Solar System / Inner planets(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Gravity, (natural)satellites - new grade 8 vocabulary.
terrestrial, tectonics, volcanism, erosion, core, mantle - old grade7 vocabulary.
weight, mass - grade 8 vocabulary that will be studied in more detail later this year. 

We begin this topic with 3 points that make a planet a planet:

The rocky or terrestrial planets have rocky crusts that experience processes learned in grade 7:  erosion, tectonics & volcanism.

They inhabit the Inner Solar System.

They are - in order from the Sun - Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars.

See the powerpoint for further details.

Intro to the Solar System(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Astronomical Unit(AU), ellipse

The solar system is unimaginably large.

It has a very large number of objects in it, classified into 4 groups.

The solar system is divided into two sections; inner and outer.

The planets of our solar system revolve around the Sun in oval-shaped paths called ellipses. 

Energy (Re)Sources(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Resource, energy source, renewable, nonrenewable

The workbook uses two terms that are very similar to one another, yet have slight differences:
.

A RESOURCE is anything humans use to meet their needs( food, shelter ).

An ENERGY SOURCE is anything humans use to meet their ENERGY needs( electricity, heat ).


So some of the things we use( RESOURCES )may be used to meet our energy requirements( ENERGY SOURCES ).

For example, we use animals to do work for us, companionship and as a food source.  They are a RESOURCE.
Some ores, or material we dig up out of the ground, like coal, we burn to make electricity.  Coal is a RESOURCE that is also an ENERGY SOURCE.

Soils(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Soil

Soils build on two previously-learned concepts:

1) the 4 layers of the Earth(grade 7),

and

2) the Rock Cycle(just last post)and specifically, how "weathering" breaks rocks down into smaller pieces or "particles".

Soils are a complex mixture of these particles of rock and organic matter.

Minerals(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Mineral

Minerals are natural(not man-made), homogenous substances found in the Earth's crust.

Minerals make up rocks.

Minerals can be identified by several tests that look at physical and chemical properties.

These tests include:
Colour,
Hardness,
Luster(shine),
Effervescence(gives off a gas when acid is put on it),
Magnetism and
Streak colour.

"CHLEMS"

The Rock Cycle(2019-2020)

Vocabulary:  Cycle, igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic 

We already know what a "cycle" is - we learned about the Water cycle in Grade 7.

In grade 8, we build on our knowledge of cycles, the layers of the Earth and how those layers work to study the Rock Cycle.

The planet's crust is made up of 3 types of rocks:

1) Igneous.

2) Sedimentary.

3) Metamorphic.

Students will have to know the 3 types, how they are formed and be able to interpret diagrams and tables exploring the 3 types of rocks.