Abeka Science Grade 8

Description

Beginning with a foundational understanding of the scientific method, students learn about soil science, geology, earthquakes, volcanoes, rocks and minerals, erosion, fossils, oceanography, the atmosphere, weather, astronomy, the universe, and environmental science. A creation worldview is evident throughout in the highlighted "creation clips" and the in-depth comparison of evolutionary theory and biblical creation in the chapter on interpreting the fossil record. Daily lessons will take about 50 minutes, although some students may need longer.

The student textbook provides textual readings, section and chapter reviews, and investigations (hands-on activities). Space to record answers is not included, so students will need a separate notebook. You will need to provide numerous items – some are common and easy to find, while others are household and lab specific supplies. Examples of required supplies include a 400x stereo microscope, iodine, forceps, spring scale, planarians, petri dishes, test tubes, eye dropper or pipette, scalpel, microscope slides and coverslips, elodea, cork, a Celsius thermometer, etc.

The course teacher guide is divided into two volumes. It includes a scope and sequence, daily lesson plans, and reduced student pages with teaching notes for each chapter. Lesson plans include a teacher preparation and procedures section to help parents more efficiently prepare for class time. Also included are teaching notes with chapter overviews, lab notes, in-class activities ideas, section review answers, and additional information to enrich your lessons. Highly recommended for comprehensive instruction, the teacher guides are available individually or in a set. Volume One covers chapters 1-6 and Volume Two covers 7-13. If you prefer not to invest in the teacher guides, there is an Earth and Space Answer Key available, which provides answers to the text questions.

Additional resources include the Quiz Book, Test Book, and the Activity Book. Answers are not included, and each book has a separate answer key. The test book provides a grading overview and a wide range of questions to assess understanding of concepts. Short answer, multiple choice, matching, true or false, and essay questions are included on each test. The quiz book includes 36 quizzes with matching, true or false, and short answer questions. The activity book offers a variety of activities from puzzles to labeling, matching, or providing short answers. Also included are instructions and resources to complete a STEM project. Answers for each student resource is found in the corresponding answer keys. Student and teacher resources are not reproducible.

Also available to simplify your purchase are Student and Parent Kits. The Student Kit contains the textbook, test book, quiz book, and the activity book with STEM project resources. The Parent Kit includes the Volume 1 and Volume 2 Teacher Editions, the Test Key, Quiz Key, and the Activity Book Key.

Teaching Method
Traditional
Teacher-centered curriculum commonly used in classrooms that may include a text, teacher manual, tests, etc.
Charlotte Mason
A methodology based on the work of a 19th century educator who maintained that children learn best from literature (Living Books), not textbooks.
Classical
A methodology based on the Latin Trivium (three stages of learning), including the grammar stage (memorization and facts), logic stage (critical thinking), and rhetoric stage (developing/defending ideas).
Unit Study
A thematic or topical approach centered around one topic that integrates multiple subject areas.
Montessori (Discovery)
A methodology based on the work of a 20th century educator that emphasizes student and sensory-driven discovery learning and real-life applications.
Other
Other methodologies
Religious Content
Secular
Contains content contrary to common Christian beliefs (i.e. evolution).
Neutral
Avoids religious or theoretical topics or presents multiple viewpoints without preference.
Christian/Religious
Faith-based or including instructional religious content.
Learning Modality
Auditory
Learns through listening, talking out loud or reading out loud.
Visual
Learns through seeing, prefers written instructions and visual materials.
Kinesthetic/Tactile (Hands-On)
Learns through moving, doing and touching.
Multi-Sensory
Curriculum that employ a variety of activities/components.
Presentation
Sequential
Curriculum progresses through well-defined learning objectives. Emphasizes mastery before moving to the next topic.
Spiral
Topics and concepts are repeated from level to level, adding more depth at each pass and connecting with review.
Conceptual/Topical
Focus is on the “why,” often with a unifying concept as well as specific skills; coverage may be broader.
Teacher Involvement
Low Teacher Involvement
Student-led materials; parent acts as a facilitator.
Medium Teacher Involvement
A mix of teacher-led time and independent student work.
High Teacher Involvement
Teacher-led lessons; may utilize discussions, hands-on activities and working together.
Additional Materials Required
No other materials needed
Everything you need is included.
Other Materials Required
There are additional required resources that are a separate purchase.
Other Materials Optional
There are additional resources mentioned or recommended but are not absolutely necessary.
Consumable
Consumable
Designed to be written in; not reusable.
Non-Consumable
Not designed to be written in; reusable.