PSSA Grade 8 Science study plan

Distinguish among observation, inference, hypothesis, and conclusion across three described classroom scenarios.

Identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and at least two controlled variables in four described experiments.

Select the appropriate metric tool and unit for measuring length, mass, volume, and temperature, and convert among millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers.

Design a controlled investigation that tests exactly one variable, writing a numbered procedure and a data table with labeled units.

Construct line, bar, and circle graphs from provided data and justify which graph type fits each data set.

Calculate mean, median, mode, and range for a data set and explain how adding an outlier changes each measure.

Classify a described sample of matter as an element, a compound, or a mixture based on its composition.

Separate physical properties from chemical properties and physical changes from chemical changes in eight described examples.

Describe the structure of an atom, including the location and charge of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

Use the periodic table to report the atomic number, atomic mass, proton count, and electron count for a given element.

Compare solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas in terms of particle arrangement, particle motion, and energy.

Predict whether a described change is physical or chemical and defend the prediction with two pieces of evidence.

Distinguish speed, velocity, and acceleration, and calculate each from distance-and-time data.

Interpret a distance-time graph by describing the motion occurring in each labeled segment.

Apply Newton's three laws of motion to explain four everyday situations.

Trace energy transfers through a described system and name the energy form at every stage.

Explain how conduction, convection, and radiation transfer heat in three given examples.

Label the major organelles of a plant cell and an animal cell and state one function of each.

Explain how diffusion and osmosis move materials across a cell membrane.

Sequence the levels of organization from cell to tissue to organ to organ system to organism.

Match the major human body systems to their functions and describe how two systems cooperate in one process.

Distinguish genotype from phenotype and complete Punnett squares for one-trait crosses.

Explain how genes and chromosomes carry inherited traits from parents to offspring.

Classify organisms in a described ecosystem as producers, consumers, or decomposers.

Trace energy flow through a food web and explain why available energy decreases at each trophic level.

Predict how removing one organism from a food web would change the populations of the others.

Describe Earth's major layers by composition, relative thickness, and state of matter.

Classify rocks as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic and explain the formation process for each.

Relate convergent, divergent, and transform plate boundaries to earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.

Distinguish weathering, erosion, and deposition and supply one concrete example of each.

Determine the relative age of rock layers in a described sequence using the law of superposition.

Explain how Earth's rotation produces day and night and how its revolution and axial tilt produce seasons.

Describe the water cycle stages and identify the energy source that drives the cycle.

Distinguish weather from climate and name the instruments used to measure temperature, wind speed, and precipitation.

Review all four domains by completing mixed practice items and correcting each missed item with a written reason.