Event Prompts

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related to the Flood of 1985. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related 1985. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related 1986. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press 

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related 1987. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press 

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related 1988. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press 

 research the events that occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia related 1989. Report as a news story with a byline: The Salt Shaker Press 

compile a separate and distinct summary for the information found on the Pocahontas Times newspaper, Reddit, Facebook, and X, highlighting the key events and narratives from 2023 for each source. Create byline: Salt Shaker Press

Sample Prompts

  research and report as a news story with a headline: The Public Trial as Moral Enforcement


The article titled "In Captivity at Mill Point" presents a dramatic and morally charged legal dispute that drew considerable public attention. The case involves the wife of Rev. Snow, a Dunkard preacher, and centers on allegations of elopement, the wife’s counter-claim that she was being held in "captivity," and the complicated legal wrangling over property rights, specifically involving a slave woman named Clyne. The court proceedings were described as drawing a wide array of spectators.

The exhaustive, detailed coverage of this case—focusing on a prominent religious figure and his wife, and touching upon lingering pre-war property claims (the mention of Clyne)—performs a critical social function. By placing the intimate and legal transgressions of community members on public record, the newspaper actively participates in the definition and enforcement of local moral and behavioral standards. Such sensational reporting, while ensuring wide readership, primarily acted as a mechanism of public justice, ensuring transparency in legal conflicts and reaffirming the collective boundaries of acceptable conduct within the county. The detailed transcript of the legal arguments provides insight into the complexity of adjudicating disputes involving property claims whose origins lay in the pre-war legal system. Pocahontas County, West Virginia 

Social Media Search

 Research Redit, Facebook, and X for the 10/26/2025 event which occurred at Watoga State Park regarding Halloween. 

 

Research Research Redit, Facebook, and X, and newspapers for the 1965 events which occurred in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Report as a summary of each.

 Research Websites

(1) Access digital archives of West Virginia newspapers that covered Pocahontas County during 1965. Identify and summarize the major news stories, political events, social happenings, and any significant incidents reported throughout that year. (2) Search on Reddit for discussions, posts, and historical accounts within relevant subreddits related to Pocahontas County, West Virginia in 1965. Summarize any user-shared anecdotes, historical analyses, or links to articles found. (3) Investigate Facebook by searching for historical societies, community groups, and public pages focused on Pocahontas County. Scan these sources for posts, vintage photographs, and user comments that reference life or specific events in the county during 1965 and summarize the findings. (4) Search X using keywords and hashtags associated with Pocahontas County history and the year 1965. Look for posts from historians, libraries, archives, or individuals sharing facts or media about the area from that time period, and create a summary of the information gathered. (5) After researching each platform, compile a separate and distinct summary for the information found on newspapers, Reddit, Facebook, and X, highlighting the key events and narratives from 1965 for each source.

Research Research Redit, Facebook, and X, and newspapers for the 1965 events which occurred in the month of March in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Report as a summary of each. 

compile a separate and distinct summary for the information found on the Pocahontas Times newspaper, Reddit, Facebook, and X, highlighting the key events and narratives from 2023 for each source. Create byline: Salt Shaker Press

Prayer

 

Sermon Outline: The Shelf Life of a Prayer

Introduction: The Perishable and the Permanent

    Hook: We live in a world governed by expiration dates, from food to warranties, reminding us of the temporal nature of our world.   

    Central Question: Does this principle apply to our prayers? Do they have a shelf life?

    Thesis: Scripture reveals that prayers offered in faith are not perishable goods but eternal seeds. They are archived, remain active, and their effects can transcend time, circumstance, and even the grave.

Part I: The Eternal Archive – Do Prayers Expire?

    Core Principle: Prayers do not expire because they are offered to an eternal God who exists outside of time.   

Key Biblical Illustration: The Golden Bowls of Heaven

    Scripture: Revelation 5:8, KJV – "...golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."

