CURRICULUM FOR SCIENCE GRADE 8

CURRICULUM FOR SCIENCE GRADE 8

This curriculum is part of the Educational Program of Studies of the Rahway Public Schools. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dr. Kevin K. Robinson, Program Supervisor of STEM The Board acknowledges the following who contributed to the preparation of this curriculum. Jennifer Villao Christine H. Salcito, Assistant Superintendent Subject/Course Title: Date of Board Adoptions: Science September 18, 2016 Grade 8

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 1: Earth is Rock Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Earth is Rock is to introduce students to the study of both rock and land formations that make up the Earth s Crust. Students will begin developing awareness about the complexity of Earth s crust and how geologist studies it. Approximate Length of Unit: 7 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS1-4) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS1-4) 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-ESS1-4) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4, Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3 LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS1-4: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth s 4.6 billion year old history. Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data

Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth: The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS1-4) Cross Cutting Concepts Patterns: Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data. Systems and System Models: Models can be uses to represent systems and their interactions. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Unit Understandings Students will understand that Earth s surface has a variety of different landforms and water features. Every place on Earth s surface has a unique geological story. Rocks hold the clues to the story of a place. Every place on Earth s surface has a unique geological story. Rocks hold the clues to the story of a place. Limestone, sandstone, and shale are rocks found in the Grand Canyon that can be identified by their characteristics. Unit Essential Questions Which landforms occur at different locations on Earth? Why do there appear to be stripes on the walls of the Grand Canyon? How are the rocks from the two Grand Canyon sites related to each other? Knowledge and Skills Students will know Earth s surface has a variety of different landforms and water features. Every place on Earth s surface has a unique geological story. Rocks hold the clues to the story of a place. Limestone, sandstone, and shale are rocks found in the Grand Canyon that can be identified by their characteristics that can be identified by their characteristics. Students will be able to Make and record observations of landforms on Earth s surface and some of the rocks that compose them. Analyze rock samples from different sites to make rock correlations. EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students note a number of different landforms at various locations. Students can differentiate between landforms (such as a mountain) and artifacts of digital images (such as a straight line indicating two images have been patched together). Students generate meaningful observations or questions related to the topics of landforms or geology. Students understand that the stripes on are actually the edges of different types of rocks, stacked in layers on top of each other. Students do not think that the rocks are painted or otherwise marked superficially by the stripes. Students understand that the layers of rocks continue in the ground beyond what is seen. Students can create a model of rock layers and correlate two sites by aligning similar rocks in horizontal layers. Students make inferences about how the rocks might be layered underground and indicate this by drawing horizontal lines between two sites. Students can represent the drop in elevation of the Colorado River as it flows from east to west by drawing a slanted line. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 1. Homework.

Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes View different types of landforms through a Landform Gallery Readings with follow up questions Surveying a map of the Grand Canyon Generating questions about the Grand Canyon Video The Grand Canyon Flyover Quick Writes Notebook sketches of two sites along the Grand Canyon Rock observations and Acid tests Creation of data tables Rock Sorting Create a Rock Column Model RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 2: Weathering and Erosion Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Weathering and Erosion is to introduce students to the different sizes of sediments. Students will be able to observe a stream table to discover how water can erode sediments from one location to another and deposit the sediments in a basin further downstream. They will also consider the different ways rocks can weather. Approximate Length of Unit: 7 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS2-2) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS2-2) SL.8.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. (MS- ESS2-1) (MS-ESS2-2) MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (MS-ESS2-2) 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-ESS2-2) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. (MS-ESS2-2) 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3 LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. MS-ESS2-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2.A: Earth s Materials and Systems: All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planets systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2-1) ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth s Surface Processes: Water s movements-both on the land and underground- causes weathering and erosion, which change the lands surface features and create underground formations. (MS-ESS1-4) Cross Cutting Concepts Systems and System Models: Models can be used to represent systems and their interactions. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Patterns: Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. Stability and Change: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and processes at different scales, including the atomic scale. Unit Understandings Students will understand that Particles of earth material can be categorized and sorted by size: Clay, silt, sand, gravel, pebble, cobble, and boulder. Rock can be weathered into sediments by a number of processes, including frost wedging, abrasion, chemical dissolution, and root wedging. Most landforms are shaped by slow, persistent processes that proceed over the course of millions of years: weathering, erosion, and deposition. Most sediments move downhill until they are deposited in a basin. Sediments that do not form rock can become widely distributed over Earth s surface as soil. Unit Essential Questions How big are rocks? How do earth material get sored in nature? Which came first, the sand or the sandstone? How is soil related to rocks? Knowledge and Skills Students will know Particles of earth material can be categorized and sorted by size: Clay, silt, sand, gravel, pebble, cobble, and boulder. Rock can be weathered into sediments by a number of processes, including frost wedging, abrasion, chemical dissolution, and root wedging. Most landforms are shaped by slow, persistent processes that proceed over the course of millions of years: weathering, erosion, and deposition. Most sediments move downhill until they are deposited in a basin. Sediments that do not form rock can become widely distributed over Earth s surface as soil. Students will be able to Sort earth materials by size, using different methods. Use models to represent, study, and manipulate Earth Processes. EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students use a ruler correctly by lining up the rock with the 0 mm marker. Students correctly round measurements that fall between millimeter marks. Students understand how to use the Wentworth scale to categorize rocks based on their measurements. Students can correctly identify landforms.

