What actually happens to that bite of food after you swallow it? What do your eyes and a camera have in common? Why do ice cubes float? How did thousands of running shoes end up on the beaches of the Queen Charlotte Islands? This course will help you discover the answers to these questions and many more, and show you how to generate your own questions and discover your own answers. You’ll learn to think how scientists think and learn how you can apply scientific thinking to your everyday life.
What Does the Course Consist Of?
Science 8 consists of four modules.
Module 1: Life Science—Cells and Systems (Units 1, 2, 3) explores your body, right down to the cellular level. You are made up of cells that make up tissues that make up organs that make up organ systems that make up your body.
Usually all parts of the body work together to keep you functioning properly and to keep you healthy. Unfortunately body parts can break down or malfunction. You’ll learn what can happen when a part malfunctions, as well as what your body does to try to fix the problem. You’ll also learn ways to help your body be its most healthy. Your body is an incredible system.
Module 2: Physical Science: Optics (Units 4, 5, 6) What do ocean waves and light waves have in common? How do tsunamis happen? Why do some people need reading glasses as they get older? Why should you wear sunglasses? How far into outer space can you see? You’ll discover the answers to these questions and probably generate more of your own.
Module 3: Physical Science: Fluids and Dynamics (Units 7, 8, 9, 10) If you have ever snapped an elastic band, dragged your shoes on the ground to slow down your bike, or drank a milkshake through a straw, you have experienced some of the concepts you’ll learn about in this module. . Do you know what a fluid is? How do you generate force? Is friction a good thing or a bad thing? Do you know what your mass is? Why is a box of feathers lighter than a box of rocks? By the end of this module you’ll be able to answer these questions.
Module 4: Earth Science: All About Water (Units 11, 12, 13) When you look out at the ocean, what do you see? Do you see just a lot of water, or do you see a lid covering more than 70 percent of the planet? No wonder Earth is called the “blue planet”! In this module, you’ll explore beneath the surface of the water. Water is a powerful substance. It can move through, around, and under mountains—it can even move the mountain! Water can shape shorelines, and it can destroy shorelines. Water is needed for all life, but too much or not enough of it can be disastrous. You’ll learn about both freshwater and marine environments, and what you can do to keep these water systems healthy. All life depends on water, so dive on in!
The material in this course has been adapted from OSBC Science 8.
Step 1: Watch the introductory video (below).
Step 2: Read the Course Outline and make sure you understand the course requirements. Email your teacher if you have any questions.
Step 3: Make a schedule and get started on the course ASAP! Remember, that regular progress is the key.
Learning guides are provided for each unit. They are designed to guide you while you read the material. Some of the guides can be completed in a word processor. Some have to be done on paper and scanned as they require diagrams and/or calculations.
Note: you are responsible for all the material not just that in the Learning Guide. The answers are provided for the questions but do not check them until you have finished the section. If you do not agree with the answers or would like more information, contact your teacher.
Be careful to ensure:
- ALL steps laid out and explained
- work is neat, tidy, and easy to follow
- all units and directions are included
- guide is complete
If you can't get a question, message your teacher for help. Keep trying until you get them all.
- Read through all the material. Take good notes for reference when working on homework. Make sure you can do and understand the problems you are shown in the many examples given in each lesson.
- Once you have completed a Learning Guide and/or Lab to the best of your ability submit it to your teacher ASAP for grading.
- You will have a quiz at the end of each unit. Make sure you understand any quiz questions you get wrong. If you can't figure it out - ASK! You will be able to write these quizzes twice and the result will be the average of the two tries. If you get a good grade on the first try, you do not have to do these tests twice.
- Module Project - At the end of each module, you’ll do a Module Project. This is where you show your understanding of the material.
- There is a midterm and final exam. These are each worth 10% of your final grade. You can only write these tests once. Be sure you are prepared.
The following table outlines how your will be graded for this course. Please contact your teacher if you have any question about this.
Item | Weighting |
Learning guides | 10% |
Labs and reports | 20% |
Unit quizzes | 30% |
Module Projects | 20% |
Midterm Exam | 10% |
Final Exam | 10% |