties (for
example, solubility, boiling
points, magnetic properties, densities)
? separate a mixture based on differences in physical properties
(e.g., solubility, color, particle
size, magnetic properties, and density)
• classify and describe matter in terms of elements, compounds,
mixtures, atoms, and molecules
(for example, copper is an element, water is a compound, air is a mixture)
? describe matter using the following terms: atoms (proton, neutrons,
and electrons); elements,
compounds, and mixtures
? given a list of common substances and/or common formulas, classify
matter using the
following terms: elements, compounds, and mixtures
• develop simple models to explain observed properties of matter (for
example particle model to
account for the solubility of a substance)
? use a particle model to explain observed propereties of matter
(e.g., compare solid, liquid, and
gases; solubility of a substance, evaporation and condensation; compare
densities)
• know that energy appears in different forms and can move (be
transferred) and change (be
transformed)
• measure quantities associated with energy forms (for example,
temperature, mass, speed,
distance, electrical charge, current, voltage)
? identify different types of energy forms (e.g., light, heat, sound,
kinetic, electrical, chemical,
mechanical-potential and kinetic energy)
? quantify energy forms (e.g., temperature changes before and after
heating a liquid; measure
voltage through wires; temperature change caused by light shining on a
surface; distance a rubber
band travels when it is stretched; distance an object travels after acted on
with a different force)
• describe qualitative and quantitative relationships, using data and
observations and graphs,
associated with energy transfer or energy transformation (for example, speed
of object vs. height of
ramp; length of string vs. pitch of sound; electric current vs. volume of
gas produced in electrolysis,
with length of time kept constant)
? use graphs, observation, and data to compare the potential energy
and kinetic energy within a
system at various locations or time (e.g., roller coaster, waterfall)
• understand that interactions can produce changes in a system,
although the total quantities of
matter and energy remain unchanged
? identify and classify factors causing change within a system (for
example, force, light, heat)
? identify cause and effect pairs involved in changes associated with
a system (e.g., heating and
cooling causes changes in some of the properties of materials; pushing and
pulling an object affects
the motion of the object; changes in pressure affect gases; changing the
position of a mirror alters
the path direction of light)
? describe what might have caused the change after reviewing a before
and after picture
• identify and predict what will change and what will remain unchanged
when matter experiences
an external force or energy change (for example, boiling a liquid; comparing
the force, distance, and
work involved in simple machines)
? predict the change in motion of an object when a force is applied
(e.g., moves faster or slower,
changes direction)
? given a particular system, predict what change will happen if the
system undergoes a change in
energy (e.g., a solid melts when heat is applied)
? given a simple machine (lever, pulley, incline plane) predict what
will happen if there is a
change in the system (e.g., changing the angle of an incline plane, changes
in placement of levers,
fulcrum, adding a pulley)
• observe and gather data to support the concept of conservation of
mass within a closed system
(for example, precipitation reaction, forming mixtures, gas production)
? given a physical change in a closed system, describe why the mass
does not change.
? predict resulting data based on the concept of “conservation of mass”
? describe, measure (for example, temperature, mass, volume, melting
point of a substance) and
calculate quantities before and after a chemical or physical change within a
system (for example,
temperature change, mass change, specific heat)
? given measurements of properties of a substance before and after a
chemical or physical
change, explain changes that took place (e.g., temperature, mass, volume,
solubility)
? predict what will happen to the temperature of a substance as it is
heated versus when it
changes phase (e.g., phase changes)
• describe, measure (for example, time, distance, mass, force) and
calculate quantities that
characterize moving objects and their interactions within a system (for
example, force, velocity,
acceleration, potential energy, kinetic energy)
? given measurements of time and distance for objects that are moving
in a straight line, relate
distance and time in words and graphs
? identify the points at which a moving object has the most potential
and/or kinetic energy (e.g.,
pendulum swinging, falling objects)
? calculate the work done/power required to change and object’s motion
STANDARD 4: Earth and Space
Students know and understand the processes and interactions of Earth’s
systems and the structure
and dynamics of Earth and other objects in space.
Students will:
• explain how minerals, rocks, and soils form
? identify one of the common rock forming minerals given a data chart
of characteristic
properties (e.g., quartz, feldspar, hornblende, calcite, mica)
? identify a type of rock (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic)
based on observable
characteristics
? describe how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks form
? describe the processes by which one rock can become another rock
through the water cycle
? describe how soils form and how weathering contributes to soil
formation (e.g., weathering,
sedimentation, decomposition, particle and nutrient deposition)
? explain how weathering and erosion change a rock’s shape and size to
form sediments
(pebbles, sand, silt and clay)
? explain the relationships between rocks, minerals and soil
• explain how fossils are formed and used as evidence to indicate that
life has changed through
time
? describe methods of fossil formation
? explain why bones and teeth are more commonly preserved as fossils,
and more likely to occur
in sedimentary rocks
? describe how fossil evidence can be linked to environmental
conditions of the past
• model natural processes that shape Earth's surface (for example,
weathering, erosion, mountain
building, volcanic activity)
? name two landforms created primarily by erosion and explain their
formation
? name two landforms created primarily by deposition and explain their
formation
? explain the relationship between magma, igneous rocks and volcanoes
? explain why the Earth’s surface is always building up in some places
and wearing down in
others (e.g., erosion and deposition)
• explain the distribution and causes of natural events (for example,
earthquakes, volcanoes,
landslides)
? identify a pattern of natural events as corresponding with surface
features (e.g., volcanoes and
earthquakes with plate boundaries; landslides with mountain ranges)
? explain the relationship between volcanoes and plate tectonics
STANDARD 5: Interrelationships
Students know and understand interrelationships among science, technology,
and human activity
and how they can affect the world.
Students will:
• investigate and describe the extent of human uses of renewable and
non-renewable resources
(for example, forests, fossil fuels)
? distinguish between renewable (e.g., solar, wind, biomass,
geothermal, water) and non-
renewable energy resources (e.g., oil, coal, and natural gas)
? identify positive and negative consequences using renewable and non-
renewable energy
resources (e.g., solar ---> non-polluting but expensive to manufacture; coal-
--> plentiful but
requires additional pollution controls; wind ---> non-polluting but
intermittent; oil -> inexpensive
but limited supply)
? describe sustainable uses of natural resources (e.g., logging
practices that preserve the health
and biodiversity of forests; agricultural practices that ensure soil
preservation and resources; water
storage, conservation, and treatment practices that ensure the continued
availability of clean fresh
water), and describe the methods of maintaining the health of natural
environments by managing
human use and impacts
? recognize common uses of some of earth’s natural energy resources
(e.g., coal and nuclear
energy used for electricity, solar radiation used for heating, hydroelectric
used for electricity, natural
gas used for heating, oil and biomass made into fuels)
• describe advantages and disadvantages that might accompany the
introduction of a new
technology (for example, mountain bikes, cellular telephones, pagers)
? given a new technology, identify its advantages and/or disadvantages
(e.g., titanium used for
stronger bikes but at high cost; the computer age uses less paper but
requires more electricity and
metal wiring)
? recognize that technologies often have drawbacks as well as
benefits. A technology that helps
some people or organisms may hurt others
• describe how the use of technology can help solve an individual or
community problem (for
example, using catalytic converters on automobiles to help reduce air
pollution)
? given a common individual or community problem, describe an activity
that would help solve
the problem (e.g., waste disposal ---> recycling; energy availability --->
energy efficiency and
distributed renewable energy; water availability ----> efficient appliances
and waste water uses;
sickness ----> extracting medicines from plants)
• describe how people use science and technology in their professions
? describe specific scientific and/or technological uses in a
profession