Students use quantitative data and diagrams to record data. Students understand that the Colorado River erodes earth material from the Grand Canyon and deposits the material along the rivers path and at the end of the river, including sandbars and in lake mead. Students understand that the Colorado Plateau formed before the Colorado River began to weather it and erode it away. Students understand that beach sand is more rounded and the homemade sand is more angular. Students make other valid comparisons between the sand samples, including particle size and source material. Students will consider that weathering over an extremely long period of time will wear away at rock possibly creating a canyon. Students will consider that physical and chemical weathering may have created the Grand Canyon. Students will consider that weathering is still occurring at the Grand Canyon today. Students explain that sand is broken-down bits of rock. Students explain that rocks are broken off from even larger rocks, which themselves were once parts of mountains or bedrock. Students make the distinction that earth materials are found in different sizes, but that they are all forms of rock. Students explain the processes of weathering and erosion that would create sand and bring it to a beach. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 2. Homework. Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes View a rock mixture and analyze the sample size See wind as a type of Erosion Readings with follow up questions Work with a stream table model to see how erosion by water as well as formation of landforms Record data Sketch and compare drawings to photos Observe how nature naturally sorts out eroded material by their size Video Grand Canyon Flood Demos on sedimentation Create and conduct a lab on creating homemade sand Analysis of sediment using the Wentworth Scale of Rock Particle Sizes Comparison of homemade sand vs. beach sand Discuss different types of weathering such as physical and chemical Analysis of soil RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 3: Deposition Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Deposition is to have students closely look at the processes by which bedrock is weathered and eroded and how sediments are deposited in basins. Students will see that under favorable conditions these sediments can turn into sedimentary rock. Students can then see how evidence from sedimentary rocks can provide clues to Earth s history. Approximate Length of Unit: 5 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-ESS2-2) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-ESS2-2) SL.8.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. (MS- ESS2-1), (MS-ESS2-2) MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (MS-ESS2-2) 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-ESS2-2) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-ESS2-2) 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3 LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS1-4: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth s 4.6 billion year old history. MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. MS-ESS2-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2.A: Earth s Materials and Systems: All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planets systems. This energy is derived from the sun and Earth s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth s materials and living organisms. (MS-ESS2) ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth: The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS1-4) Cross Cutting Concepts Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Patterns: Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. Stability and Change: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and processes at different scales, including the atomic scale. Unit Understandings Students will understand that Sediments deposited by water usually form flat, horizontal layers. Sediments turn into solid rock (such as sandstone, shale, and limestone) through the process of lithification, which involves compaction, cementation, and dissolution. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock formed when particles of sand are cemented together. Shale is a sedimentary rock formed when clay and silt particles are compacted and cemented together. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, deposited in oceanic basins by physical, chemical, and biological processes. The relative ages of sedimentary rock can be determined by the sequence of layers. Lower layers are older tan higher layers. The processes we observe today, such as weathering, erosion, and deposition, probably acted in the same way millions of years ago, producing sedimentary rocks. Unit Essential Questions What happens to sediments that get deposited in basins? How does limestone form? What do sedimentary rock layers reveal about ancient environments? Knowledge and Skills Students will know Sediments deposited by water usually form flat, horizontal layers. Sediments turn into solid rock (such as sandstone, shale, and limestone) through the process of lithification, which involves compaction, cementation, and dissolution. The relative ages of sedimentary rock can be determined by the sequence of layers. Lower layers are older tan higher layers. The processes we observe today, such as weathering, erosion, and deposition, probably acted in the same way millions of years ago, producing sedimentary rocks. Students will be able to Identify the components of sandstone, shale, limestone, and soil. Infer change in environments through the interpretation of a sequence of sedimentary rock layers.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students understand that sand is just small rocks formed by rocks breaking into pieces. Students explain that sand can flow into a basin and become sandstone by a process that involves compaction and introduction of a cement by groundwater. Students mention that sandstone can again be broken into bits of sand by weathering. Students make a connection between the precipitate forming in the limewater reaction and the sediment that could form limestone. Students explain that the area that is now the Colorado Plateau used to be in a basin and the sediments were deposited in the basin over a very long time. Students suggest that the environment changed over time. Students describe that each environment accumulated different sediments. Students suggest that different layers of rocks formed, depending on the kinds of sediments that were deposited, which in turn depended on the environment. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 3. Homework. Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes Compare rock types with their sediments (sand vs. sandstone) Determine the characteristics of a sedimentary rock Multimedia Sandstone formation Compare different types of sedimentary rocks Multimedia Shale formation Conduct and analyze results from seawater investigation Conduct an acid test on homemade precipitate Familiarize themselves with the Principle of Superposition and the Principle of Original Horizontality Work with a model of a basin and answer questions. Multimedia Rock Column Movie Maker. Understand the concept of uniformitarianism RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 4: Fossils and Past Environments Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Fossils and Past Environments is to have students become familiar with the geological time scale and to begin comprehending the enormous spans of time that are described by geological time as well as putting the history of the Grand Canyon into scale. Approximate Length of Unit: 10 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-LS4-1), (MS-LS4-2) RST.6.8.7: Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in test with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). (MS-LS4-1) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS1-4), (MS-LS4-2) WHST.6.8.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (MS-LS4-2) SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly. (MS-LS4-2) SL.8.4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. (MS-LS4-2) MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-LS4-1), (MS-LS4-2) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. (MS-ESS1-4) 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3 LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS1-4: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic time scale is used to organize Earth s 4.6 billion year old history.

