Science
Grade: 8
SCI 200 Integrated Science II
th
This is a required course for all 8 grade students in the Mexican and/or U.S. diploma program. It is a combination
of Life Science, basic Physics and Chemistry. Major content areas in this course include structure and movement
(skeletal and muscular systems), control and coordination, digestion and circulation, evolution, conservation
biology and the solar system. Chemistry areas include chemical bonds and chemical reactions. Physics areas
include motion and momentum, force and Newton’s Laws, forces and fluids.
Textbook:
Prerequisite:
Biggs, Alton, et.al. Science (Level Blue). Glencoe/McGraw/Hill (2000 Edition)
SCI 100
Benchmark Code – Subject: Science = S
Strand 1: Life Science
Strand 2: Chemistry
Strand 3: Earth Science
Strand 4: Physics
Benchmark Code- Subject.Grade.Strand Number.Standard#.Benchmark#
Example: S.8.3.3.13 – Science, Grade 8, Strand Life Science, Standard 3, Benchmark 13
Strand 1: Life Science
Standard 1: The student is aware of his or her role as part of a complex system of living
organisms through an awareness and understanding of the different characteristics of
elements that make up this system.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.1.1
The student will describe living organisms based on their general
characteristics.
S.8.1.1.2
The student will recognize that within the existent great diversity
of living organisms there exist unifying characteristics among
them.
S.8.1.1.3
The student will recognize him or herself as part of biodiversity
based on the comparison of his or her characteristics and those of
other living organisms.
Standard 2: The student values classification systems as invaluable tools for the study of
living organisms, recognizes the strengths and limitation of a classification system, and is
capable of selecting an appropriate classification system accordingly.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.2.1
The student will identify the classifications of living organisms as
systems meant to satisfy the need to organize, describe and study
biodiversity.
S.8.1.2.2
The student will analyze the reach and limitations of some
classifications of living organisms.
S.8.1.2.3
The student will recognize that the knowledge about living
organisms has been enriched by the contribution of men and
women from different cultures.
Standard 3: The student analyzes the characteristics of Mexico´s biodiversity as the result of a
number of variables and recognizes the scientific, social and economic importance of
Mexico´s biodiversity and its potential as an important contributor to the development of the
country, as well as the conditions that threaten its continued existence.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.3.1
The student will explain some conditions that favor the great
diversity and abundance of species in México.
S.8.1.3.2
The student will identify some of the factors associated with the
loss of biodiversity in México.
S.8.1.3.3
The student will recognize the importance of the wealth of
biodiversity in México and the need to participate in its
conservation.
Standard 4: The student shows a general understanding of the scientific principles behind
ecosystem dynamics as well as specific results from particular sets of states for the associated
variables.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.4.1
The student will represent the general dynamics of ecosystems
taking into consideration the exchange of matter in the food
networks and the cycles of water and carbon.
S.8.1.4.2
The student will explain why some of the changes in the size of
living organism populations affect the dynamics of ecosystems.
Standard 5: The student identifies the conditions and factors that contribute to a state of
sustainable growth of given community and explains his or her particular role in the
sustainable growth process.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.5.1
The student will explain the general principles of sustainable
growth.
S.8.1.5.2
The student will identify some strategies that favor the sustainable
use of biodiversity.
S.8.1.5.3
The student will recognize the importance of participating in the
promotion of sustainable growth.
Standard 6: The student explains the role of technology in satisfying the feeding needs of a
population and the integration of avant grade technology and science as well as traditional
technologies to achieve a sustainable use of alimentary resources.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.6.1
The student will identify the role of technology in the satisfaction
of feeding needs of world population.
S.8.1.6.2
The student will present arguments that support the importance of
adopting and promoting habits for a sustainable consumption of
alimentary resources.
S.8.1.6.3
The student will recognize the importance of applying some
traditional or innovative technologies in the production and
conservation of alimentary resources.
Standard 7: The student recognizes that traditional knowledge and modern science and
technology are not mutually exclusive and shows a general understanding of the indigenous
and traditional knowledge of living organisms.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.7.1
The student will compare diverse logics in the construction of
knowledge of living organisms.
S.8.1.7.2
The student will appreciate the importance of having different
ways to know about living organisms.
