Unit Plan 1 (Grade 8 Science): Science Skills & Modeling Foundations

Focus: Build strong science practices for the year: lab norms and safety, measurement (accuracy, precision, error), graphing and data representation, and modeling matter/energy systems, including defining criteria and constraints for simple design problems. This unit lays groundwork for later work with atomic models and energy flows.

Grade Level: 8

Subject Area: Science (Physical Science • Engineering Design • Inquiry/Practices)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students begin the year by learning how scientists and engineers work: they use clear safety routines, make careful measurements, show data with graphs, and build and revise models of how matter and energy behave. Through quick labs and mini-challenges, students practice reading instruments, organizing data, and drawing particle models and system diagrams. They also learn to define criteria (what success looks like) and constraints (limits like materials, time, or safety) for a simple design problem. This unit prepares them for deeper work on atomic composition (MS-PS1-1) and engineering design (MS-ETS1-1) later in the year.

Essential Questions

• How do scientists and engineers keep labs safe, fair, and productive for everyone?
• What makes a measurement “good” or “trustworthy,” and how can we show data clearly with tables and graphs?
• How can models (like particle diagrams and system sketches) help us explain matter and energy when we can’t see everything directly?
• What are criteria and constraints in a design problem, and why do they matter for finding realistic solutions?
• How do strong science skills (safety, measurement, graphing, modeling) help us understand more complex science later?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe and follow class lab norms and safety rules, explaining why each matters for real investigations.
2. Use common lab tools (e.g., digital or triple-beam balance, graduated cylinder, thermometer, stopwatch) to take measurements with appropriate units, precision, and basic error awareness.
3. Organize data into tables and create graphs (bar, line, or scatter, as appropriate) with correctly labeled axes, units, and titles.
4. Develop and revise simple models of matter and energy systems, including particle diagrams and input–process–output system sketches, as a preparation step for MS-PS1-1.
5. Define the criteria and constraints for a small-scale design problem (e.g., insulating a cup, slowing melting, or minimizing spills) with enough precision to judge whether a solution works (MS-ETS1-1).
6. Use at least two science and engineering practices (e.g., developing models, analyzing data, defining problems) in short written or verbal explanations of their lab or design work.

Standards Alignment — 8th Grade (NGSS-based custom)

• MS-PS1-1 (prep focus) — Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
  • In this unit, students are introduced to particle models and system modeling as a foundation for later, more detailed atomic modeling.
• MS-ETS1-1 — Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution.
  • Students write clear criteria/constraints for a simple design task (e.g., best cup insulator) and use them to evaluate possible solutions.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can explain and follow our lab norms and safety rules, and I can say why they matter.
• I can use lab tools to measure mass, volume, time, or temperature with the right units and careful reading.
• I can make a graph that is labeled correctly and helps someone quickly see patterns in the data.
• I can draw or revise a simple model (particle diagram or system sketch) to show how matter and energy move or change in a situation.
• I can clearly state the criteria and constraints for a design problem, and use them to judge whether a solution meets the goal.