Grade 8 Earth & Space Science Activities and Resources

ESS.8.8.1

Analyze the causes and predict the consequences of global warming on the following:

·         weather

·         temperature

·         ocean water levels

ESS.8.8.2

Investigate how global patterns of water currents influence local weather:

·         Gulf Stream

·         Atlantic Currents

·         California Current

ESS.8.8.3

Conduct investigations to compare and contrast different landforms found on Earth:

• mountains
• plateaus
• plains

ESS.8.8.4

Synthesize and model the result of both constructive and destructive forces on land forms:

·         deposition

·         erosion

·         weathering

• crustal deformation

ESS.8.8.5

Compare and contrast the different landforms caused by Earth’s external forces:

• plains
• canyons
• deltas
• valleys
• swamps

ESS.8.8.6

Research local, regional, and state landforms created by external forces on Earth:

• Gulf Coastal Plain
• Arkansas River Valley
• Mississippi Alluvial Plain, including the delta region
• Crowley’s Ridge

ESS.8.8.7

Use topographic maps to identify surface features of Earth

ESS.8.8.8

Demonstrate an understanding of the agents of erosion:

·         gravity

·         water

·         ice

·         wind

·         animals, including humans

ESS.8.8.9

Using models of rivers, predict changes when variables, such as load, slope, amount of water, or the composition of a stream bed, are changed through erosion or deposition

ESS.8.8.10

Explain how weathering and erosion affect the oceans’ salinity

ESS.8.8.11

ESS.8.8.12

Investigate the types of weathering involved in the breakdown of organic and inorganic components of Earth’s surface

ESS.8.8.13

Illustrate soil profiles

ESS.8.8.14

Apply knowledge of soil profiles to local soil samples

ESS.8.8.15

Investigate the formation of soil types

ESS.8.8.16

Identify components of soil as inorganic or organic through investigations

ESS.8.8.17

Identify the basic nutrients needed by plants that are present in soils:

·         nitrogen

·         phosphorous

• potassium

ESS.8.8.18

Identify ways plants use organic and inorganic components in the soil

ESS.8.8.19

ESS.8.8.20

ESS.9.8.1

Explain processes that have changed Earth’s surface that have resulted from sudden events (e.g., earthquakes and volcanoes) and gradual changes (e.g., uplift, erosion, and weathering) 

ESS.9.8.2

Analyze how rock sequences may be disturbed by the following:

• erosion
• deposition
• igneous intrusion
• folding
• faulting
• uplifting

ESS.9.8.3

Explain how scientists determine the relative ages of fossils found in layers of sedimentary rock:

• law of superposition
• law of cross-cutting

ESS.9.8.4

ESS.10.8.1

Summarize the effects of gravity on bodies in space

ESS.10.8.2

Identify variables that affect the amount of gravitational force between two objects:

• mass of the objects
• distance between the objects

ESS.10.8.3

Relate the effects of the moon’s gravitational force on Earth’s ocean tides

ESS.10.8.4

Identify the causes of the following:

• high tides
• low tides
• spring tides
• neap tides

ESS.10.8.5

ESS.10.8.6

Illustrate the appearance of galaxies as seen through a telescope:

• clarity
• shape

ESS.10.8.7

Compare and contrast the Milky Way Galaxy to other galaxies

ESS.10.8.8

Illustrate the position of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy

ESS.10.8.9