S.8.1.7.3
The student will recognize different cultural manifestations in
México which make reference to the knowledge of living
organisms.
Standard 8: The student explains the role of adaption and the process of natural selection as
the key element of a living organism´s survival.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.1.8.1
The student will relate the adaptations of living organisms with
the characteristics that favor their survival in a given environment.
S.8.1.8.2
The student will explain natural selections and compares it with
artificial selection.
S.8.1.8.3
The student will recognize that the Darwin’s Theory of Natural
Selection is able to explain the diversity of living organisms in our
planet.
Strand 4: Physics
Standard 1: The student identifies and describes movement through his or her own physical
perceptions.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.1.1
The student will recognize and compare different types of
movement found in the student’s surroundings in terms of its
perceptible characteristics.
S.8.4.1.2
The student will relate sound to a vibrating source and light to a
luminous source.
S.8.4.1.3
The student will describe quick and slow movements from the
information perceived by his or her senses and analyzes its
limitations.
S.8.4.1.4
The student will propose forms in which quick and slow
movements can be described from what is perceived.
Standard 2: The student describes and interprets movement within the understanding of its
relative nature through the use of different mathematical and graphical tools.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.2.1
The student will describe and compare movement of people or
objects using diverse points of reference and the representation of
their trajectories.
S.8.4.2.2
The student will interpret the concept of velocity as the
relationship between displacement, directions and time using
information gathered from simple experiments.
S.8.4.2.3
The student will identify the differences between the concepts of
velocity and speed.
S.8.4.2.4
The student will construct and interpret data tables and
position/time generated from experimental data or the use of
computer applications.
S.8.4.2.5
The student will predict the characteristics of different movements
from a time/position graph.
Standard 3: The student describes and interprets the motion of falling objects based on the understanding of the role of gravitational forces through the use of different mathematical and graphical tools and is aware of the historical development and referring of our understanding of falling motion. Benchmark Code
S.8.4.3.1
Benchmark
The student will identify the characteristics of falling motion.
through experiments and the use of graphs.
S.8.4.3.2
The student will apply the forms of description and representation
of motion previously analyzed to describe the motion of falling
objects.
S.8.4.3.3
The student will contrast the explanations for the falling motion of
objects proposed by Aristotle and Galileo.
S.8.4.3.4
The student will value Galileo’s contribution as a factor for a new
form of constructing and validating scientific knowledge based on
experimentation and reflection on its results.
S.8.4.3.5
The student will analyze the importance of the systematization of
data as a tool for the description and prediction of movement.
Standard 4: The student uses his previous knowledge of the tools of motion description and
representation to analyze acceleration.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.4.1
The student will apply the forms of description and representation
of motion previously analyzed to describe accelerated motion.
S.8.4.4.2
S.8.4.4.3
S.8.4.4.4
The student will identify the proportionality between velocity and
time.
The student will establish differences between velocity and
acceleration.
The student will interpret the different information found in
velocity/time graphs and acceleration/time graphs using
experimental data or computer applications.
Standard 5: The student describes through a process of analysis various types of interactions
between objects and their effects on the motion of objects.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.5.1
The student will analyze some of the effects of the interaction
between objects such as motion, deformation, electric and
magnetic attraction and repulsion
S.8.4.5.2
The student will identify the agents and the actions necessary to
change the state of motion or rest of different objects.
S.8.4.5.3
The student will state hypotheses that explain the causes of
observed changes.
S.8.4.5.4
The student will qualitatively compare the magnitude of the
interaction from their observed changes to explain its causes.
S.8.4.5.5
The student will recognize the colloquial or everyday use of the
concept of force and recognizes it has many different meanings.
Standard 6: The student employs the concept of force in a scientifically consistent manner in
the understanding and the effects of such interactions in the motion objects.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.6.1
The student will relate the change in the state of motion of an
object with the force that acts on it.
S.8.4.6.2
The student will infer the direction of motion based in the
direction of an applied force acting on it and identifies that in
some cases they do not have the same direction.
S.8.4.6.3
The student will recognize that the concept of force is an idea that
describes the interaction between objects but is not one of their
properties.
The student will analyze and explain common everyday situations
utilizing the correct notion of force.
S.8.4.6.4
S.8.4.6.5
The student will utilize graphical methods to obtain the resultant
force acting on an object.
