Materials & Resources
- Lessons in Nature Study by Jenkins and Kellogg
- Lessons in Nature Study Guide 8th Grade
- Alternative text Nature Study and Life (on Menu Bar) by Clifton Hodge, Ph.D.
- (For more information about the above textbooks, see the notes on the 3rd Grade Science page. If there is more than one student in your family, everyone may like to observe the same set of animals and plants together.)
- Science Notebook
Topics to be covered this year
- Scientific method
- Scientific nomenclature (optional science vocabulary hangman game)
- Scientific measurement (select the relevant topics from the list)
- Ecology and environment
- Conservation
- Composition of the earth
- Ocean (optional ocean tramline tour and easier tour), atmosphere
- Weather
- Water and its uses
- Weathering and erosion
- Recycling of resources
- Magnetism and electricity (optional experiments and more experiments)
- Heat and light (optional heat experiments and light experiments)
- Forces in liquids and gases
- Wave, mechanical, electrical, and nuclear energy (optional online book about energy)
- The earth's movement
- Astronomy Planet size comparison
- The universe and Milky Way
- Space and space travel (optional 20-minute virtual field trip to the sun)
Additional Topics if Time permits
- Newton's three laws of motion
- Machines Simple and Compound Machines
- The atom (optional Atoms Family fun educational website)
- Periodic table of elements
- Compounds and mixtures
- Chemical changes
Extras
- Earth Science online lessons, teacher's help, tests, etc. from Math Science Nucleus (note: this includes solar system, space exploration, water, weather, atmosphere, composition of earth, and more. The Physical Science section includes lessons on: the Scientific Method, laboratory safety and equipment, and measurement.)
- Online lessons and experiment guides from Rohm and Haas
- Tutorial on the formation of the solar system
- Bill Nye the Science Guy Site
- Quia 7th and 8th grade science and tech quizzes/games