Notes from Ms. FitzGerald

Science - a new Dimension

We will be using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Dimensions. It is based on Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

The series includes print, digital, and hands-on components. We will have classes 5 days a week, including a weekly lab or demonstration.

Students will receive 1 write-in text per trimester. Grades will be based on tests, quizzes, participation, and 1 major project per trimester.

The 8th grade curriculum will focus on Chemistry and Physics.

In the 1st trimester we will cover matter's physical and chemical properties.Students will model the structure of atoms and molecules. They will learn to balance chemical equations and study how substances change their states of matter. During the 2nd trimester we will compare different kinds of energy and analyze the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy.

We will study the transfer of thermal energy as a substance changes its state of matter. Third trimester studies will include Newton's Laws of Motion, gravity and friction, and the interaction between magnetism and electricity.