S.8.LS: Life Science Content

(Framing Text): Growth, Development, and Reproduction of Organisms

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.1: use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

Flower Pollination
Honeybee Hive

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.2: construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

Fast Plants^® 1 - Growth and Genetics
Growing Plants
Inheritance
Measuring Trees
Seed Germination
Temperature and Sex Determination - Metric

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.3: develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of an organism.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Genetic Engineering
Human Karyotyping

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.4: develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

Chicken Genetics
Fast Plants^® 1 - Growth and Genetics
Fast Plants^® 2 - Mystery Parent
Inheritance
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.5: gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
GMOs and the Environment
Genetic Engineering

(Framing Text): Natural Selection and Adaptations

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.6: analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.7: apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

Cladograms
Embryo Development
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.8: analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

Embryo Development

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.9: construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Microevolution
Natural Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.LS.10: use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Microevolution

S.8.PS: Physical Science Content

(Framing Text): Structure and Properties of Matter

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.PS.1: develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

Dehydration Synthesis

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.PS.3: develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Melting Points
Phase Changes
Phases of Water
Temperature and Particle Motion

(Framing Text): Chemical Reactions

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.PS.4: analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Chemical Changes

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.PS.5: develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Balancing Chemical Equations
Chemical Changes
Chemical Equations

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.PS.6: undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.

Feel the Heat

S.8.ESS: Earth and Space Science Content

(Framing Text): Human Impacts

WV.NGCSO.SCI.S.8.ESS.1: construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth’s systems.

Carbon Cycle
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors