What your child learns in Grade 8 in Saskatchewan
Grade 8 is the last year before high school. Students work with squares and roots, rates and ratios, linear relations, the Pythagorean theorem, surface area and volume. They study cells and organ systems, light, fluids, and water systems, and explore Canadian identity and citizenship.
Grade 8 subjects in the Saskatchewan Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Number (N8.1–N8.5): Demonstrate understanding of the square and principle square root of whole numbers concretely or pictorially and… Expand and demonstrate understanding of percents greater than or equal to 0% concretely, pictorially, and… Demonstrate understanding of rates, ratios, and proportional reasoning concretely, pictorially, and symbolically. (and 2 more outcomes)
- Patterns and Relations (P8.1–P8.2): Demonstrate understanding of linear relations concretely, pictorially (including graphs), physically, and… Model and solve problems using linear equations of the form.
- Shape and Space (SS8.1–SS8.4): Demonstrate understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem concretely or pictorially and symbolically and by solving… Demonstrate understanding of the surface area of 3-D objects limited to right prisms and cylinders. Demonstrate understanding of volume limited to right prisms and cylinders. (and 1 more outcome)
11 units, including squares, cubes & roots, percents & money, ratios, rates & proportions, fraction operations.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Comprehend and Respond (CR8.1–CR8.8): View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity (e.g., Becoming… Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after (e.g., paraphrasing and… Use pragmatic (e.g., intended audience and tone), textual, syntactic (e.g., variety of sentence structures)… (and 5 more outcomes)
- Compose and Create (CC8.1–CC8.9): Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia (including digital) texts that explore identity… Create and present a group inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and after speaking, writing, and… (and 6 more outcomes)
- Assess and Reflect on Language Abilities (AR8.1–AR8.2): Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher's assessment to develop and work on goals for improving… Appraise own and others' work for clarity, correctness, and variety. Units Adventure and Adventurers An Eye on Our…
10 units, including close reading, literary devices, irony, satire & allusion, whose story is it?.
Science
Big Ideas
- Life Science: Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Systems (CS8.1–CS8.4): Analyze the characteristics of cells, and compare structural and functional characteristics of plant and animal… Demonstrate proficiency in the use of a compound light microscope to observe plant and animal cells. Distinguish structural and functional relationships among cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems in humans and… (and 1 more outcome)
- Physical Science: Optics and Vision (OP8.1–OP8.4): Identify and describe, through experimentation, sources and properties of visible light. Explore properties and applications of optics-related technologies, including concave and convex mirrors and… Compare the nature and properties of human vision with optical devices and vision in other living organisms. (and 1 more outcome)
- Physical Science: Forces, Fluids, and Density (FD8.1–FD8.4): Investigate and represent the density of solids, liquids, and gases based on the particle theory of matter. Examine the effects of forces in and on objects in fluids, including the buoyant force. Investigate and describe physical properties of fluids (liquids and gases), including viscosity and… (and 1 more outcome)
9 units, including cells & life processes, light & radiation, density & buoyancy, viscosity & flow.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Interactions and Interdependence (IN8.1–IN8.2): Investigate the meaning of culture and the origins of Canadian cultural diversity. Appraise the influence of immigration as a factor in Canadian cultural diversity.
- Dynamic Relationships (DR8.1–DR8.3): Develop an understanding of the significance of land on the evolution of Canadian identity. Describe the influence of the treaty relationship on Canadian identity. Assess how historical events in Canada have affected the present Canadian identity.
- Power and Authority (PA8.1–PA8.4): Contemplate the implications of Canadian citizenship on the life of Canadians. Examine the role of power and authority in the application of diverse decision-making processes in a variety of… Present the evolution of a piece of legislation, from its first conception to its implementation. (and 1 more outcome)
4 units, including culture & immigration, land, treaties & history, citizenship & decisions, consumers & the economy.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on managing a heavier workload, showing steps in math and supporting an argument with evidence.
Saskatchewan report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exemplary. See what each level means.
The cross-curricular competencies are woven into every subject and grade. Read about cross-curricular competencies.
Ready for Grade 8?
Grade 8 builds on what your child practised in Grade 7. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: decimal operations, fractions, decimals & percents, fractions, add & subtract integers, linear relations
- English Language Arts: close reading, literary devices, tone & mood, poetry lab, source check
- Science: ecosystems, food chains & energy, cycles & succession, people & ecosystems, particles & mixtures
- Social Studies: the north & the pacific rim, democracy & other systems, trade, resources & globalization
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 8 in Saskatchewan?
Grade 8 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies in the Saskatchewan Curriculum. Grade 8 is the last year before high school. Students work with squares and roots, rates and ratios, linear relations, the Pythagorean theorem, surface area and volume. They study cells and organ systems, light, fluids, and water systems, and explore Canadian identity and citizenship.
How is Grade 8 reported in Saskatchewan?
Saskatchewan report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exemplary.
How can I help my Grade 8 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 8 skills with Gradelings
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