    Symbolism Explained:

        Golden Vials (Bowls): Signify the immense value, purity, and divine importance of our prayers.   

Odours (Incense): Connects to the Old Testament symbol of prayers ascending as a pleasing aroma to God (Psalm 141:2, KJV).  

Prayers of Saints: Explicitly identifies the contents as the collective prayers of all believers throughout time.  

Conclusion: The imagery of prayers being collected and preserved in heaven refutes any notion of an expiration date. They are not just heard; they exist as a perpetual memorial before God.  

Part II: The Divine Timeline – From Utterance to Answer

    Core Principle: While prayers are eternal, their answers unfold according to God's perfect, sovereign timeline, not ours.   

Types of Divine Responses:

    The Swift Reply: God's power to answer immediately.

        Examples: Hezekiah's healing (2 Kings 20:1-6, KJV) , Elijah on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:36-38, KJV).   

The Sacred Delay: Waiting as a period of divine purpose.

    Theological Concept: "Divine Timing" (Isaiah 55:8-9, KJV).   

Examples: Abraham and Sarah waiting 25 years for Isaac (Genesis 21:2, KJV) ; Daniel's 21-day prayer and the revelation of spiritual warfare (Daniel 10:12-13, KJV).  

The Call to Persistence: Our role during the delay.

    Scripture: Luke 18:1, KJV – "...men ought always to pray, and not to faint."

    Parable: The Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8, KJV).   

Principle: Persistence is the God-ordained means by which His sovereign will is often carried out, aligning our hearts with His.  

    Summary Table: A chart outlining the four types of prayer responses: "Yes," "Wait," "No," and "You Choose," with biblical examples.

Part III: The Generational Echo – Can Prayers Outlive Us?

    Core Principle: The prayers of the righteous create a spiritual legacy that echoes through generations, long after the person has passed.   

Biblical Examples:

    The "unfeigned faith" passed from Lois to Eunice to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5, KJV).   

God's promise to keep His covenant for a "thousand generations" (Deuteronomy 7:9, KJV).  

Key Illustration: The Davidic Covenant

    Origin: David's prayerful desire to build a house for God (2 Samuel 7).   

God's Response: An eternal promise of an everlasting throne and kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16, KJV).

Ultimate Fulfillment: Jesus Christ, the Son of David, whose kingdom will never end (Luke 1:32-33, KJV).  

        Conclusion: Prayer can be an agent of historical causality, shaping the future in ways we cannot fully comprehend.

Part IV: The Final Hour – Can a Prayer Be Too Late?

    Core Principle: The timeliness of a prayer depends on its nature.

    Two Scenarios:

        The Eleventh-Hour Mercy (Prayer for Salvation):

            Scripture: The Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:42-43, KJV).   

    Principle: As long as there is breath, a prayer of genuine repentance for salvation is never too late.

The Point of No Return (Prayer for a Lost Opportunity):

    Scripture: Esau and his birthright (Hebrews 12:16-17, KJV).

    Interpretation: Esau was not seeking repentance from God but was seeking to reverse the unchangeable consequences of his actions.   

Principle: While God's mercy is always available for a repentant heart, the door to a specific, squandered opportunity may close forever.  

Conclusion: The Enduring Power of a Prayer

    Recap of Main Points:

        Prayers are eternally preserved in heaven.

        Answers unfold on God's timeline, calling for our persistence.

        Our prayers create a generational legacy.

        The door to grace is never closed, though opportunities can be lost.

    Final Exhortation and Call to Action:

        To those who have stopped praying: Your past prayers are not lost.

        To those who are waiting: Trust God's timing.

        To those who feel it is too late: The prayer for salvation is never too late.

    Closing Thought: Let us pray with an eternal perspective, trusting the God who not only hears but treasures our prayers for all eternity. Amen.

