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Science – 8th Grade Summer Assignment Packet Name:_________________________

Name:____________________________ Class:___________

Summer science work is intended to keep your mind active and to help me learn about you as a scientist. There are two sections of your summer assignment. Each assignment will count as two homework grades for the first marking period, as well as prepare you for our projects next year.

Assignment:

1) All students must read The Human Genome by Bridget Heos and complete the graphic organizer task associated with it. This book is available as an e-book. The text will be used in our Tay-Sachs Case Study in the fall.

A. To Access the shared ebook:a. Go to HYPERLINK

"https://wbb48755.follettshelf.com"https://wbb48755.follettshelf.com this is the URL for our MAELS Follett Shelf

b. Login into the shared account with

Username: MarshStudent Password: Marsh063OR

c. Login into the individual account you were given.

B. Click on the image of the book Human Genome

2) Scientific Method – Choose ONE Experiment

a. Choose one of the three investigation options to complete. Track your observations and data in the packet provided.

b. Once the investigation is complete, answer the analysis questions provided. Your investigation will allow you to be an expert for the topic next year.

Directions for each of the activities are inside. Do your best work and remember to have fun!

Assignment 1 – The Human Genome

Task 1: Pre-Reading


BEFORE reading the book The Human Genome by Bridget Heos, define the terms below:

Vocabulary What do you think it means? Research the Definition

DNA

Natural Selection

Mutation

Genome


Genetic Selection

Genetic Engineering

Task 2: After Reading the book, complete the graphic organizers below.

List the methods for studying genetics over the years.

Describe each of the methods listed


Genetic DiseasesTay-Sachs Cause: Possible Treatment

Cystic Fibrosis Cause: Possible Treatment


Genetic selection is legal, but can be controversial. Using evidence from the text and your own opinions, find support for and against use of genetic engineering. Incorporate as many ideas as possible so that you may use this graphic organizer during the first semester to develop an essay discussing the subject of genetic engineering.

Reasons Supporting Genetic Engineering

Reasons Opposing Genetic Engineering

Textual Evidence

Based on the textual evidence, what is your opinion? This may require you to do some extra research.


Assignment 2 – Scientific Inquiry

Directions: Choose one of three investigations explained on the next pages. Complete the questions that go with the investigation you choose. When we study each topic this year, students that completed the matching investigation will serve as an expert in their class. The time need varies depending on the investigation you choose. (Investigation 3 requires a month between the day you set up the experiment and the day you finish it.) If you have the time and interest, feel free to try more than one of the investigation!

Choose ONE of the following investigations:

1. Moon Diary2. Genetic Traits3. Newton's Laws Experiment


Investigation 1: Moon Diary

Background: (Adapted from http: //www.scienceu.com/ observatory/ articles/phases/phases.html)

The Moon is the most noticeable object in the night sky, so it is no surprise that it has fascinated mankind since antiquity. If you observe it for several days, you will notice that its appearance changes: most of the time only part of it is illuminated (shining), and this part seems to grow until it covers the whole moon full moon) and then decrease until nothing is illuminated (new moon), and then grow again, in a cycle that repeats about every month.

Why does the Moon have phases, then? The Moon does not emit (give off) light on its own; all the moonlight we see is actually light coming from the sun that is reflected on the moon surface. The part of the Moon that is illuminated is the half that is facing the Sun. However, from the Earth we cannot always see that same half; instead, we see only the half facing us.

Table 1. The Eight Phases of the Moon.


New Moon – When the Moon is roughly in the same direction as the Sun, its illuminated half is facing away from the Earth, and therefore the part that faces us is all dark: we have the new moon.

Waxing Crescent – As the Moon moves around the Earth, we get to see more and more of the illuminated half, and we say the Moon is waxing. At first, we get a sliver of it, which grows as days go by. This phase is the waxing crescent moon.

First Quarter – A week after the new moon, when the Moon has completed about a quarter of its turn around the Earth, we can see half of the illuminated part; that is, a quarter of the Moon. This is the first quarter phase.