MS-LS4-1: Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past. MS-LS4-2: Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships. Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS1.C: The History of Planet Earth: The geologic time scale interpreted from rock strata provides a way to organize Earth s history. Analyses of rock strata and the fossil record provide only relative dates, not an absolute scale. (MS-ESS1-4) LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity: The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. (MS-LS4-1) LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity: Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2) Cross Cutting Concepts Patterns: Patterns in rates of change and other numerical relationships can provide information about natural and human designed systems. Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Patterns: Science assumes that objects and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are understandable through measurement and observation. Unit Understandings Students will understand that A fossil is any remains, trace, or imprint of a plant or animal that was preserved in Earth s crust during ancient times. The fossil record represents what we know about ancient life and is constantly refined as new fossil evidence is discovered. Geological time extends from Earth s origin to the present. Earth s history is measured in millions and billions of years. Index fossils allow rock layers to be correlated by age over vast distances. Unit Essential Questions How do fossils get in rocks? How old are fossils? How do we categorize extremely long periods of time? When did the Gran Canyon rocks form? Knowledge and Skills Students will know A fossil is any remains, trace, or imprint of a plant or animal that was preserved in Earth s crust during ancient times. The fossil record represents what we know about ancient life and is constantly refined as new fossil evidence is discovered. Geological time extends from Earth s origin to the present. Earth s history is measured in millions and billions of years. Index fossils allow rock layers to be correlated by age over vast distances. Students will be able to Construct a time line of geological events and ancient life. Infer ancient environments based on rock and fossil evidence. Describe how rocks can be given a relative age based on their relationship to other rocks.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students explain that the remnants of organisms that form fossils are embedded in sediments before the rocks form. Students explain that bodies of organisms become fossilized over long periods of time. Students indicate that fossils are not just bodies of animals, but can also be parts of plants or imprints of organisms. Students work according to the Law of Superposition. Students understand that the time line represents the history of life on Earth from the time of its formation. Students identify that human history is a tiny, recent piece of the vast history of life on Earth, and of the history of Earth itself. Students understand that not all fossils are index fossils, and that only those identified as index fossils should be used to correlate the rock layers. Students infer the correct relationship between sites, based on the index-fossil and layer correlation. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 4. Homework. Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes Observe Grand Canyon rock fossils and report observations View videos on rock formation Practice Fossil Identification Familiarize themselves with the term paleontology, crossbedding, formation, unconformities, and the fossil record Reading A Fossil Primer, with follow up questions Discuss ancient environments based on rock observations Video Fearless Planet, and A Prehistoric Ocean Complete the Grand Canyon Challenge by using the Rock Column Movie Maker Create a visual timeline of the Earth s history and divide it by its eras and periods Multimedia Dating Rock Layers Identify index fossils of the Grand Canyon Correlate rocks of three national parks within the Canyon by matching the appropriate index fossils Multimedia Index-fossil Correlation with follow-up questions RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 5: Igneous Rocks Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Igneous Rocks is to present students with new rock samples from a new location and to lead them to investigate the relationship between crystal size and the formation of igneous rocks. Approximate Length of Unit: 5 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS2-2) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS2-2) SL.8.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. (MS-ESS2-1) (MS-ESS2-2) MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (MS-ESS2-2) 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-ESS2-2) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. (MS-ESS2-2) 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3 LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS2-1: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process. MS-ESS2-2: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth s surface at varying time and spatial scales.

Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Planning and carrying out investigations Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2.A: Earth s Materials and Systems: The planet s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years. These interactions have shaped Earth s history and will determine its future. (MS-ESS2) Cross Cutting Concepts Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Unit Understandings Students will understand that Earth is composed of layers of earth materials, from its hard crust of rock all the way down to its hot core. Heat inside Earth melts rock; melted rock can cool and form igneous rocks. Molten rock cools quickly on the surface of Earth and can be identified by small mineral crystals. Molten rock that cools more slowly inside Earth forms larger mineral crystals. Earth s history is measured in millions and billions of years. Index fossils allow rock layers to be correlated by age over vast distances. Unit Essential Questions How do fossils get in rocks? How old are fossils? How do we categorize extremely long periods of time? When did the Gran Canyon rocks form? Knowledge and Skills Students will know Earth is composed of layers of earth materials, from its hard crust of rock all the way down to its hot core. Heat inside Earth melts rock; melted rock can cool and form igneous rocks. Molten rock cools quickly on the surface of Earth and can be identified by small mineral crystals. Molten rock that cools more slowly inside Earth forms larger mineral crystals. Students will be able to Identify properties of a new set of rock samples, differentiating them from sedimentary rocks. Design an experiment to test how cooling rate affects crystal size. Confirm a relationship between cooling rate and crystal size that can be applied to igneous rock formation. EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students use techniques for rock observation learned earlier in the course, such as considering color, apparent particle size, and texture. Students can safely perform the acid test. Students record similarities, differences, and other observations in a data table. Students develop an experiment using salol to form crystal both quickly and slowly. Students record rock observations including crystal size and use that data to determine if a rock is an intrusive or extrusive igneous. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 5. Homework.

Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes Multimedia Pacific Northwest Tour Observe the new rocks and record data in notebooks Identify the names of their igneous rocks based on their observations Identify the differences between sedimentary and igneous rocks through observation Observe crystals within igneous rocks and discuss the differences between intrusive and extrusive Create and conduct a lab on crystal formation and change variables such as heat to see the effects on crystal formation Multimedia Salol Crystal Formation RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit

RAHWAY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CURRICULUM UNIT OVERVIEW Content Area: Science Unit Title: Earth History - Investigation 6: Volcanoes and Earthquakes Target Course/Grade Level: 8 th grade Unit Summary: The unit Earth History focuses on having students practice on their inferential thinking skills. They can begin to grapple with the Earth s processes and systems that have operated over geological time. Students should make observations and do investigations that involve constructing and using conceptual models. They should generate questions for investigations, which may lead to new questions. Through their study of Earth History, students should become more confident in their ability to ask good questions and to recognize and use evidence from the rocks to come up with explanations of past environments. The purpose of Volcanoes and Earthquakes is to provide students with the opportunity to discover a pattern of geological activity. Subduction, convection, and the theory of crustal plate tectonics are introduced to explain continental drift, plate boundary interactions, and the patters of volcanoes and earthquakes. Approximate Length of Unit: 6 Class periods Primary interdisciplinary connections: NJSLS ELA/Literacy- Mathematics- RST.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-ESS2-3), (MS-ESS3-1), (MS-ESS3-2), RST.6-8.7: Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table). (MS-ESS2-3), (MS-ESS-3-2) RST.6-8.9: Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic. (MS-ESS2-3) WHST.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-ESS3-1) WHST.6.8.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (MS-ESS3-1) SL.8.5: Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. (MS- ESS2-1) (MS-ESS2-2) MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (MS-ESS2-3), (MS-ESS3-2) 6.EE.B.6: Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. (MS-ESS2-3), (MS-ESS3-1), (MS-ESS3-2) 7.EE.B.4: Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve problems by reasoning about the quantities. (MS-ESS2-3), (MS-ESS3-1), (MS-ESS3-2) 21 st Century Learning Standards: Skills: 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.1.6, 1.1.9, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.1.5, 3.1.6 Dispositions in Action: 1.1.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 2.2.4, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.3 Responsibilities: 1.3.1, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.3.4, 3.3.5, 3.3.6, 3.3.7, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3. 4.3.4 Self-Assessment Strategies: 1.4.1, 1.4.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, 2.4.3

LEARNING TARGETS Next Generation Science Standard(s) Addressed: MS-ESS3-1: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes. MS-ESS3-2: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of techniques to mitigate their effects. MS-ESS2-3: Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions. Science and Engineering Practices: Asking questions Developing and using models Analyzing and interpreting data Using mathematics and computational thinking Constructing explanations Engaging in argument from evidence Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Disciplinary Core Ideas: ESS2.B: Plate Tectonics and Large-Scale System Interactions: Maps of ancient land and water patterns, based on investigations of rocks and fossils make clear how Earth s plates have moved great distances, collided, and spread apart. (MS-ESS2-3) ESS3.B: Natural Hazards: Mapping the history of natural hazards in a region, combined with an understanding of related geologic forces can help forecast the locations and likelihoods of future events. (MS-ESS3-2) ESS3.A: Natural Resources: Humans depend on Earth s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes. (MS-ESS3-1) Cross Cutting Concepts Scale, Proportion, and Quantity: Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or goo small. Patterns: Patterns in rates of change can provide information about natural and human designed systems. Stability and Change: Explanations of stability and change in natural or designed systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and processes at different scales, including the atomic scale. Unit Understandings Students will understand that Volcanoes and earthquakes occur along plate boundaries. Earth s crust and solid upper mantle make up Earth s plates. Plates can be the size of continents or larger or smaller. Earth s plates float on top of the layer of viscous, semisolid earth material below, the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is a heated, semisolid, semifluid material that flows due to convection currents. Plate movements result in plate boundary interactions that produce volcanoes, earthquakes, and continental drift. Unit Essential Questions Where do volcanoes occur on Earth? Where do earthquakes occur on Earth? Why do volcanoes and earthquakes occur where they do? What causes plates to move? Knowledge and Skills Students will know Volcanoes and earthquakes occur along plate boundaries. Earth s crust and solid upper mantle make up Earth s plates. Plates can be the size of continents or larger or smaller. Earth s plates float on top of the layer of viscous, semisolid earth material below, the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is a heated, semisolid, semifluid material that flows due to convection currents. Plate movements result in plate boundary interactions that produce volcanoes, earthquakes, and continental drift. Students will be able to Analyze volcano and earthquake data for patters. Model continental drift that has occurred on Earth. Describe how convection and plate tectonics drive continental drift. Model plate-boundary interactions.

EVIDENCE OF LEARNING Assessment What evidence will be collected and deemed acceptable to show that students truly understand? Students understand how to find a location using longitude and latitude. Students label data accurately Students are looking for patterns in data. Students identify that volcanoes and earthquakes occur in many of the same locations, but not always in the same locations. Students recognize that the locations where volcanoes and earthquakes tend to occur are at plate boundaries. Students hypothesize that the plate interactions at the boundaries cause earthquakes and volcanoes. Students understand that Earth s lithosphere is broken into plates. Students understand that continents are part of continental plates. Students explain that lithospheric plates float on top of semiliquid asthenosphere (part of mantle). Students explain that sinking of oceanic lithosphere induces convection. Students perform well on Mid-Summative exam 6. Homework. Learning Activities What differentiated learning experiences and instruction will enable all students to achieve the desired results? Engage in active discussion Quick writes Locate and mark a group of volcanoes on a worldwide map Review latitude and longitude Use the computers to plot volcanoes on maps Familiarize themselves with the ring of fire Record and use new volcano vocabulary such as active, dormant, and extinct Multimedia Volcanoes Formation Analyze earthquake data Compare earthquake and volcano locations Discussion of Continental drift and fossil evidence Video Alfred Wegner, with follow up questions Introduction to different plate boundaries and their movements Analyze and distinguish the differences between Earth layers Video Convection Determine how plates move due to convection currents Reading The Human Story of the Theory of Plate Tectonics, and follow up questions Reading Historical Debates about a Dynamic Earth, and follow up questions RESOURCES Teacher Resources: Full Option Science Systems (FOSS) kit: Teachers Edition Student Earth History Resource Book Student Earth History Lab Book FOSS Website (www.fossweb.com) Equipment Needed: Laptop connection for power point presentations Overhead Projector as needed Laboratory equipment as specified for unit