Eighth (8th) Grade APA Prioritized CPI Links
Science
STANDARD 5.5 Characteristics of Life: All students will gain an understanding of the
structure, characteristics, and basic needs of organisms and will investigate the diversity of
life. The study of science must include the diversity, complexity, and interdependence of life on
Earth. Students should know how organisms evolve, reproduce, and adapt to their environments.
STRAND B: Diversity and Biological Evolution
You MUST CHOOSE only one of the following CPIs:
CPI 5.5.8B1 Compare and contrast kinds of organisms using their internal and external
characteristics
Essence of the CPI: Compare and contrast organisms using both internal and external
characteristics
Matched Link
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 Using internal and external
 Classify various organisms
 Identify the internal
characteristics compare and
into two or more kingdoms of
and external
contrast two animals from
life using their internal and
characteristics of a
different classes of the animal
external characteristics*
given animal*
kingdom*
 Determine the appropriate
 Identify the internal
ecosystem for a given
and external
 Using internal and external
characteristics compare and
organism based on internal
characteristics of a
contrast two or more
and external characteristics*
given plant*
organisms between two
kingdoms*
OR
CPI 5.5.8B3 Recognize that individual organisms with certain traits are more likely to survive
and have offspring.
Essence of the CPI: Understand the concept of natural selection in heredity
Matched Link
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 Explain how different organisms
use their unique adaptations to
survive and how that affects their
chances of reproducing*
 Identify and explain why
inherited and acquired traits
influence an individual
organism’s survival rates and
identify which of those traits
would be passed down to the next
generation*
 Identify inherited traits
that affect an organism’s
ability to survive*
 Identify acquired traits
that affect an organism’s
ability to survive*
 Given genetic
characteristics of a living
organism, complete a
Punnett square and
identify the results*
Far Link
 Identify inherited
traits*
 Identify acquired
traits*
Eighth (8th) Grade APA Prioritized CPI Links
Science
Science CPI Links were developed with the understanding that strand 5.1, Scientific Processes, is
a vital part of scientific thinking yet difficult to assess out of context of the other science
standards. As a result, some of the Matched Links for science also reference particular CPIs from
5.1. In order to successfully instruct and assess the CPI Link that references 5.1 and address the
essence of the CPI, you must teach the Link using the scientific process. This may occur by
teaching the content of the Link within a scientific experiment, require the child to use inquiry,
observation or interpretation of data, etc. Always review standard 5.1 when assessing a CPI Link
that requires evidence that incorporates this process. If scientific process is required when
assessing a CPI Link, and it is missing, the entry will receive zero scores.
STANDARD 5.6 Chemistry: All students will gain an understanding of the structure and
behavior of matter. Exploring the nature of matter and energy is essential to an understanding
of the physical universe. This standard leads students from their experiences with the states and
properties of matter to the development of models of the atom and the underlying principles of
chemistry.
STRAND B: Chemical Reactions
You MUST CHOOSE only one of the following CPIs:
CPI 5.6.8B1 Show how substances can chemically react with each other to form new substances
having properties different from those of the original substances.
Essence of the CPI: Understand that chemical reactions create new substance(s) with different
properties
Matched Link
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 Predict what sign/change of a
 Compare and contrast a  Identify common signs
chemical reaction will occur,
mixture and a chemical
of a chemical change*
observe chemical reactions, and
reaction*
 Sort examples of
collect data on the signs a
chemical reactions
reaction occurred; compare the
versus mixtures*
prediction to the results* 5.1.8B1
 Describe substances before and
after a chemical reaction*
5.1.8B3
OR
Eighth (8th) Grade APA Prioritized CPI Links
Science
CPI 5.6.8B3 Demonstrate that regardless how substances within a simple closed system interact,
the total mass of the system remains the same.
Essence of the CPI: Understand that when substances react in a closed system, mass remains the
same
Matched Link
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 Compare the mass of
 Determine the mass of
 Determine the mass of
substances before and
objects before and after a
various substances*
after chemical reactions,
physical change and
 Compare and contrast the
determine if the mass is
compare the masses before
mass of objects that are of
the same or different, then
and after*
similar size and shape*
make predictions about
 Compare and contrast the
other chemical reactions*
concepts of mass and
5.1.8B3
weight*
Eighth (8th) Grade APA Prioritized CPI Links
Science
STANDARD 5.7 Physics: All students will gain an understanding of natural laws as they
apply to motion, forces, and energy transformations. Basic principles of physics emerge in
this standard, where the study of force and motion leads students to the concept of energy. All
forms of energy are introduced and investigated, and principles of transformation and laws of
conservation are developed.
STRAND B: Energy Transformations
You MUST CHOOSE only one of the following CPIs:
CPI 5.7.8B3 Describe how heat can be conducted through materials or transferred across space
by radiation and know that if the material is fluid, convection currents may aid the transfer of
heat.
Essence of the CPI: Understand that heat can be transferred by conduction (through materials),
radiation (across space), and convection (through fluids)
Matched Link
 Describe an insulator and
conductor and explain how
they work*
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 Classify objects as
 Classify examples of
insulators or conductors of
thermal energy as
heat––both insulators and
conduction, convection,
conductors must be
or radiation––all types
represented*
must be represented*
 Describe practical uses of
 Explain characteristics of
insulators and conductors in
conduction, convection,
relation to the transfer of
and radiation*
heat*
OR
CPI 5.7.8B4 Show light is reflected, refracted, or absorbed when it interacts with matter and that
colors may appear as a result of this interaction.
Essence of the CPI: Light is made up of different colors that may appear separately as a rainbow
or when light passes through a prism
Matched Link
 Explain the impact glass and
water have on light*
 Compare and contrast light
absorption on two different
objects*
 Compare and contrast
reflection and refraction*
Near Link
 Describe how reflection
and absorption create
visible light*
 Illustrate examples of
refracted light versus
reflected light*
Far Link
 Identify examples of
reflected, refracted, and
absorbed light*
 Identify the six basic
colors that make up
white light (red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, and
violet) in the order in
which they appear in the
spectrum*
Eighth (8th) Grade APA Prioritized CPI Links
Science
STANDARD 5.9 Astronomy and Space Science: All students will gain an understanding of
the origin, evolution, and structure of the universe. The study of science should include a
study of the planet Earth and its relationship to the rest of the universe. This standard describes
what students should know about astronomy and space science.
STRAND B: Solar System
You MUST CHOOSE the following CPI:
CPI 5.9.8B1 Describe the physical characteristics of the planets and other objects within the
solar system and compare Earth to the rest of the planets.
Essence of the CPI: Compare the Earth’s physical characteristics to those of other objects in our
solar system (including planets)
Matched Link
 Compare and contrast the
physical aspects of Earth to
planets and other objects in
our solar system*
 Identify similarities and
differences between objects
in our solar system*
Near Link
 Classify planets and other
objects in our solar system
as terrestrial (rocky) or
gaseous*
Far Link
 Identify various objects in
our solar system––must
include other objects in
addition to planets*
 Identify physical
characteristics of
planets*