This course is designed for students that are in a co-taught classroom environment that will be actively engaged in a comprehensive science program as they enrich their understanding to make sense of the natural world through phenomenon-based instruction and the Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) and Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs) of the Next Generation of Science Standards (NGSS). The co-teaching model will include various instructional strategies to meet the students’ needs during science lessons. Eighth grade students will focus on Physical Science and Earth and Space Science. The Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) for eighth grade include: definitions of energy, conservation of energy and energy transfer, the relationship between energy and forces, energy in chemical process and everyday life and forces and motion and types of interactions, the universe and its stars, Earth and the solar system and the history of planet Earth. Students understand that objects that are moving have kinetic energy and that objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. Students will also come to know the difference between energy and temperature, and begin to develop an understanding of the relationship between force and energy. Students are also able to apply an understanding of design to the process of energy transfer. Students will apply ideas about gravitational, electrical, and magnetic forces to explain a variety of phenomena including beginning ideas about why some materials attract each other while others repel. Students examine the Earth’s place in relation to the solar system, Milky Way galaxy, and universe. There is an emphasis on a systems approach, using models of the solar system to explain astronomical and other observations of the cyclic patterns of eclipses, tides, and seasons. Students examine geoscience data in order to understand the processes and events in Earth’s history. The CCCs in this course infuse patterns, cause and effect, scale proportion and quantity, systems and system models, structure and function, energy and matter, and stability and change. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) by developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, planning and carrying out investigations, designing solutions, and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students will be introduced to various STEM careers while in grades K-12. The content from the 6th, 7th and 8th grades courses will be assessed on the new 8th grade Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA). This course is designed to facilitate learning outcomes appropriate to the instructional needs of students who can benefit from instructional practices and strategies based on learning styles and individual needs. The general education teacher will teach this class in collaboration with a special educator to ensure that all students have access to the general education curriculum.
