Grade 8 Life Science Activities & 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
LS.2.8.1 Illustrate the hierarchical relationships of cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms	Bottled Model Lungs - Science NetLinks Cell Size - World Builder Imagery & the Endocrine System - CEC Scanning Electron Microscope - Museum of Science Skin as an Organ - AAAS The Cell as a System - AAAS	Animal Systems - Biology4Kids Body - Interactive - BBC Cell Division (Gizmo) Cell Games Cell Structures (Gizmo) Heart - Franklin Institute Human Anatomy Online Human Body Systems - Smithsonian Learning Science - "The Cell" Mitosis Structure & Function in Living Systems - Learning Science Virtual Heart Transplant - NOVA	Fish & Oxygen #31 (MC) - NAEP Heart Blood Flow #52 (MC) - NAEP Organ for Survival #56 (MC) - NAEP Oxygen Delivery Organs #17 (MC) - NAEP
LS.2.8.2 Identify different types of single- celled organisms: protists bacteria	Protist - Image Data Scanning Electron Microscope - Museum of Science What's Bugging You? - AAAS	Cells Alive! Microscope (Lots of Links) - Dragonfly Microbe World - TrackStar Pond Life - Molecular Expressions Protists - Mr. Carl's e-Class The Protists
LS.2.8.3 Relate the effect of bacteria on oral health	Oral Piercing & Health	KidsHealth Oral Health - MAYO Clinic Oral Health & Your Heart
LS.2.8.4 Describe and illustrate single- celled organisms found in pond water	Microscopic Life in Water Pond Life Identification Kit - Microscopy UK Virtual Pond	Pond Life - LOTS OF LINKS Pond Water Basics - Science Scope What can we learn about water at the pond? - 4H
LS.2.8.5 Use a dichotomous key to classify organisms found in pond water	Dichotomous Key for Aquatic Insects Into the Pond - Earthworks Water Critter Key - EEK	A Drop of Life - Biomedia Natural History of South Carolina Pond Life Identification Kit - UK Pond Study - Home Science Tools Save Our Streams - Monitor's Guide to Aquatic Macroinvertebrates By Loren Larkin Kellogg ISBN 0-941675-06-8 Published by the Izaak Walton League of America
LS.2.8.6 Compare and contrast characteristics of unicellular organisms and multi-cellular organisms	Scanning Electron Microscope - Museum of Science	Pond Life - Molecular Expressions
LS.2.8.7 Classify cell s as eukaryot ic or prokaryotic		Cells Alive! Classification - AAAS Eukaryota Eukaryotic Cell Images Eukaryotic Cells - Cellupedia
LS.2.8.8 Identify and describe similarities and differences among organisms of different, but closely related taxa (e.g., pine trees, big cats, rodents, ungulates)	Trees of the Pacific Northwest (Dichotomous Key)- OSU	Digital Morphology - UT - NSF
LS.2.8.9 Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to organisms	Microbes 2: Louis Pasteur- a Microbe Discoverer - AAAS	CAREERS Earth & Life Sciences - PBS Flowers Modern and Ancient - "First Flower" by NOVA 100 Greatest Discoveries Royal Society Journals
LS.3.8.1 Identify and explain why inherited characteristics of living things depend on genes	Gene Puzzles - AAAS	How Plants Reproduce - World Builders Genetic Science Learning Center - University of Utah Reproduction and Heredity - Learning Science	Genetic Engineering #57 (MC) - NAEP
LS.3.8.2 Differentiate between dominant and recessive traits		DNA From The Beginning
LS.3.8.3 Observe and classify traits as dominant or recessive: tongue rolling detached earlobes widow’s peak hitchhiker’s thumb dimples unibrow	Gene Puzzles - AAAS	DNA DAY - National Human Genome Research Institute
LS.3.8.4 Differentiate among observed inherited traits and acquired traits of plants and animals		Angiosperms - Tree of Life Great Plant Escape - Univ. of Illinois Learning Science "Reproduction & Heredity" Plant Hardiness - National Arboretum
LS.3.8.5 Interpret simple gene tic crosses using Punnett Squares	Punnet Square Examples - Interactive	How Genes Combine Probability of Inheritance
LS.3.8.6 Predict patterns that emerge from simple gene tic crosses	Genetics with a Smile - Science Spot	Genetic Science Learning Center - University of Utah
LS.3.8.7 Conduct investigations demonstrating that the phenotype of a gene tic trait is the result of genotype	Genotype/Phenotype Activities	Genotype & Phenotype Why identical twins have different finger prints.
LS.3.8.8 Explain how genetic variation within a species is a result of dominant traits and recessive trait s	Duplicating Chromosomes - World Builders Gene Pool - World Builders	GENOMiCS Game Molecular Basis of Heredity - Learning Science
LS.3.8.9 Compare and contrast patterns of embryological development for all vertebrates , including humans	Incredible Egg - 4-H Curriculum What's Inside an Egg? - Oregon Elementary	Embryology - UNSW Fertile Egg Dissection - Rolling Hills Elementary
LS.3.8.10 Distinguish between characteristics of plants and animals through selective breeding	Plants & Animals - Smithsonian	Biology - Online Book
LS.3.8.11 Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to genetics	Famous Geneticists Geneticists - What do they do?	CAREERS Earth & Life Sciences - PBS Inventors & Innovators - AAAS 100 Greatest Discoveries	Genetic Engineering #57 (MC) - NAEP
LS.3.8.12 Compare the theory of evolution to the characteristics of a scientific theory		Reasoning in Science - Biology 4 Kids Understanding Evolution - UC
LS.3.8.13 Identify basic ideas related to biological evolution: diversity of species variations within species adaptations natural selection extinction of a species	Birds of Prey - AAAS Diversity & Adaptation - Learning Science Rise & Fall of the Mammoths - AAAS	Animal Diversity - Frog Calls Evolution of Plants - World Builders Natural Diversity in Arkansas Night Creatures of the Kalahari - NOVA Plant Fossil Record
LS.3.8.14 Explain that the fossil record provides evidence of life forms’ appearance, diversification, and extinction	Skull Diversity - AAAS Virtual Fossil Dig - Dragonfly	Flowers Modern and Ancient - "First Flower" by NOVA Fossil Record of Seed Plants History of Life Through Time Jewel of the Earth - NOVA Making Fossils - BBC Plant Fossil Record What Killed the Dinosaurs - PBS
LS.3.8.15 Explain the process of natural selection		Fossil Record of Seed Plants Health Map - Global Disease Alert Mapping System Natural Selection - Wikipedia Plant Fossil Record World in the Balance - NOVA
LS.3.8.16 Identify genetic traits that make organisms more likely to survive and reproduce in a particular environment		Dark & Light Moths Winter Survival in Alfalfa	Seedlings Grow Fast #85 (OR) - NAEP
LS.3.8.17 Investigate careers, scientists, and historical breakthroughs related to natural selection and the fossil record		CAREERS Curriculum Resources & Publications DNA From The Beginning Earth & Life Sciences - PBS Environmental Careers Flowers Modern and Ancient - "First Flower" by NOVA Significant Events of the Last 125 Years	Evidence from Fossil Record # 45 (MC) - NAEP
LS.4.8.1 Analyze the effect of changes in environmental conditions on the survival of individual organisms and entire species	Bird Beaks - AAAS Build a Prairie Explorations: Then & Now - NASA Rainforest Biodiversity - Flinn	Bioscience Challenges Evolution of Plants - World Builders Webs of Life - Dragonfly Where Have All the Frogs Gone?