Grade 8 Earth & Space Science Activities and Resources

Linked to Grade 8 Arkansas Science Frameworks

(VIDEO resources are provided by United Streaming through the "Arkansas Ideas" web site. The service is free for teachers in Arkansas but registration is required to create a user name and password.)

FRAMEWORK	Lesson/Activity	Web Resources	Questions MC = Multiple Choice OR = Open Response
ESS.8.8.1 Analyze the causes and predict the consequences of global warming on the following: weather temperature ocean water levels	Activities in Meteorology Atmosphere - Ocean Climate Interactions Climate and CO2: Analyzing their Relationship Global Warming - Weather Eye GO Temp Activities Impact of Natural Hazards Around the World Oxygen Content of Air - NOAA	Atmosphere (Introduction) - NOAA Atmosphere Layers - World Builders Climate Change - Project Budburst Climate Change Student Guide - ARIC Climate - Global Change - Exploratorium DLESE - Digital Library for Earth System Education Earth & Space Science - Learning Science Earth's Atmosphere - NASA Earth Portal - NCSE G.L.O.B.E. Resources GLOBE VIDEOS Global Warming Fact Sheet Layers of the Atmosphere - NOAA Tropical Storm Tracking - UNISYS Virtual Geology Field Trips World Climate	Atmosphere Composition #51 (MC) - NAEP Global Warming #67 (OR) - NAEP Global Warming #68 (OR) - NAEP Ozone Depletion #48 (OR) - NAEP Temperate Climate #44 (MC) - NAEP
ESS.8.8.2 Investigate how global patterns of water currents influence local weather: · Gulf Stream · Atlantic Currents · California Current	Climate Controls Coriolis Effect - NOAA El Nino - AAAS El Nino - Weather Eye Hurricane - Weather Eye Global Circulations - NWS Ocean Currents, Tides, Waves - UT The Ocean and Weather: El Nino & La Nina	Air Masses - NOAA Hurricanes - Seacoos National Data Buoy Center - NOAA Tropical Storm Tracking - UNISYS Weather Guides - Weather Eye Weather/Ocean Lessons - NWS
ESS.8.8.3 Conduct investigations to compare and contrast different landforms found on Earth: mountains plateaus plains		Creating Custom Maps - EET Earth Science Lessons - Science Spot Southern Appalachians: Teacher's Guide
ESS.8.8.4 Synthesize and model the result of both constructive and destructive forces on land forms: deposition erosion weathering crustal deformation		Changing Rocks into Soil - UM Earth Science - Internet 4 Classrooms Soil Forming Factors - UM
ESS.8.8.5 Compare and contrast the different landforms caused by Earth’s external force s: plains canyons deltas valleys swamps		Arkansas and other States - Landsat 7 Images - USGS Estuaries - NOAA LandSat Image Viewer - EarthNow! - USGS
ESS.8.8.6 Research local, regional, and state landforms created by external force s on Earth: Gulf Coastal Plain Arkansas River Valley Mississippi Alluvial Plain, including the delta region Crowley’s Ridge	Natural Divisions of Arkansas - Department of Arkansas Heritage	Arkansas and other States - Landsat 7 Images - USGS America's Volcanic Past - Arkansas - USGS Arkansas Geological Commission FREE Teacher Packet - AGC Rockhounding Arkansas
ESS.8.8.7 Use topographic maps to identify surface features of Earth	TOPO Bingo - AIMS	Topographic Maps (Historic) Topography (Karst) - USGS
ESS.8.8.8 Demonstrate an understanding of the agents of erosion: gravity water ice wind animals, including humans		Changing Rocks into Soil - UM Landslides - Riding the Storm - USGS Soil Forming Factors - UM Water - Quizzes & Lessons - MSU Water Resources of the United States - USGS
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		Deposition - Video Segments Project WET Water Resources of the United States - USGS
ESS.8.8.10 Explain how weathering and erosion affect the oceans’ salinity	Flood Controls on the Mississippi	GLOBE VIDEOS
ESS.8.8.11 Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to external forces that change the Earth	Analyze Satellite Pictures - NASA (Click on "Activities") Environmental Science - DLESE	CAREERS Climate Change and Human Impact - Science Organizations' Positions Emerging Careers - Video Environmental Careers EPA Careers National Weather Service Careers Weather Forecasting Through the Ages World Climate
ESS.8.8.12 Investigate the types of weathering involved in the breakdown of organic and inorganic components of Earth’s surface		Changing Rocks into Soil - UM Soil Forming Factors - UM
ESS.8.8.13 Illustrate soil profiles		Soil Profiles - TrackStar
ESS.8.8.14 Apply knowledge of soil profile s to local soil samples
