Grade 08 Science - EC: S8.D.1.2.1
Grade 08 Science - EC: S8.D.1.2.1
Continuum of Activities
The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.
This continuum of activities offers:
- Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
- Questions/activities that grow in complexity
- Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance
Grade Levels
8th Grade
Course, Subject
Science
Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content
Activities
- Which word best describes a method of agriculture that protects the environment as well as human and animal safety?
- Sustainable
- Fertilization
- Organic
- Crop rotation
- Which of the following is used to make common household items such as tires, laundry detergents, hand lotions, and deodorant?
- Bees wax
- Petroleum oil
- Lead
- Formaldehyde
- Oil is used in many products today. Predict how your life would differ without petroleum products.
- Cattle are often given hormones to help them gain more weight, faster. In dairy cows, it allows them to produce more milk. Defend a logical argument for the use of hormones in cows and an argument against the use of hormones.
- Corn utilizes the most land of any other US crop, but it also pollutes the environment. The best example of this is the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. The dead zone is caused by the run off of chemicals and fertilizers into bodies of water. Hypothesize a crop that will be more useful to the US citizens and less damaging on the environment and defend your choice.
Answer Key/Rubric
- A
- B
- Responses may include, but are not limited to:
People would be without the following:
- Household products such as toothpaste and deodorant are used with petroleum
- Clothing, particularly man-made synthetics, contain petroleum
- Transportation such as cars, trucks, planes ect.
- To positively defend the use of hormones, the student’s response may be, but is not limited to: With the ever present lack of food around the country, hormones have allowed us to grow more food faster. To challenge the use of hormones, the student’s response may include, but is not limited to: The effect on the health of those consuming the meat could be affected because the hormones cause cancer and can affect the growth of children.
- Student’s responses may list any number of crops. They also need to support their hypothesis with information on why their crop would cause less harm than corn. There is no right or wrong answer. Students will be required to think critically and adequately defend their choice.