Grade 8 Recommendations
Earth and Space Science
Physical Earth: This topic focuses on the physical features of Earth and how they formed. This includes the interior of Earth, the rock record, plate tectonics and landforms.
Book Recommendations:
Physical Earth: This topic focuses on the physical features of Earth and how they formed. This includes the interior of Earth, the rock record, plate tectonics and landforms.
Book Recommendations:
Planet earth/Inside Out by Gail Gibbons (nonfiction, RL=7)
This book answers the question, "What if we could open up our planet and look inside?". Students will learn the layers of the earth; mantel, inner core, and outer core. While reading about Earth's layers students will discover specific properties of each layer. After reading about these layers, the Earths crust is explored. In particular, oceanic and continental crust is covered. Rocks that can be found on the the Earth's crust are also described. Illustrations and explanations of the seven major plates are given. By the end of the book, students are able to read other facts in the "Earth Facts" section.
Content statement(s):
Earth's crust consists of major and minor tectonic plates that move relative to each other.
Academic vocabulary: mantel, inner and outer core, crust, plates, faults
Content statement(s):
Earth's crust consists of major and minor tectonic plates that move relative to each other.
Academic vocabulary: mantel, inner and outer core, crust, plates, faults
Over the mountains by Michael Collier (nonfiction, RL=8)
This is the first book in Michael Collier's series, Over the Mountains, which gives students aerial photographs of real-world landscapes. These landscapes include Denali, the San Andreas Fault, and Shenandoah. Students who read this book will find themselves navigating through the physical features of the world around them. The captions for the photographs provide a detail explanation, which should allow students to easily grasp the ideas.
Content statement(s):
A combination of constructive and destructive geologic processes formed Earth's surface.
Academic vocabulary: canyons, minerals, mountains, sedimentary
Content statement(s):
A combination of constructive and destructive geologic processes formed Earth's surface.
Academic vocabulary: canyons, minerals, mountains, sedimentary
Frozen Secrets: Antarctica Revealed by Sally Walker (nonfiction, RL=9)
Frozen Secrets is comprised of five chapters that tell the tale of Antarctica. These chapters explore early explorations of Antarctic, and then progresses to explain recent research projects taken place there. The author explains how ice on the continent did not just appear instantly, but rather accumulated over thousands of years. From there, the book discusses changes Antarctica has faces over years. The author suggest additional further readings and websites.
Content statement(s):
Evidence of the dynamic changes of Earth's surface through time is found in the geologic record.
Academic vocabulary: climate, ice ages, sediments, glacier, cirque, crevasse, topography
Content statement(s):
Evidence of the dynamic changes of Earth's surface through time is found in the geologic record.
Academic vocabulary: climate, ice ages, sediments, glacier, cirque, crevasse, topography
Physical Science
Forces and Motion :"This topic focuses on forces and motion within, on and around the Earth and within the universe".
Book Recommendations:
Forces and Motion :"This topic focuses on forces and motion within, on and around the Earth and within the universe".
Book Recommendations:
A Crash Course in Forces and Motion with Max Axiom by Emily Sohn (fiction, RL=6)
This "comic book" begins with Max Axiom at an amusement park. It it here that Max starts exploring forces, as he bungee jumps off of a ride at the park. He explains, "a force is any push or pull on an object. Bungee jumping depends on a force called gravity". Once this basic foundation is given, Max continues to roam the park and explore force in more detail. He encounters characters who are visiting the amusement park and explain force concepts to them. This book embeds interesting components such as other books students can read, internet websites, and additional information about forces and motions at amusement parks.
Content statement(s): Forces have magnitude and direction.
Academic vocabulary: force, motion, inertia, gravity, acceleration, mass, friction
Content statement(s): Forces have magnitude and direction.
Academic vocabulary: force, motion, inertia, gravity, acceleration, mass, friction
I've discovered force! by Todd Plummer (nonfiction, RL=8)
I've discovered force is filled with information regarding force. The book is a balance between facts, cartoon like pictures, and diagrams that illustrate topics such as electricity, heat, energy, and sound. In addition, I've discovered force depicts inventions and inventors relating to force. Inventors include Aristotle, Galileo, and Newton. Easy-to-follow science experiments are explained for students.
Content statement(s):
Forces between objects act when the objects are in direct contact or when they are not touching.
Forces have magnitude and direction.
Academic vocabulary: force, electricity, energy, laws of motion
Content statement(s):
Forces between objects act when the objects are in direct contact or when they are not touching.
Forces have magnitude and direction.
Academic vocabulary: force, electricity, energy, laws of motion
The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick & Art Huffman (fiction, RL=9)
On the surface, The Cartoon Guide to Physics may seem like it is intended for younger students, due to its comic book format. However, this guide addresses many complex physics topics, especially in motion. The book is divided into two parts, which are mechanics and electricity & magnetism. The mechanics section contains stories about motion, force, energy, and Newton's third law. Each story introduces new characters, but the same narrator character serves as the physics expert.
Content statement(s):
Forces between objects act when the objects are in direct contact or when they are not touching.
Forces have magnitude and direction.
There are different types of potential energy.
Academic vocabulary: force, motion, gravity, potential energy, friction, mass
Content statement(s):
Forces between objects act when the objects are in direct contact or when they are not touching.
Forces have magnitude and direction.
There are different types of potential energy.
Academic vocabulary: force, motion, gravity, potential energy, friction, mass
Life science
Species and Reproduction: "This topic focuses on continuation of the species".
Book Recommendations:
Species and Reproduction: "This topic focuses on continuation of the species".
Book Recommendations:
100 things you should know about fossils by Steve Parker (nonfiction, RL=6)
Students are likely to really enjoy this book because it is filled with facts about fossils and paleontologists and the book includes illustrations, cartoon, and quizzes. The book gives useful background information about fossils and commons myths regarding fossils. Additionally, fossil "hot spots" are given, which are common places to locate fossils. Famous fossils that have been discovered are also provided in this book. Finally, the book ends with a "looking to the future" section, which details how fossils are used to make future predictions. The easy-reading and colorfully page should entice those reluctant readers.
Content statement:
Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.
Academic vocabulary: fossil, paleontologists
Content statement:
Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.
Academic vocabulary: fossil, paleontologists
Where did you get those eyes? by Kay Cooper (nonfiction, RL=8)
This is a step-by-step guide for researching a student's family tree. Student who read this book will examine inherited traits to interviewing parents and relatives to going through genealogical libraries in search of lost ancestors.
Content statement(s):
The characteristics of an organism are a result of inherited traits received from parent (s).
Academic vocabulary: generation, characteristics
Content statement(s):
The characteristics of an organism are a result of inherited traits received from parent (s).
Academic vocabulary: generation, characteristics
Dinosaur Mummies: Beyond Bare-Bone Fossils by Kelly Halls (nonfiction, RL=9)
This nonfiction book captures the stories of paleontologist, as they search and discover fossils. These paleontologists find lizards, mummies, and dinosaurs. In addition to paleontology, archaeologists research is also depicted in the book. The story of Archaeologists from 1777, who extinct remains of reptile bones is noted. Also, the author explains how tectonic plates influence fossils.
Content statement(s):
Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.
Academic vocabulary: fossil, erosion, extinct, organism
Content statement(s):
Diversity of species occurs through gradual processes over many generations. Fossil records provide evidence that changes have occurred in number and types of species.
Academic vocabulary: fossil, erosion, extinct, organism