S.8.4.6.6
The student will identify that the motion or state of rest of an
objects is the effect of the addition or subtraction of all the forces
acting on it.
S.8.4.6.7
The student will obtain the net force acting on an object and
describes the motion associated with it.
S.8.4.6.8
The student will relate the state of rest of an object with the action
of balanced forces acting on it and represents this using diagrams.
Standard 7: The student uses Newton´s Laws of Motion in describing and predicting the
motion of interacting objects.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.7.1
The student will describe and takes measurements of a force that
acts on an object; reports its result using the units of measurement
of force (Newton)
S.8.4.7.2
The student will identify that in motion there is a net force present
only when acceleration exists.
S.8.4.7.3
The student will establish the relationship between mass and the
acceleration when a force is applied.
S.8.4.7.4
The student will recognize that forces are always present in pairs
and that they act in different objects.
S.8.4.7.5
The student will relate Newton’s Motion Laws and identifies them
as a set of rules formulated to interpret and predict the effects of
forces.
S.8.4.7.6
The student will apply the laws of Newton in diverse situations to
describe the changes in motion as a function of the action of
forces.
S.8.4.7.7
The student will value the importance of Newton’s contributions
to the development of Science.
Standard 8: The student recognizes and is aware of the importance of Newton´s Laws of
Motion in description of the motion and interactions of macroscopic objects and their value to
Astronomy within a historical and culturally diverse framework.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.4.8.1
The student will value the importance of astronomy for some
cultures, from ancient times to the present and identifies the
changes in the ideas about the movement of celestial bodies.
S.8.4.8.2
The student will analyze the relationship between the effects of
gravity with the motion of the objects of the Solar System.
S.8.4.8.3
The student will identify the similarities between the laws that
describe motion of objects in the Solar System with those that
describe the motion of objects on Earth.
S.8.4.8.4
The student will describe the relationship between distance and
gravitational attraction force and represents it using a
force/distance graph.
S.8.4.8.5
The student will establish the relationships between gravity and
the motion of falling objects and their weight.
Standard 9: The student analyses the historical development of our understanding of the
structure of matter and its contribution to our knowledge of electricity.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.9.1
The student will analyze the historical process that lead to the
discovery of the electron.
S.8.2.9.2
The student will analyze the function of the electron as the carrier
of electric charge.
S.8.2.9.3
The student will analyze and contrast the ideas and experiments
that led to the discovery of electric current.
The student will reinterpret previous knowledge about electricity
in terms of electron motion.
The student will describe electric resistance as a function of
obstacles to electron flow in materials.
The student will classify materials in terms of their ability to
conduct electric current.
S.8.2.9.4
S.8.2.9.5
S.8.2.9.6
Strand 2: Chemistry
Standard 1: The student gains an understanding of the characteristics of matter through
measurements and experimentation and relates them with his or her knowledge of the
relationships between matter and gravity.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.1.1
The student will conduct experiments to identify some of the
characteristics and behaviors of matter.
S.8.2.1.2
The student will measure some properties of matter in different
states and uses SI units.
S.8.2.1.3
The student will establish the relationships between gravity and
the motion of falling objects and their weight.
Standard 2: The student values models as important tools in the development of scientific
knowledge and will be able to construct models to describe simple phenomena.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.2.1
The student will identify and characterize models as a
fundamental part of scientific knowledge.
S.8.2.2.2
The student will recognize that a model is a imaginary and
arbitrary representation of objects and processes that include
functioning rules and not reality itself.
S.8.2.2.3
The student will interpret and analyze information contained in
different models of processes and phenomena.
Standard 3: The student recognizes the historical development of the models of matter and
analyses their continued improvement in describing and predicting the properties of mater.
Benchmark Code
S.8.2.3.1
Benchmark
The student will build models of the structure of matter and tests
their capacity to explain and predict the general properties of
matter.
S.8.2.3.2
The student will analyze some of the ideas related with the
structure of matter that have been proposed through history and
compares them with his or her own ideas.
Standard 4: The student explains the basic characteristic of matter through the use of the
modern atomic model.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.4.1
The student will recognize progress made by identifying some of
the main characteristics of the current atomic model.
