Grade 8 Science
16 units matched to the Nunavut Curriculum.
Learning focus
- Iqqaqqaukkaringniq: the Nunavut adaptation of the Alberta Science 7–9 program of studies.
- Units of study bring together life, physical and earth and space science with skills of inquiry and design.
- Learning with Elders and from the land is encouraged alongside classroom science.
Units
Unit 1
Mixtures, Solutions & WHMIS
Safety symbols on hazardous products, telling pure substances, mechanical mixtures and solutions apart, what changes how fast and how much a solid dissolves, and measuring concentration in grams per 100 mL.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · WHMIS symbols, pure substances, mixtures and solutions, solubility and concentration, using the particle model
Unit 2
Particles & Matter
How the movement of particles explains solids, liquids and gases and changes of state, the parts of an atom (including the quarks inside protons and neutrons, and electrons as leptons), elements and compounds, and telling physical from chemical changes.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · pure substances, mixtures and the particle model of matter
Unit 3
Viscosity & Flow
What viscosity is, how temperature and other factors change how fluids flow, and how to find a flow rate by dividing volume by time.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · viscosity and how fluids flow
Unit 4
Density & Buoyancy
Calculating density from mass and volume, explaining why solids, liquids and gases differ in density using the particle theory, and predicting whether objects float or sink in different fluids.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · density and buoyancy
Unit 5
Pressure & Pascal's Law
Why gases compress easily and liquids do not, how heating or compressing a fluid changes its pressure and volume, and how a hydraulic press uses Pascal's law to multiply a force.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · pressure in fluids
Unit 6
Hydraulics & Pneumatics
How hydraulic systems (liquids) and pneumatic systems (compressed air) work, where each is used, and how valves, pumps and tubes in machines compare with the heart, lungs and blood vessels.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit A: Mix and Flow of Matter · hydraulic and pneumatic systems
Unit 7
Cells & Life Processes
The cell theory, what organelles do in plant and animal cells, how photosynthesis and respiration are connected, osmosis, and how cells form tissues, organs and organ systems.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit B: Cells and Systems · cells as the basic unit of living things
Unit 8
Cells, Tissues & Organs
Why cells are the basic unit of life, how plant and animal cells differ, how materials move into and out of cells, and how cells form tissues, organs and systems. Includes working out microscope magnification.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit B: Cells and Systems · the role of cells, single-celled and multicelled organisms, plant and animal cells, diffusion and osmosis, and cells, tissues and organs
Unit 9
Systems in Action
Identifying inputs, outputs and purposes of systems including food processing, what makes systems safe and efficient, how automation changes work, and why people's needs and values change systems over time.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit B: Cells and Systems · how body systems work together
Unit 10
Human Body Systems
The main jobs of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, excretory and nervous systems, how they work together, and what affects healthy function, such as exercise and air quality.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit B: Cells and Systems · body systems for respiration, circulation, digestion, excretion and sensory awareness, and how the body responds to changing conditions
Unit 11
How Light Behaves
Light as rays that travel in straight lines, how materials reflect, absorb or transmit it, the law of reflection and why light bends (refracts) between materials.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit C: Light and Optical Systems · transmission, reflection, absorption and refraction of light, and the ray model of light
Unit 12
Light & Radiation
Wavelength and frequency, the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays and what each is used for, reflection, refraction and colour, and staying safe from UV radiation.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit C: Light and Optical Systems · how light behaves and travels
Unit 13
Lenses, Eyes & Optical Devices
How lenses form images, how the eye and a camera are alike, how microscopes and telescopes extended what scientists could see, and how technology helps vision and stores images.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit C: Light and Optical Systems · convex and concave lenses, image formation, vision and the eye, microscopes, telescopes, cameras and digital imaging
Unit 14
Simple Machines & Advantage
Identifying the six simple machines, finding mechanical advantage from input and output forces, understanding that machines trade force for distance, and how innovations such as combine harvesters and robotics raised productivity.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit D: Mechanical Systems · simple and compound machines
Unit 15
Work, Energy & Efficiency
Using the scientific terms force, displacement, work, energy and efficiency, calculating work as force times displacement, finding efficiency, and how friction and design affect the energy lost from machines.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit D: Mechanical Systems · work, energy and efficiency
Unit 16
Gears, Pulleys & Efficiency
How gears trade speed for force, how pulleys and screws are used, how to calculate efficiency, and how designers weigh efficiency against effects on people and the environment.
Approved guide: Nunavut adaptation of Alberta Science 7–9 (2003), Unit D: Mechanical Systems · gears, belts and pulleys that transmit force and motion, speed and force ratios, efficiency, and how mechanical devices have changed over time
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