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LPMS

8th Grade

Science FCAT

Prep Guide

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Items in this document are designed to review the topics

in 6th, 7th, & 8th grade science. These topics will be

among items tested on the 8th Grade Science FCAT.

The Nature of Science You should be able to:

Identify and understand the parts and functions of the Scientific Method

Understand the difference between an experiment and other types of scientific

investigation

***Identification and control of variables – independent variable (test variable)

and dependent variable (outcome variable)

Use the terms “results support the hypothesis” or “results fail to support the

hypothesis”

Explain how hypothesis are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if

they turn out not to be supported by the data

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Analyze data to make predictions and/or defend conclusions

Explain why scientific investigations should be repeated

Understand the difference between replication (to be able to be repeated) and

repetition (multiple trials)

Understand that technology allows us to gather data more easily

Know that a “limitation” is something that limits our ability or doesn’t allow us

all information

Understand that science is full of change. There is a great deal of debate among

the scientific community and that new evidence may change a theory.

Understand that scientific investigations involve the collection of relevant

empirical evidence (the data gathered in an investigation), the use of logical

reasoning, and the application of imagination in coming up with hypotheses,

predictions, explanations , and models to make sense of the collected evidence

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Recognize and explain that a scientific theory is a well-supported idea and is not

just a claim made by an individual. Theories may be modified as more data is

collected. A theory explains.

Explain that a scientific law tells a rule in science.

Earth and Space Science

Distinguish between the planets and other astronomical bodies in space; planets,

galaxies, universe

Understand that distance is measured in light years (the distance light travels in

1 earth year) and astronomical units (the distance from earth to the sun =

93,000,000 miles)

Describe that the universe contains billions of galaxies including planets, stars,

moons, asteroids, nebulae, galaxies, dwarf planets, and comets

Describe and classify properties of stars; apparent magnitude (brightness),

temperature (color), size, and luminosity (absolute brightness)

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Evaluate models of solar properties and characteristics; rotation, structure of the

Sun, convection, sunspots, solar flares, and prominences

Explain the role that gravity plays in the formation and motion of planets, stars,

and solar system

Compare and contrast historical models of the Solar System – heliocentric (sun-

centered with Earth and other planets orbiting it) and geocentric (Earth-centered

with the sun, moon, and other planets orbiting it)

Recognize that different planets have atmospheres different than Earth’s, that

some planets’ atmosphere is so thin that it allows more craters from meteors

than other.

Understand the effect of astronomical bodies on each other – the Sun (Earth’s

orbital path) and Moon’s gravitational effect on Earth (tidal effects)

Identify and describe the steps of the rock cycle and how they affect surface and

sub-surface events

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Recognize examples of ways in which Earth’s surface is built up and torn down

by physical and chemical weathering, erosion, and deposition

Identify different types of landforms commonly found on Earth – coastlines,

dunes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, deltas, and lakes and relate these landforms

as they apply to Florida and those found outside of Florida

Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth – deforestation,

urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of

water

Explain how physical evidence supports scientific theories that Earth has evolved

over geologic time due to natural processes

Identify the current methods for measuring the age of Earth – law of

superposition (folding and faulting) and radioactive dating

Describe the theory of plate tectonics and how the movement of Earth’s crustal

plates cause both slow and rapid changes in Earth’s surface through the flow of

heat and material – volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and mountain building

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Understand the layers of Earth – lithosphere, hot convecting mantle, dense

metallic liquid outer core and solid inner core

Recognize that heat flow and movement of materials within Earth causes

earthquakes and volcanic eruptions cause mountains and ocean basins

Explain the interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere ,

atmosphere, and biosphere

Explain the cycling of water and how global patterns influence local weather and

climate

Differentiate between weather and climate

Describe the composition and structure of the atmosphere and how the

atmosphere protects life and insulates the planet

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Explain how energy provided by the Sun influences global patterns of

atmospheric movement and temperature differences among air, water, and land

Differentiate between conduction, convection, and radiation and how heat is

transferred through Earth’s system – through the hydrosphere, geosphere, and

atmosphere

Physical Science

Classify substances based on its physical properties – density, thermal or

electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling point

– know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample

Explain density and use the formula for density D = M . Compare the densities of

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various materials’ masses and volumes.