Yearbook Search

 research and summarize 1957 greenbank eagles yearbook of Pocahontas County, West Virginia 

 

research and list the names of those who have died from the class of 1957 Marlinton High School in Pocahontas County, West Virginia 

 

create a lesson plan, a 50 multiple question test concluding with explanations for each and answers, and a practice worksheet. 

 

 

 

Science CSOs List Grades 1-8

 

Here are the West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science for grades 1 through 8, as listed in the provided document. Standards followed by an asterisk (*) denote the integration of traditional science content with an engineering practice.

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Science - Grade 1

Physical Science

• Topic: Waves: Light and Sound

  • S.1.1: Plan and conduct investigations to provide evidence that vibrating materials can make sound and that sound can make materials vibrate.

  • S.1.2: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that objects can be seen only when illuminated.

  • S.1.3: Plan and conduct an investigation to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

  • S.1.4: Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance.*

Life Science

• Topic: Structure, Function, and Information Processing

  • S.1.5: Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.

  • S.1.6: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

  • S.1.7: Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.*

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Space Systems: Patterns and Cycles

  • S.1.8: Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

  • S.1.9: Make observations at different times of year to relate the amount of daylight to the time of year.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.1.10: Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

  • S.1.11: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

  • S.1.12: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

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Science - Grade 2

Physical Science

• Topic: Structure and Properties of Matter

  • S.2.1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

  • S.2.2: Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.*

  • S.2.3: Make observations to construct an evidence-based account of how an object made of a small set of pieces can be disassembled and made into a new object.

  • S.2.4: Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.

Life Science

• Topic: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

  • S.2.5: Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

  • S.2.6: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.*

  • S.2.7: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Earth's Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth

  • S.2.8: Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.

  • S.2.9: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the land.*

  • S.2.10: Develop a model to represent the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area.

  • S.2.11: Obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.2.12: Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

  • S.2.13: Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

  • S.2.14: Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.

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Science - Grade 3

Physical Science

• Topic: Forces and Interactions

  • S.3.1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

  • S.3.2: Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

  • S.3.3: Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other.

  • S.3.4: Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.*

  • S.3.5: Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed toward the center of the Earth.

Life Science

• Topic: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

  • S.3.6: Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive.

  • S.3.7: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

  • S.3.8: Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change.*

• Topic: Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Life Cycles and Traits

  • S.3.9: Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.

  • S.3.10: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms.

  • S.3.11: Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

  • S.3.12: Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Weather and Climate

  • S.3.13: Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

  • S.3.14: Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.

  • S.3.15: Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.*

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.3.16: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

  • S.3.17: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • S.3.18: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

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Science - Grade 4

Physical Science

• Topic: Energy

  • S.4.1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.

  • S.4.2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

  • S.4.3: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.

  • S.4.4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.*

• Topic: Waves: Waves and Information

  • S.4.5: Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.

  • S.4.6: Generate and compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information.*

Life Science

• Topic: Structure, Function, and Information Processing

  • S.4.7: Develop a model to describe that light reflecting from objects and entering the eye allows objects to be seen.

  • S.4.8: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

  • S.4.9: Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Earth's Systems: Processes that Shape the Earth

  • S.4.10: Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.

  • S.4.11: Analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organisms and the environments in which they lived long ago.

  • S.4.12: Make observations and/or measurements to provide evidence of the effects of weathering or the rate of erosion by water, ice, wind, or vegetation.

  • S.4.13: Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth's geological features.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.4.14: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

  • S.4.15: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • S.4.16: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

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Science - Grade 5

Physical Science

• Topic: Structure and Properties of Matter

  • S.5.1: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.

  • S.5.2: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.

  • S.5.3: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.

  • S.5.4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

Life Science

• Topic: Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

  • S.5.5: Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

  • S.5.6: Use models to describe that energy in animals' food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and maintenance of body warmth) originated as energy from the sun.

  • S.5.7: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Earth's Systems

  • S.5.8: Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.

  • S.5.9: Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth's resources and environment.

  • S.5.10: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.

