Physical Science - 8th Grade - Mrs. Hope
Physical Science – 8th GradeScope and Sequence
Unit 1: Matter and Chemistry
Topics Include: Atoms, elements, periodic table, solubility, mixtures, phase
change, physical and chemical changes
Suggested Length of Time: 5 weeks
Essential Question: What is matter? How do you describe matter?
Unit 2: Density
Topics Include: Mass, volume and density
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: What is density?
Unit 3: Energy
Topics Include: Kinetic and potential energy, forms of energy, energy
transformations, heat transfer, energy resources
Suggested Length of Time: 3 weeks
Essential Question: What is energy?
Unit 4: Forces and Motion
Topics Include: forces, motion, speed, friction, Newton’s Laws
Suggested Length of Time: 4 weeks
Essential Question: How do objects move?
Unit 5: Minerals and Rocks
Topics Include: sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks, mineral
identification, rock cycle
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: How are rocks formed and classified? What is a mineral and
how are they identified?
Unit 6: Weathering and Erosion
Topics Include: weathering, erosion, deposition, glacier, soil, transport
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: What are the agents of erosion and how do they transport
sediment?
Unit 7: Earth’s Dynamic Crust
Topics Include: tectonic plates, volcanoes, earthquakes
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: What forces affect the earth’s surface?
Unit 8: Meteorology (Weather)
Topics Include: temperature, air pressure, humidity, wind, precipitation, air mass,
fronts, atmosphere, clouds, severe weather
Suggested Length of Time: 4 weeks
Essential Question: What is weather?
Unit 9: Astronomy
Topics Include: rotation and revolution, seasons, gravity, moon phases, eclipse,
galaxy, comets, planets
Suggested Length of Time: 3 weeks
Essential Question: What is astronomy?
Unit 10: Ecology
Topics Include: food web, food chain, ecosystem, populations, community
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: What is ecology?
Unit 11: Review/ Science Skills
Topics Include: TBB, microscope, ruler, review topics covered on ILS
Suggested Length of Time: 2 weeks
Essential Question: How do we study science?