8th Grade Earth Science Objectives

ABACUS 01-SC08-50
PASS CS8.5.1

Links:

PASS Strand:
2. Earth's History

Objectives:

1. Earth's history has been punctuated by occasional catastrophic events, such as the impact of asteroids or comets, enormous volcanic eruptions, periods of continental glaciation, and the rise and fall of sea level.
   
   Local categories: Astronomy, Geology, Oceanography

Time Range:
3rd Quarter

Suggested Teaching Strategies:

• Discussion of Arizona's meteor crater: when it occurred, the scientists that discovered it was an impact crater, as well as the museum of space items included; followed by slides of asteroids and impact craters on Earth and other planets.
• Discuss ice ages, global warming, potential effect on sea level.
• Discuss historic volcanic eruptions and their effects/lack of effects on climate.
• Current events that occur in the world are always mentioned and incorporated into the classroom discussions. Often these are catastrophic events like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides and storms.

Aligned Resources:

• Slide set of Mt. St. Helens - shows the catastrophic nature of some volcanoes. Also shows the recovery of the biosphere following an event such as this.

Revision Date:
June 2005