  • S.5.11: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

  • S.5.12: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on the human population.*

• Topic: Space Systems: Stars and the Solar System

  • S.5.13: Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distances from Earth.

  • S.5.14: Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in length and direction of shadows, day and night, and the seasonal appearance of some stars in the night sky.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.5.15: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

  • S.5.16: Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • S.5.17: Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

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Science - Grade 6

Life Science

• Topic: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

  • S.6.1: Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

  • S.6.2: Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.*

• Topic: Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems

  • S.6.3: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.

  • S.6.4: Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.

  • S.6.5: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.

  • S.6.6: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

  • S.6.7: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

Physical Science

• Topic: Atoms and Elements

  • S.6.8: Develop models to describe the relationship between atoms and molecules.

  • S.6.9: Utilize the periodic table as an informational tool to identify elements.

• Topic: Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation

  • S.6.10: Use mathematical representations to describe a simple model for waves that includes how the amplitude of a wave is related to the energy in a wave.

  • S.6.11: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.

  • S.6.12: Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Space Systems

  • S.6.13: Develop and use a model of the Earth-sun-moon system to describe the cyclic patterns of lunar phases, eclipses of the sun and moon, and seasons.

  • S.6.14: Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.

  • S.6.15: Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.

• Topic: Weather and Climate

  • S.6.16: Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions.

  • S.6.17: Develop and use a model to describe how unequal heating and rotation of the Earth cause patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.

  • S.6.18: Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the change in global temperatures over the past century.

• Topic: Human Impacts

  • S.6.19: Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.6.20: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution.

  • S.6.21: Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each.

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Science - Grade 7

Life Science

• Topic: Structure, Function, and Information Processing

  • S.7.1: Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.

  • S.7.2: Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways parts of cells contribute to the function.

  • S.7.3: Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells with emphasis on the circulatory, excretory, digestive, respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems.

  • S.7.4: Gather and synthesize information that sensory receptors respond to stimuli by sending messages to the brain for immediate behavior or storage as memories.

Physical Science

• Topic: Energy

  • S.7.5: Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.

  • S.7.6: Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.

  • S.7.7: Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.*

  • S.7.8: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

  • S.7.9: Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object.

• Topic: Forces and Interactions

  • S.7.10: Apply Newton's Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.*

  • S.7.11: Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object's motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

  • S.7.12: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

  • S.7.13: Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.

  • S.7.14: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

Earth and Space Sciences

• Topic: Earth's Systems

  • S.7.15: Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.

  • S.7.16: Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth's systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.

  • S.7.17: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth's mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.

• Topic: History of Earth

  • S.7.18: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata for how the geologic timescale is used to organize Earth's 4.6-billion-year-old history.

  • S.7.19: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth's surface at varying time and spatial scales.

  • S.7.20: Analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks, continental shapes, and seafloor structures to provide evidence of the past plate motions.

• Topic: Human Impacts

  • S.7.21: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.*

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.7.22: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, considering limitations to solutions including scientific principles and potential relevant possible impacts on people and the environment.

  • S.7.23: Analyze data from tests to determine which characteristics of design can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

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Science - Grade 8

Life Science

• Topic: Growth, Development, and Reproduction of Organisms

  • S.8.1: Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.

  • S.8.2: Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

  • S.8.3: Develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of an organism.

  • S.8.4: Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

  • S.8.5: Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

• Topic: Natural Selection and Adaptations

  • S.8.6: Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

  • S.8.7: Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

  • S.8.8: Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

  • S.8.9: Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

  • S.8.10: Use mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Physical Science

• Topic: Structure and Properties of Matter

  • S.8.11: Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and basic extended structures.

  • S.8.12: Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.

  • S.8.13: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

• Topic: Chemical Reactions

  • S.8.14: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

  • S.8.15: Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

  • S.8.16: Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.*

Earth and Space Science

• Topic: Human Impacts

  • S.8.17: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science

• Topic: Engineering Design

  • S.8.18: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • S.8.19: Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.