Newfoundland and Labrador

Unit 1 Water Systems on Earth's Surface

• Water Cycle's Vital Role

  • describe major interactions among the hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere

    • Label parts of water cycle diagrams (8-Q.1)
    • Select parts of water cycle diagrams (8-Q.2)

• Comparing Ocean Water and Fresh Water

  • describe major interactions among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere

  • carry out procedures in order to investigate how salinity effects density

    • Identify steps of the scientific method (8-A.1)
    • Identify control and experimental groups (8-B.1)
    • Identify independent and dependent variables (8-B.2)
    • Identify the experimental question (8-B.3)
    • Identify questions that can be investigated with a set of materials (8-B.4)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about plant growth (8-B.5)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about diffusion (8-B.6)
    • Understand an experimental protocol about evaporation (8-B.7)

  • use tools and apparatus safely

    • Identify laboratory tools (8-A.2)
    • Laboratory safety equipment (8-A.3)

  • interpret trends in data, and explain relationships among the variables

    • Identify independent and dependent variables (8-B.2)

  • communicate questions, and results using notes, and drawings

  • state a conclusion about the effect of salinity on density

• Sources of Fresh Water

  • describe major interactions among the hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere

  • describe how periods of climate change affect glaciers and describe the consequent effects on the environment

• Water Systems and Species Distributions

  • analyze factors that affect productivity and species distribution in freshwater and marine environments

  • identify the effects of abiotic factors on plant and animal distributions in marine and freshwater ecosystems, including: temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, increased acidity, turbidity, pollution and upwelling (marine)

  • select appropriate methods and tools for collecting data and information and for solving problems

  • interpret patterns and trends in data, and infer and explain relationships among the variables

  • prepare a presentation or report on the effect of abiotic factors on the distribution of species in freshwater and marine environments and evaluate processes used in planning and completing the task

  • predict and interpret trends in populations of a marine species from graphical data by interpolating and extrapolating data

• Exploration of Ocean Basins

  • describe processes that lead to the development of ocean basins and continental drainage systems, including: volcanic action, plate tectonics, erosion and glaciation

  • provide examples of public and private Canadian institutions that support scientific and technological research involving the oceans, including: Environment Canada, Federal Fisheries, Oceans Sciences Centre and Centre for Cold Ocean Research C-CORE at Memorial University

  • investigate technologies that have assisted scientists to research ocean basins, including: sonar, satellites, underwater photography/videography, deep sea submersibles and diving

  • provide examples of how technologies, used to investigate the ocean floor, have improved over time

  • identify some strengths and weaknesses of technologies used to investigate the ocean floor

• Ocean Currents and Waves

  • describe the interactions of the ocean currents, winds, and regional climates

    • Factors affecting climate: surface ocean currents (8-S.5)

  • explain how waves and tides are generated

• Waves and Shorelines

  • describe the processes of erosion and deposition at shorelines that result from wave action and water flow

• Tides

  • explain how waves and tides are generated

• Interactions at Shorelines

  • recognize that landforms result from the processes of erosion and deposition caused by wave action and water flow, including: beaches, shoal, sand bars, sea caves, sea arches and sea stacks

  • provide examples of various technologies designed to contain damage due to waves and tides

• Oceans, Weather and Climate

  • describe the interactions of the ocean currents, winds, and regional climates

    • How do air masses form? (8-R.3)
    • Factors affecting climate: surface ocean currents (8-S.5)

• Human Impacts on Marine Systems

  • describe some positive and negative effects of marine technologies on ocean species

  • recognize that problems related to the oceans cannot be completely resolved using scientific and technological knowledge

Unit 2 Fluids

• Fluids and Viscosity

  • identify questions to investigate arising from practical problems and issues involving fluids

    • Particle motion and changes of state (8-F.2)

  • compare the viscosity of various liquids

• Comparing Viscosity

  • identify and relate personal activities and potential applications to fluid dynamics, including: pancake batter and motor oil

  • rephrase questions in a testable form and clearly define practical problems

  • identify and suggest explanation for discrepancies in data

  • compile and display data using a bar graph

  • carry out procedures controlling the major variables

  • interpret patterns and trends in data and infer and explain relationships among the variables

  • provide examples of products that have been developed because of our understanding of viscosity

  • provide examples of how science and technology affect our lives and community

  • describe the science underlying particular technologies designed to explore natural phenomena, extend human capabilities, or solve practical problems

  • relate personal activities in formal and informal settings to specific science disciplines

• Factors that Affect Viscosity

  • describe factors that can modify the viscosity of a liquid

• Defining Density

  • describe the relationship among the mass, volume, and density of solids, liquids and gases using the Particle Theory