Waxing Gibbous – During the next week, we keep seeing more and more of the illuminated part of the Moon, and it is now in the waxing gibbous phase.

Full Moon – Two weeks after the new moon, the moon is now halfway through its revolution, and now the illuminated half faces the Earth, so that we can see a full disk: we see a full moon.

Waning Gibbous – The first week after a full moon, the phase is a waning gibbous. From now on, until it becomes new again, the illuminated part of the Moon that we can see decreases, and we say it's waning.

Last Quarter – Three weeks after the new moon, we again can see half of the illuminated part. This is the last quarter phase.

Waning Crescent – Finally, during the fourth week, the Moon appears to be a thin sliver, called waning crescent. A while after four weeks (29.5 days, more precisely) the illuminated half of the Moon again faces away from us, and we come back to the beginning of the cycle: a new moon.


Materials:

● Moon observation calendar

● Pen/pencil

Procedure:

1. Set up the calendar by writing the name of the month (or multiple months, if you are not starting on the 1st of the month) at the top. Write the number of each day in upper left-hand corner of each square on the calendar.

2. Over the course of the month, observe the moon at least three times per week. You may have to observe during the day. More observations are better! (Note: if you are unable to observe the moon, you may have to

3. When observing the moon, draw what you see in the circle for that date on the calendar. If you see a full moon, keep the circle blank, and write "full moon" on the calendar. If you see part of the moon, pay attention to the shape of the bright part and draw it accurately (note whether the bright part is on the right or left side of the face of the moon).


Sun Mon Tues Weds Thurs

Identify the Dates for each of the following Phases:

New Moon:_______________________

First Quarter:______________________

Full Moon:________________________

Last Quarter: _____________________

Month:___________________________________________


Analysis:

1. What do you notice about the shape of the moon over the course of the month? Describe any patterns or trends that you see.

2. Look back at the Background section for this experiment. Which phases of the moon did you see, on which dates? Explain how you know.

3. Describe the location of the Moon within its orbit during the three phases it seems to be “growing” larger, or waxing? (Ex: Is it closer to the Sun or Earth? Is it moving toward the Sun, or away?)

4. Describe the location of the Moon within its orbit during the three phases it seems to be “getting smaller”, or waning? (Ex: Is it closer to the Sun or Earth? Is it moving toward the Sun, or away?)

Investigation 2: Genetic Traits


Background: A genetic trait is a physical characteristic that a person shows. The traits you have are caused by the specific patterns in your DNA. DNA is found inside your cells. Your DNA is divided into shorter pieces called genes, and genes determine what traits you will have. Your genes are a mix of genes from your biological parents.

In this activity, you will compare your genetic traits to those of your friends and family members. Some examples of traits that are determined by genes are: handedness (whether you are left- or right-handed), earlobe shape (attached to your head or loose), dimples, and whether or not you can roll your tongue. If you wish to expand your investigation, more observable traits are described on the Learn Genetics website: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/inheritance/observable/

Table 1. Common Observable Genetic Traits

Tongue Rolling Dimples

Hand Clasping

Earlobe Attachment

Question: How do my genetic traits compare to the genetic traits of my friends and family members?

Hypothesis:

Make a prediction: Will you share few or many traits with your family members? Why or why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Will you share few or many traits with your friends? Why or why not?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Materials:

● Traits chart

● 2-3 family members

● 2-3 friends (unrelated to you)

Procedure:

1. Review the different traits on the reference sheet. Make sure you understand what each trait looks like.

2. Record your own traits on the chart.3. Interview 2 or 3 family members. Record their traits on the chart.4. Interview 2 or 3 friends. Record their traits on the chart.5. Compare your traits to your family members and to your friends. Who do you share the most traits

with? Who do you share the fewest traits with?

Observations Notes:


Observation Table

Name Friend, Family or Self

Can s/he roll their tongue?

Does s/he have dimples?

Does s/he have naturally curly hair?