ESS.8.8.15 Investigate the formation of soil types	Sedimentation - UT	Rocks & Soil - Video Changing Rocks into Soil - UM Sand Analysis - Microbus Sand - Microscopy - UK Soil Forming Factors - UM Weathering, Soil & Erosion - Exploring Earth	Clay, Water, Sand #14(MC) - NAEP Sandstone Formation #34 (OR) - NAEP
ESS.8.8.16 Identify components of soil as inorganic or organic through investigations	Secrets of Sand - Seascope	Sand Analysis - Microbus Sand - Microscopy - UK
ESS.8.8.17 Identify the basic nutrients needed by plants that are present in soils: nitrogen phosphorous potassium	Nutrients from the Soil - Great Plant Escape	Soil Fertility & Fertilizers - UM Soil Nutrients Shape Tropical Forests - Science Daily
ESS.8.8.18 Identify ways plants use organic and inorganic components in the soil
ESS.8.8.19 Investigate and analyze the composition of a variety of soils	Analyze Soil Samples - NASA (Click on "Activities")	Composting in the Classroom - Cornell University Sand - Microscopy - UK Soil Fertility & Fertilizers - UM Soils Resources - GLOBE
ESS.8.8.20 Conduct investigations on soil permeability	Permeability - Animation
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)	Follow the Water - HSNP Liquefaction - NASA (Click on "Activities") Model of Sea Floor Spreading Nanofossils Reveal Seafloor Spreading Truth	Earth Science - Internet 4 Classrooms GLOBE VIDEOS Land Mass Formation - Franklin Institute Model Volcanoes - AAAS Plate Tectonics - "The Dynamic Earth" - USGS Sea Level Rise - Flood Maps by NASA
ESS.9.8.2 Analyze how rock sequences may be disturbed by the following: erosion deposition igneous intrusion folding faulting uplifting	Follow the Water - HSNP	Erosion - TrackStar Geologic Principals - Idaho Museum of Natural History
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		Rocks & Layers - USGS Superposition - TrackStar
ESS.9.8.4 Apply geologic laws of superposition and cross-cutting to determine the relative age of rock in a cross section
ESS.10.8.1 Summarize the effects of gravity on bodies in space	How do Satellites Stay in Orbit? - NASA (Click on "Activities") Puffy Head, Bird Legs - Rice Puffy-Head, Bird-Legs, Osteoporosis, Hearing Loss - Space Travel 101 Puffy Head, Bird Legs - Young Astronaut Council Virtual Asteroid Lab - SpaceClass Why Do Astronauts Float Inside the ISS? - NASA (Click on "Activities")	Scientific Living - Movies - Wal-Mart Solar System - Nine (Eight) Planet Tour - Multimedia Tour by Bill Arnett Sun and the Earth Writing Guidelines for Science & Engineering	Sun's Motion #28 (MC) - NAEP
ESS.10.8.2 Identify variables that affect the amount of gravitational force between two objects: mass of the objects distance between the objects	Ball & Ramp Simulation Why Do Astronauts Float Inside the ISS? - NASA (Click on "Activities")	Planets - Zoom Astronomy Rotation/Revolution (Gizmo)
ESS.10.8.3 Relate the effects of the moon’s gravitational force on Earth’s ocean tides		Astronomy Web Sites Solar System Explorer (Gizmo) Tides Online - NOAA Trip Through the Solar System - TrackStar
ESS.10.8.4 Identify the causes of the following: high tides low tides spring tides neap tides	Spring/Neap Tides - TrackStar	Astronomy Animations - Universe Earth, Moon, Sun - DLESE Tides Online - NOAA Tides - TrackStar
ESS.10.8.5 Define the terms galaxy and universe		Galaxy - TrackStar Solar System Exploration - NASA Universe - TrackStar
ESS.10.8.6 Illustrate the appearance of galaxies as seen through a telescope: clarity shape		Astronaut Photography of Earth - NASA Astronomy - Tonight's Sky - HubbleSite Classifying Galaxies - Inquiry Activity - NASA Telescopes - TrackStar Views of the Solar System by Calvin Hamilton
ESS.10.8.7 Compare and contrast the Milky Way Galaxy to other galaxies		Classifying Galaxies - Inquiry Activity - NASA Galaxy - TrackStar
ESS.10.8.8 Illustrate the position of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy		Milky Way - TrackStar Scale Model Calculator Scale Models of Solar System Travel in the Solar System - NCTM Voyage Scale Model - Washington DC
ESS.10.8.9 Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to gravity, galaxies, and the universe	Early Astronomers Satellite Transmissions - NASA (Click on "Activities")	Age of Invention - TrackStar Arkansas Academy of Space Science for Educators - High Altitude Balloon Astronomy Picture of the Day - NASA CAREERS Classifying Galaxies - Inquiry Activity - NASA Cosmic Journey - A History of Scientific Cosmology Earth Science - Internet 4 Classrooms Geoscience Careers Library of Congress NASA for Educators 100 Greatest Discoveries Origins - NOAA Sky Watching - AAAS Solar System News