CMT Science Review Grades 6-8

Content Standards 6.1-6.4

• Materials can be classified as pure substances or mixtures, depending on their chemical and physical properties

• An ecosystem is composed of all the populations that are living in a certain space & the physical factors with which they interact• Water moving across & through earth materials carries with it the products of human activities

• Metals are this color on the table:

Periodic Table of the Elements

• Semimetals (metalloids) are this color:•Name 2 elements from each category!!

Calculating Density

Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature.

A scientist obtains a 20 ml sample of mercury. She determines the mass of that sample is 270.7 grams.

* What is the density of mercury?

Calculating Density, continued

Mrs. Lyver’s students find the mass of some zinc coins. Each coin has a mass of 21.4 grams.

When placed in a graduated cylinder of water, each coin displaces 3 ml of water.* What is the density of zinc?* What would be the density of 50 zinc coins?

* If the coin is placed in a container of mercury, would it sink or float?

Soil is made of minerals, organic matter, air and water.

Chemically, soil is considered to be a _____________.

List at least 4 facts about soil:1.2.3.4. Find more facts about soil at this link !

The Soil Ecosystem

Identify examples of “producers” & “consumers” that are typically found in a soil food web.

See a food web at this link!

Need help??

A student carries out an experiment

to determine if soil composition

affects its absorbency.

Study the data table on the following slide

and respond to the corresponding

questions…

SOIL TYPE Amount of Water IN

Amount of Water OUT

1. SAND 100 98

2. TOPSOIL 100 85

3. TOPSOIL + CLAY 100 60

4. TOPSOIL + CLAY + POTTING SOIL

100 40

* What information did the student omit when making the data table?* What scientific question do you think the student was trying to answer? (Be certain to include both the dependent & independent variables!)

Content Standard 6.4a

• Most precipitation that falls on Connecticut eventually reaches Long Island Sound

Protecting our watersheds from

“point” & “non-point” pollutionTake a look at the

“Stop Pointless Per sonal Pollution”bulletin and then complete the table

below!Habits that can harm the LIS

watershedThings that we can do to help

prevent pollution!

1.

2.

3.

For each of the photos in the following slides,try to determine:

• The specific role that the organism plays in the ecosystem.

• How the organism obtains the energy it needs to live.

• Another organism that depends on that one for survival.

• Three specific abiotic factors that this organism requires for survival.

Example: Role: Herbivore (primary consumer)

Obtains energy by: eating plant matter such as acorns, fruits, small saplings of deciduous trees, leaves of certain shrubs, mushrooms, tree buds, and wildflowers

Another organism that depends on it: Parasites such as the deer tick and mosquitoAbiotic factors it needs: oxygen, water, proteins

White tail deer

Role:

Obtains energy by:

Another organism that depends on it:

An abiotic factor it needs: White Oak

Your Turn!!

Role:

Obtains energy by:

Another organism that depends on it:

A specific abiotic factor it needs:

Red Tailed Hawk

Role:

Obtains energy by:

Another organism that depends on it:

A specific abiotic factor it needs:

Asian Tiger Mosquito

Role:

Obtains energy by:

Another organism that depends on it:

A specific abiotic factor it needs: Puffball

mushrooms

Extension Activity:

Build a food chain that includes

at least one of the organisms shown in the previous slides.

Play a food chain

game!

Content Standard 6.3

• Local & regional weather are affected by the amount of solar energy the area receives and proximity to a large body of water

Defend the following statement:

“The sun is the main source of energy on earth”

Remember that you should always support your views

with evidence!

Stormy Weather

• What causes warm, tropical air to rise?• What happens to air pressure as a storm approaches?

• What region of Connecticut gets colder temperatures and more snow? Why???• What is the relationship between “convection” and “sea breezes”?

Content Standard 6.5

• Work is the process of making objects move through the application of force.

• Energy can be stored in many forms and can be transformed into the energy of motion.

See how much you already know about simple machines with this fun online interactive game!

Name 3 household items & tell what kind of machine they are.

Let’s visit the skate park to understand the relationship

between potential and kinetic energy!

Select “run now”. After you open the application, select “Bar Graph” from

the menu on the right.What happens to

potential energy as kinetic energy goes up & vice

versa?

Content Standard 7.2 a

• All organisms are composed of one or more cells; each cell carries on life-sustaining functions

View this interactive CELL ANIMATION

Scroll over each structure to locate it. When you double-click on the

structure you will find its function.

• List three “organelles” found in BOTH plant & animal cells.

• Name an organelle found only in plant cells.

• What do the mitochondria do?

• What is the function of ribosomes?• Where is DNA held?

Content Standard 7.2 b

• Multicellular organisms need specialized structures & systems to perform basic life functions

Visit this RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

tutorial! * Name three structures of the

respiratory system & identify their functions.

Watch this DIGESTIVE SYSTEM animation! * Name three structures of the digestive

system & identify their functions.

Visit this tutorial about body joints!

* Give one example of 3 types of joints!

A student carries out an experiment to determine if music type has an effect on

heart rate.

Study the graph on the following slide and respond to the corresponding questions.

What is the independent variable in this investigation? What is the dependent variable in this investigation? Write a conclusion for this investigation. Support your conclusion with data!

Content Standard 7.3

• Landforms are the result of the interaction of constructive and destructive forces over time.

The image above shows the Pacific’s

“Ring of Fire” Name three different geologic

features that are usually associated with the boundaries of the Ring of

Fire

What agents of erosion formed this butte?

Content Standard 8.1 b

• An unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed and/or direction of motion.

A student carries out an experiment to determine ways to keep shipping

containers from sliding along the deck of a ship.

Study the data table on the following slide and respond to the corresponding questions.

Type of surfaceForce (N) to pull 1 Kg a distance

of 10 cm

Sandpaper 1.2

Cloth .2

Hard Plastic .3

What surface would you recommend for a boat deck to reduce the amount of sliding

during transit? Support your choice with data!

Content Standard 8.2

• Reproduction is a characteristic of living systems & is essential for the continuation of every species

Watch the MITOSIS Animation

Stop at each stage to review the steps!

Watch the MEIOSIS AnimationStop at each stage to

review the steps!

MITOSIS MEIOSIS

1.Number of cells produced

2. Where it occurs

3. Number of chromosomes in each resulting human cell

Copy this chart and use it to compare mitosis to meiosis.

Content Standard 8.4

• Bridges can be designed in different ways to withstand certain loads and potentially destructive forces.

Use the vocabulary words provided in the list above to write one concise & accurate sentence about each of the bridges shown

above.

beam, force, truss, suspension,

horizontal, vertical, cable, push, pull, bend, squeeze, load, joints, span,

compression, pillar, abutment

Test your skills with this interactive bridge challenge!

OOPS! Need some review?

Check out this fun, online interactive about forces, loads, materials, and shapes!

Scientific Numeracy

• Scientific numeracy includes the ability to use mathematical operations and procedures to calculate, analyze and present scientific data and ideas.

KILO HECTO DEKA (unit) DECI CENTI MILLI

.026

4,700

Hint: Biggest to smallest, LEFT to Right!

Use the values given in the table below in order to complete the rest of the table.

Name one metric unit associated with each of these measuring tools.