COMMUNICATIONS LEARNING STANDARDS
The eighth-grade student will learn and apply interviewing
techniques. The student will plan, draft, revise, and
edit writing, with emphasis on narratives, exposition,
and persuasion. Students will apply reading and writing
skills in all subjects, such as communicating results
of scientific experiments, reading and describing the
relationship between subsets of the real number system,
or describing the characteristics and contributions
of early civilizations. The student will become a skillful
interpreter of the persuasive strategies used in mass
media. The student will continue to develop an appreciation
for literature through a study of literary elements
contained in African American and other classic works
as well as contemporary selections. The student will
describe themes or inferred main ideas, interpret cause-effect
relationships, and draw conclusions from a variety of
literary selections.
MATH LEARNING
STANDARDS
The eighth-grade standards are designed to prepare
students for Algebra I. The standards contain both content
that reviews or extends concepts and skills learned
in previous grades and new content that prepares students
for more abstract concepts in algebra. New concepts
include solving multistep equations, graphing linear
equations, applying transformations to geometric figures,
and using matrices to organize and interpret data. While
learning mathematics, students will be actively engaged,
using concrete materials. Students will also identify
real-life applications of the mathematical principles
they are learning that can be applied to science and
other disciplines they are studying.
HISTORY & SOCIAL
STUDIES LEARNING STANDARDS
WORLD HISTORY TO 1000 A.D.
The standards for the eighth grade enable students
to explore the historical development of people, places,
and patterns of life from ancient times until about
1,000 A.D. Students study the origins of much of our
heritage using texts, maps, pictures, stories, diagrams,
charts, chronological skills, inquiry/research skills,
and technology skills.
SCIENCE LEARNING STANDARDS
FOCUS
ON PHYSICAL SCIENCE
The Physical Science standards continue to build on
skills systematic investigation with a clear focus on
variables and repeated trials. Validating conclusions
using evidence and data becomes increasingly important
at this level. Students will plan and conduct research
involving both classroom experimentation and literature
reviews from written and electronic resources. Research
methods and skills highlight practical problems and
questions. Students will share their work using written
reports and other presentation.
The Physical Science standards stress a more in-depth
understanding of the nature and structure of matter
and the characteristics of energy. The standards place
considerable emphasis on the technological application
of physical science principles. Major areas covered
by the standards include the periodic table; physical
and chemical changes nuclear reactions; temperature
and heat; sound; light; electricity and magnetism; and
work, force, and motion.
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