Is s/he left or right handed?

Which tumb is on top (left or right) when s/he clasps their hands together?


Analysis:

1. Compare your own traits to those of your family members. In what ways are you similar? In what ways are you different? Do you see any patterns?

2. Compare your own traits to those of your friends. In what ways are you similar? In what ways are you different? Do you see any patterns?

3. Does the data and observations support or refute your hypothesis? Why or why not?

Investigation 3: Newton's Laws of Motion


Background:

(Adapted from http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_laws.html)

Newton's Laws of Motion

There was this fellow in England named Sir Isaac Newton: a little bit stuffy, bad hair, but quite an intelligent guy. He worked on developing calculus and physics at the same time. During his work, he came up with the basic ideas that are applied to the physics of most motion. The ideas have been tested and verified so many times over the years, that scientists now call them Newton's 3 Laws of Motion.

First Law

The first law says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same direction and HYPERLINK

"http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_velocity.html"speed. Motion (or lack of motion) cannot change without an unbalanced HYPERLINK "http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_force.html"force acting. If nothing is happening to you, and nothing does happen, you will never go anywhere. If you are going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction - forever. You can see good examples of this idea when you see video footage of astronauts. Have you ever noticed that their tools float? They can just place them in space and they stay in one place. There is no interfering force to cause this situation to change. The same is true when they throw objects for the camera. Those objects move in a straight line. If they threw something when doing a spacewalk, that object would continue moving in the same direction and with the same speed unless interfered with; for example, if a planet's HYPERLINK "http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_gravity.html"gravity pulled on it (Note: This is a really really simple way of descibing a big idea. You will learn all the real details - and math - when you start taking more advanced classes in physics.).

Second Law


The second law says that the HYPERLINK

"http://www.physics4kids.com/files/motion_velocity.html"acceleration of an object produced by a net (total) applied force is directly related to the magnitude of the force, the same direction as the force, and inversely related to the mass of the object (inverse is a value that is one over another number... the inverse of 2 is 1/2). The second law shows that if you exert the same force on two objects of different mass, you will get different accelerations (changes in motion). The effect (acceleration) on the smaller mass will be greater (more noticeable). The effect of a 10 newton force on a baseball would be much greater than that same force acting on a truck. The difference in effect (acceleration) is entirely due to the difference in their masses.

Third Law

The third law says that for every action (force) there is an equal and opposite reaction (force). Forces are found in pairs. Think about the time you sit in a chair. Your body exerts a force downward and that chair needs to exert an equal force upward or the chair will collapse. It's an issue of symmetry. Acting forces encounter other forces in the opposite direction. There's also the example of shooting a cannonball. When the cannonball is fired through the air (by the explosion), the cannon is pushed backward. The force pushing the ball out was equal to the force pushing the cannon back, but the effect on the cannon is less noticeable because it has a much larger mass. That example is similar to the kick when a gun fires a bullet forward.

Question: What happens when we flick a card out from under a coin, balanced on a cup? Why does it happen?

Hypothesis: If we place an index card on top of a cup, and a penny on top of the card, and then flick the card, then___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Because ______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Materials:

● 1 penny or other coin

● 1 cup with a smooth rim

● 1index card


Procedure:

1. Place the index card on top of the cup.2. Place the coin in the center of the index card, over the cup.3. With your thumb and first finger, flick the index card so it slides horizontally (sideways) off the

cup.4. Repeat steps 1-3 at least 5 times (trials). Observe and record what happens to the coin.

Observations:

Trial How did the position and/or motion of the coin change?

Notes/Observations1

2

3

4

5

Analysis:

1. Describe the trends in the motion of the card and relate it to Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. (Ex. I saw Newton’s First Law of Motion when…)


2. Describe the trends in the motion of the coin and relate it to Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. (Ex. I saw Newton’s First Law of Motion when…)

3. Does the data and observations support or refute your hypothesis? Why or why not?

marsh avenue expeditionary learning school - … · web viewname:_____ class:_____ summer science...

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