8-0 Objectives & Sequence

Earth Science and Sustainablility

Students explore vocabulary and activities about the interrelation of Earth Science, Sustainability, and STEM disciplines.

APA Quotations and Formatting

Students practice APA references and citations and work towards correctly incorporating and citing quotations. Students also learn to correctly format APA essays.

Note-taking and Reading

In previous lessons, students primarily studied note-taking skills for listening. In this lesson, students practice note-taking strategies for reading long texts and practice writing summaries from notes.

Math Vocabulary

Lessons continue teaching geometry vocabulary for a variety of polygons, and students practice these words in exercises.

Presentations

Students produce several short presentations in this unit focusing on different skills. One presentation focuses on transforming existing material into a slideshow and others center around research.

8-1 Introduction to Earth Science

Students watch a video about the Earth and discuss key concepts regarding the STEM and its relation to Earth Science.

8-2 360 Video - Mars Topography vs. Earth Topography

Students explore Mars with a 360 video from NASA's Mars Global Surveyor. Students journal about their experience in response to a writing prompt. 

8-3 Introduction to Sustainability

Students read a definition for sustainability and discuss sustainability as it pertains to architecture, agriculture, development, and more. 

8-1 Modern Trends in Social Responsibility

In this vocabulary-focused lesson, students learn about corporate social responsibility and complete a variety of reading and research exercises. 

8-2 Earth's Woodlands

Students develop an action plan based on their research of deforestation and turn this into a short group presentation. 

8-3 10 Interesting Things about Earth

In this lesson, students learn new vocabulary and continue note-taking practice for reading and turning their notes in summaries. Students read an article about unusual qualities of Earth.

8-1 Virtual Reality - The Largest Dinosaur Ever Discovered

In this lesson, students watch a VR video about the discovery of the largest dinosaur. Students complete vocabulary, note-taking and comprehension exercises.

8-2 Turning Gravity Into Light

Students research gravity-powered devices and create a short presentation. Afterwards, students watch a video about a gravity light and practice note-taking and organizing skills.

8-3 A Young Inventor's Plan to Recycle Styrofoam

Students listen to a lecture by a young student who talks about his efforts to transform styrofoam into something usable. Students complete a variety of vocabulary, note-taking and comprehension exercise.  

8-4 Solutions for Earth's Woodlands

Three groups of student each watch a different video on deforestation, taking notes to present the information to the other students in the class.  

8-1 Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Earth Science (1)

In this vocabulary-focused exercise, students read about famous science educator Bill Nye and then view a video on some of science's greatest discoveries. Students practice identifying Earth Science and STEM vocabulary and complete vocabulary and research exercises.

8-2 Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Earth Science (2)

Students read about Alfred Lotah Wegener, a geophysicist and meteorologist who originated the theory of continental drift. Students continue watching a science video and practice transcription skills.

8-3 Greatest Discoveries with Bill Nye: Earth Science (3)

Students read about cosmic rays and Earth's magnetic field before continuing to watch the science video from the previous lessons. Students listen and practice creating their own comprehension questions.

8-4 Dubai's Sustainable City

Students learn new vocabulary and watch a video describing the Sustainable City, an area in Dubai that strives to be completely energy efficient. Students answer listening comprehension questions.

8-1 Geometry: Triangles, Trapezoids and Parallelograms

A lesson and exercises introducing key vocabulary used in geometry, focusing on 3 and 4-sided shapes. 

8-2 Geometry: More Polygons

Students learn and practice vocabulary and pronunciation for words related to polygons, including types of polygons, like complex, convex and more.  

8-3 Math Review: Real World Practice

Students read an article about the geometry behind geodesic domes and answer comprehension questions. Students also practice skim reading to find relationships between geodesic domes and sustainable architecture in a second article. 

8-1 Careers in Sustainability

In this lesson, there are links to descriptions of fifteen popular careers related to sustainability. Students are assigned two careers and transform the information from the webpages into a compare/contrast slideshow presentation. 

8-2 Sustainable Fashion

In this lesson, students discuss some of the sustainability problems in the textile manufacturing industry and read an article about the rising trend of sustainable fashion, answering comprehension and reflection questions. Students also research this topic to write a compare/contrast paragraph.

8-3 Presentation

Students research a topic on sustainability and produce a 7-8 minutes presentation, focusing on organization skills.

8-1 APA Reference Practice

Students practice writing full APA references, including in-text citations, using websites they have visited throughout the unit.

8-2 Academic Essay Skills - Citing Quotations

This lesson explains how to cite quotations and incorporated quoted materials into essays.

8-3 Essay: Nuclear Energy and the Environment

Students right a research essay on nuclear energy, including at least four references. This lesson also focuses on formatting final essays correctly.