Understand the terms solvent, solute, saturation.

Understand that there are a specific number of known elements and that they

combine in many ways to produce compounds that make up all living and

nonliving things

Use models to explain solids, liquids, and gases

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Understand that elements are grouped on the periodic table according to

similarities of their properties

Recognize that atoms are the smallest unit of an element – a nucleus containing

protons and neutrons surrounded by electrons

Compare and contrast properties of compounds including acids, basis, and salts

Distinguish between mixtures, solutions, and pure substances

Understand that acids and bases are decided by pH

Differentiate between physical and chemical change

Explain that mass is conserved when substances undergo physical and chemical

change – Law of Conservation of Mass (not lost – only changed from one form to

another

Describe how temperature affects chemical change

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Know that the sun’s energy comes to Earth as radiation

Understand the characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum – wavelength,

frequency, use and hazards

Understand that planetary images and satellite photographs are as a result of

the properties of the electromagnetic spectrum

Compare and contrast the types of radiation from the sun

Identify common uses of electromagnetic waves

Explain that waves move at different speeds through different materials

Explain that light waves can be reflected, refracted, or absorbed

Describe the transformation of energy from one form to another

Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy

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Identify situations where energy is transformed between kinetic and potential

Describe the Law of Conservation of Energy – that energy cannot be created or

destroyed, only transformed from one form to another

Describe that heat flows in predictable ways, moving from warmer objects to

cooler ones until they reach the same temperature

Understand that adding or removing heat can cause a change in state of matter

Identify types of forces – contact forces and forces acting at a distance

(electrical, magnetic, and gravitational)

Describe the relationship among distance, mass, and gravitational force between

any two objects

Differentiate between mass and weight

Understand that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed,

direction, or both

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Interpret the relationship when graphing distance versus time for an object

moving at a constant speed

Changes in speed should relate to positive acceleration and negative

acceleration

Understand that friction is a force in both sliding and stationary situations

Life Science

Describe the hierarchical order of organisms – from atoms to molecules, to cells

to tissues, to organs, or organ systems, to organisms

Explain the scientific theory of cells (cell theory) – all organisms are composed of

cells – single-celled or multi-cellular, all cells come from preexisting cells, and

cells are the basic unit of life

Explain how cells follow similar processes to maintain homeostasis (balance)

Compare and contrast the structure and function of major organelles of plant

and animal cells – cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts,

mitochondria, and vacuoles

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Identify the general functions of the major systems of the human body –

digestive, respiratory, circulatory, reproductive, excretory, immune, nervous,

and musculoskeletal – and how they interact with each other

Compare and contrast things that may infect the human body – viruses, bacteria,

fungi, and parasites

Describe how and why organisms are classified – phylum, class, order, family,

genus, or species

Explore the scientific theory of evolution

Recognize and explain ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors

contribute to evolution by natural selection and diversity of organisms

Understand that fossil evidence is consistent with the scientific theory of

evolution that some living things evolved from earlier species

Understand that if a species cannot adapt to their environment that this may

contribute to their extinction

Define genotype and phenotype

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Determine the probabilities for genotype and phenotype combinations using

Punnett Squares (limited to P and F1 generations)

Compare and contrast reproduction requiring meiosis and mitosis (does not

include the stages of meiosis)

Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms including mutualism,

predation, parasitism, competition, and commensalism

Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and

decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web

Describe factors that impact native populations in an ecosystem

Understand that living systems follow the Laws of Conservation of Mass and

Energy

Describe the process of photosynthesis including the roles of light, carbon

dioxide, water and chlorophyll, productions of food, and release of energy

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Describe how cellular respiration breaks down food to provide energy and

releases carbon dioxide

Construct a scientific model of the carbon cycle to show how matter and energy

are continuously transferred within and between organisms and their physical

environment