    • Calculate density, mass and volume (8-D.1)

• Determining Density

  • analyze quantitatively the density of various substances

    • Calculate density, mass and volume (8-D.1)
    • Abbreviate mass and volume units (8-T.3)

  • use instruments effectively and accurately for collecting data

  • select appropriate methods and tools, and use them safely, in order to determine the volume of irregular shaped objects by water displacement

  • identify, and suggest explanations for, discrepancies in data

  • interpret patterns and trends in data and infer and explain relationships among the variables

  • calculate the density of various objects, including: irregular shaped objects, liquids, granular objects and regular shaped objects

• Changes in Density

  • explain the effects of changes in temperature on the density of solids, liquids, and gases and relate the results to the Particle Theory

    • How does particle motion affect temperature? (8-F.1)
    • How does particle motion affect gas pressure? (8-F.3)
    • Identify how particle motion affects temperature and pressure (8-F.4)

  • describe situations in life where the density of substances naturally changes or is intentionally changed, including: drying of wood (seasoning of wood), hot air balloons and salt water being easier to float in

• Balanced and Unbalanced Forces

  • describe the movement of objects in terms of balanced and unbalanced forces

    • Balanced and unbalanced forces (8-E.4)

  • describe qualitatively the difference between mass and weight

• Buoyancy and Buoyant Forces

  • describe the connection between weight, buoyancy, and sinking or floating

• Applications of Buoyancy

  • provide examples of technologies that have been developed because of our understanding of density and buoyancy, including: personal flotation devices (ex. life jacks), submarines and hot air balloons

• Pressure, Hydraulics and Pneumatics

  • describe quantitatively the relationship between force, area, and pressure

  • describe the science underlying hydraulic technologies

• Physical Properties of Gases

  • explain qualitatively the relationship among pressure, volume, and temperature when liquid and gaseous fluids are compressed or heated

    • How does particle motion affect gas pressure? (8-F.3)
    • Identify how particle motion affects temperature and pressure (8-F.4)

Unit 3 Optics

• The Nature of Science – The History of Light

  • provide examples of ideas and theories of light used in the past to explain observed properties, including: Pythagoras' belief that light consisted of beams of particles, Galileo's experiment trying to determine the speed of light and Michelson's experiment to measure the speed of light

  • provide examples of how scientific knowledge of light resulted in the development of early technologies, including: microscope and telescope

• Properties of Visible Light

  • identify and describe properties of visible light, including the following properties, definitions and examples: travels in a straight line (rectilinear propagation) e.g. shadow formation; reflects (reflection) e.g. mirrors (specular) and dust (diffuse); refracts (refraction) e.g. bent stick effect; disperses (dispersion) e.g. formation of a rainbow as light separates into its constituent colours; travels through a vacuum (does not require a medium) e.g. light from Sun and stars reaching Earth through space; and travels through transparent, translucent and opaque materials to different amounts e.g. window pane, frosted window and door

    • Electromagnetic waves (8-G.5)

• Electromagnetic Radiation and Dispersion

  • recognize the importance of using the words frequency and wavelength correctly

    • Transverse waves (8-G.1)
    • Compare amplitudes, wavelengths and frequencies of waves (8-G.2)
    • Compare energy of waves (8-G.3)

• The Electromagnetic Spectrum

  • describe the different types of electromagnetic radiation and compare properties to visible light

    • Electromagnetic waves (8-G.5)
    • Applications of infrared waves (8-G.6)
    • Effects of ultraviolet waves (8-G.7)

  • describe possible negative and positive effects of technologies associated with electromagnetic radiation

    • Effects of ultraviolet waves (8-G.7)

  • identify new questions and problems that arise from what was learned about electromagnetic radiation

• Reflection

  • formulate operational definitions for incidence, reflection, and the normal

  • describe the laws of reflection of visible light and their applications in everyday life

  • use mirrors effectively and accurately for investigating the characteristics of images formed

  • define and delimit questions and problems to facilitate investigation

  • state a prediction and a hypothesis based on background information or an observed pattern

  • use tools and apparatus safely

    • Laboratory safety equipment (8-A.3)

  • state a conclusion, based on experimental data, and explain how evidence gathered supports or refutes an initial idea

• Reflection – Plane Mirrors

  • describe the laws of reflection of visible light and their applications in everyday life

  • use mirrors effectively and accurately for investigating the characteristics of images formed

• Reflection – Curved Mirrors

  • use mirrors effectively and accurately for investigating the characteristics of images formed

• Refraction

  • identify questions to investigate involving refraction arising from practical problems and issues, including: bent stick effect and apparent position of a fish under water

