8th Grade Science Semester 1

Enrollment Message

Students need access to a webcam or video recording device.

Course Description

In this course students will learn the basics of scientific inquiry and the design process. Students will engage with the content by completing an at home experiment, and a prototype of an insulating device. Students will be introduced to atoms, learn the history of the atom, the structure of protons, neutrons and electrons. Students will learn how the periodic table is organized and discover the patterns within. Students will learn the basics of how elements bond together to form compounds, learn how to read and balance chemical equations.

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will…

• learn and practice the skills of developing testable questions, conducting background research, and writing hypotheses.
• practice designing controlled experiments.
• learn how to collect and organize data, and how to use graphs to represent the data.
• analyze data.
• learn how to communicate their results using the C. E. R method.
• practice their engineering skills to develop a prototype that meets the criteria and restraints.
• construct models of an atom.
• be able to explain how elements are arranged on the Periodic Table.
• explain the differences between an atom, ion and isotope.
• explain the difference between ionic and covalent bonds.
• distinguish between chemical and physical changes.
• balance chemical equations.

Indiana Academic Standards

• Science Grade 8

Units of Instruction

• Unit 1 Scientific Method
• Unit 2 Engineering/Experimentation
• Unit 3 Atoms and the Periodic Table
• Unit 4 Ions and Bonding
• Unit 5 Reactions

Grading/Evaluation

Indiana Online does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue transcripts or diplomas. A final score reported as a percentage of total points earned will be sent to students upon completion of a course. Your school of record can also access this score within the Student Information System, Genius. The final score will be shown as a percentage in Canvas and Genius. The student’s school of record will determine the letter grade based on their specific grading scale.

Students must complete at least 70% of the course and take all parts of the final exam(s) to have a score reported to their school of record. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 reported to the school of record.

Assessments

Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, teacher-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments. The course includes the minimum number of assessments

• 15 Assignments
• 15 Quizzes

The assessments for this asynchronous course are weighted as follows

Teacher Contact Response Time

Students can use email or the private message system within Genius or Canvas to access highly qualified teachers when they need teacher assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside Canvas. The Teacher Information page of their course may describe additional communication options.

The teacher will respond to student inquiries (email, text, call) within one business day. Assignments will be graded and posted within two business days.

Expectations for Academic Conduct 

Student Handbook 

It is your responsibility to read the student handbook to understand all aspects of taking an online course including expectations for academic conduct. Contact your teacher if you have any questions. 

Assistance for Students with Accommodations

Indiana Online supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

Technology

Technology Requirements 

Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube. Please review the Indiana Online’s Technology Requirements.

Technical Skills Needed 

Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to

• download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• download and install software
• use a messaging service similar to email
• communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• open attachments shared in messages
• create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• save a file as a .pdf
• copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• insert images or links into a file
• search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• use presentation and graphics programs
• follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• create and maintain usernames and passwords

Technical Questions?  Please contact the Indiana Online Helpdesk.