S.8.2.4.2
The student will recognize that the generalization of the atomic
hypothesis is useful in explaining phenomena related with the
structure of matter.
S.8.2.4.3
The student will recognize that atoms are extremely small
particles and invisible to humans.
S.8.2.4.4
The student will represent the basic structure of the atom and
identifies its basic characteristics.
Standard 5: The student describes the role of chemical science in the progress and
development of our society and identifies the role of popular culture and the media in creating
negative perceptions of chemistry in people.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.5.1
The student will identify the contributions to the chemical science
in terms of the satisfaction of needs and the environment.
S.8.2.5.2
The student will assess the influence of mass media and oral
traditions in the attitudes towards chemistry and technology.
Specifically those that make people reject chemistry.
Standard 6: The student identifies, understands and shows skill of the basic skills needed in
science. The student understands the contribution of Chemistry in our understanding of
nature.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.6.1
The student will identify the classification, measurement, the
argumentation, the experimentation, interpretation,
communication, abstraction and the generalization as common
skills in science.
S.8.2.6.2
The student will value the importance and the mechanisms of the
communication of scientific knowledge, ideas and products.
S.8.2.6.3
The student will compare Chemistry’s vision of nature with that of
other branches of knowledge.
Standard 7: The student classifies matter based on its qualitative properties and selects an
appropriate and scientifically consistent method of classification based on the understanding
of that system´s advantages and limitations.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.7.1
The student will classify different substances in terms of some of
their qualitative properties and recognizes that they depend on the
physical conditions of the environment.
S.8.2.7.2
The student will recognize the importance and the limitations of
the senses in identifying the properties of matter.
S.8.2.7.3
The student will identify the difficulties of measuring qualitative
properties.
Standard 8: The student understands the principles that govern matter in chemical reactions
and the historical frame of reference of its development.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.8.1
The student will explain the importance of establishing a closed
system to state law of conservation of matter.
S.8.2.8.2
The student will recognize that Lavossier’s work allowed Science
to improve their research mechanisms and its understanding of
natural phenomena.
S.8.2.8.3
The student will recognize that scientific knowledge is tentative
and limited by the society in which it develops.
Standard 9: The student understands the value and the history of the development of the
periodic table.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.9.1
The student will describe the history of the periodic table
S.8.2.9.2
The student will interpret an element key
S.8.2.9.3
The student will explain how the periodic table is organized.
Standard 10: The student identifies the Representative Elements and describes their main
physical and chemical characteristics. The student can describe how the uses of these groups
of elements impacts his or her life.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.10.1
The student will recognize the properties of the representative
elements
S.8.2.10.2
The student will identify uses for the representative elements.
Standard 11: The student identifies the Transition Elements and describes their main physical
and chemical characteristics. The student describes how the uses of these group of elements
impacts his or her life.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.11.1
The student will identify properties of some transition elements
S.8.2.11.2
The student will distinguish lanthanides from actinides
Standard 12: The student describes the role of electrons in the formation of substances and
how their arrangement in the electron cloud of an atom of a given element explains their
most important physical and chemical properties.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.12.1
The student will identify how electrons are arranged in an atom.
S.8.2.12.2
The student will compare the relative amounts of energy of
electrons in an atom
S.8.2.12.3
The student will compare how the arrangement of electrons in an
atom is related to its place in the periodic table.
Standard 13: The student identifies and describes, in a chemically literate manner, the
different types of bonding between atoms and their role in determining the characteristics of
the substances they form.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.13.1
The student will compare and contrast ionic and covalent bonding.
S.8.2.13.2
The student will identify the difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds.
S.8.2.13.3
The student will interpret chemical shorthand.
Standard 14: The student identifies chemical reactions and describes them and classifies them
in a chemically literate manner.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.14.1
The student will determine whether or not a chemical reaction is
occurring
S.8.2.14.2
The student will determine how to read and understand a balanced
chemical equation
S.8.2.14.3
The student will examine some reactions that release energy and
others that absorb energy
Standard 15: The student measures the rate of chemical reactions and of manipulating them.
Benchmark Code
Benchmark
S.8.2.15.1
The student will determine how to describe and measure the speed
of a chemical reaction
S. 8.2.15.2
The student will identify how chemical reactions can be speeded
up or slowed down.