  • describe qualitatively how visible light is refracted

  • estimate angles of incidence and refraction, including: as light moves from a less dense medium to a more dense medium and as light moves from a more dense medium to a less dense medium

  • conduct an experiment to describe the path of refracted rays through transparent media

  • design an experiment and identify major variables

  • work cooperatively and collaboratively with others

  • identify that a light ray traveling into a medium of greater density will bend towards the normal and a light ray traveling into a medium of lesser density will bend away from the normal

  • predict the effect of transparent media of varying densities on the angle of refraction of light, including: vegetable oil, water and 30% sugar solution

• Refraction – Lenses

  • describe qualitatively how visible light is refracted

• Development of Optical Technologies

  • describe how optical technologies have developed through systematic trial-and-error processes constrained by the optical properties of the materials

  • provide examples of optical technologies that enable scientific research and relate personal activities associated with such technologies

  • provide examples related to optics that illustrate that scientific and technological activities take place individually and in group settings

Unit 4 Cells, Tissues, Organs and Systems

• Cells and Living Things

  • discuss how early scientists differentiated between living and non-living things and compare this with modern cell theory

  • illustrate and explain that the cell is a living system that exhibits the four characteristics of life

    • Understanding cells (8-K.1)

• The Microscope

  • recognize that optical technologies have developed through systematic trial and error processes constrained by the optical properties of the materials

  • use a light microscope to produce a clear image of cells

  • estimate measurements of cells viewed with a microscope

  • demonstrate proper care in the use and storage of the compound microscope

• Cells and Cell Structure

  • use proper terms when comparing plant and animal cells

    • Identify functions of plant cell parts (8-K.2)
    • Identify functions of animal cell parts (8-K.3)
    • Plant cell diagrams: label parts (8-K.4)
    • Animal cell diagrams: label parts (8-K.5)

  • work cooperatively with team members to develop and construct models of cells

  • evaluate individual and group processes used in constructing models of cells

• Plant and Animal Cells – Characteristics

  • distinguish between typical plant and animal cells

    • Plant cell diagrams: label parts (8-K.4)
    • Animal cell diagrams: label parts (8-K.5)
    • Compare cells and cell parts (8-K.6)

  • explain that growth and reproduction depend on cell division

• Cells, Tissues, Organs and Organ Systems

  • explain structural and functional relationships between and among cells, tissues, organs, and systems in the human body

    • Organization in the human body (8-L.5)
    • Organization in the human body: the heart and circulatory system (8-L.6)

  • relate the needs and functions of various cells and organs to the needs and functions of the human organism as a whole

    • Body systems: circulation and respiration (8-L.1)
    • Body systems: digestion (8-L.2)
    • Body systems: removing waste (8-L.3)
    • Body systems: perception and motion (8-L.4)

• Maintaining Healthy Organ Systems

  • describe the basic factors that affect the functions and efficiency of the human respiratory, circulatory, muscular, digestive, excretory, and nervous systems

• Unhealthy Organ Systems – Assistive Technology

  • describe the science underlying various technologies used to assist or replace unhealthy organs or systems, including: insulin pump and artificial heart

    • Science literacy: how does the nervous system produce phantom pain? (8-L.7)

  • provide examples of scientific knowledge that have resulted in the development of technologies

  • describe how a community's needs can lead to developments in science and technology

  • make informed decisions about applications of science and technology, taking into account environmental and social advantages and disadvantages

  • propose a course of action on social issues related to science and technology, taking into account human and environmental needs

• Organ Systems – Interdependence

  • describe three examples of the interdependence of various systems of the human body, including: circulatory/respiratory, digestive/circulatory and nervous/muscular

    • Body systems: circulation and respiration (8-L.1)
    • Body systems: digestion (8-L.2)
    • Body systems: perception and motion (8-L.4)

  • design and carry out an experiment to compare and contrast heart rate and breathing rate in an individual during various levels of activity, and identify and control the major variables

    • Identify steps of the scientific method (8-A.1)
    • Identify control and experimental groups (8-B.1)
    • Identify independent and dependent variables (8-B.2)

  • rephrase questions into testable form about the factors that affect physical fitness and health

    • Identify the experimental question (8-B.3)

  • state a hypothesis based on background information or an observed pattern of events

  • carry out procedures controlling the major variables

  • compile and display data using tables and graphs

  • suggest explanations for variations in the heart rate and the breathing rate of an individual during various levels of activity when the experiment is repeated

  • organize data using a format that is appropriate to the task or experiment

• Organ Systems – Associated Careers and Technology

  • provide examples of careers that are associated with the health of body systems

  • make informed decisions about applications of science and technology that are associated with human body systems taking into account personal and social advantages and disadvantages