Alberta - Grades 7 & 8 Science - FULL YEAR BUNDLE

GOOGLE AND PDF VERSIONS BOTH INCLUDED! PERFECT FOR A SPLIT GRADE CLASS!

This bundle covers all expectations in the Alberta Grades 7 & 8 Science Curriculums.

These massive units contains readings, diagrams, experiments, true/false, and much more!

Most importantly, we have made cross-curriculum connections to the grades 7 and 8 language programs. Students will practice reading comprehension strategies (making connections, questioning, visualizing, and inferencing) as they work through this unit.

Check out the previews of these units to learn more about how it can benefit your students. We know you will love this no-prep, just print or upload to Google, time-saving resource!

GRADE 7 Units

Interactions and Ecosystems

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is an ecosystem?
• Types of ecosystems (aquatic, terrestrial, rotting log, forests, etc.)
• Biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems
• Biodiversity in ecosystems
• Analyzing ecosystems – how the abiotic factors influence the biotic factors
• Comparing local habitats – undisturbed habitats versus habitats with heavy-use
• Food chain in different ecosystems
• Nutrient cycle - Role of decomposers
• Water cycle and carbon cycle
• Finding examples of water and carbon cycling in a local ecosystem
• Decomposers, producers, consumers – all the way up to apex predators
• The effects of altering food chains
• Overfishing effects on ocean food chains
• Cycle of matter leading to sustainability
• Primary Succession and Secondary Succession
• Carrying capacity of ecosystems
• Human activities affecting ecosystems – Invasive species in Alberta (brown rat/Norway rat)
• Reforestation and clearcutting – human activities affecting ecosystems
• Creating infographic about deforestation
• Livestock farming – Effects on sustainability
• Factory farming - Effects on sustainability
• Researching – Silvopastures vs Factory Farms
• Pesticides in modern agricultural
• How we use technologies to help ecosystems
• How vehicles (technologies) affect ecosystems
• Promoting biodiversity - learning from Indigenous practices
• STEM Activities
• Hands on experiments – building a bird feeder and an ecosystem in a bottle
• Reading and writing code
• STEM Assignment – designing a robot camera
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Plants for Food and Fibre

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• Basic needs of plants – light, water, air, space, and warmth
• Parts of a plant – diagram
• How we use plants – medicine, food, clothing, shelter
• Indigenous use of plants
• Why plants need animals
• Why animals need plants
• How plants are grown – farms, greenhouses, and gardens
• Experiment – growing plants in different environments
• Long-term effects of irrigation
• Seed plant life cycle
• Bulb plant life cycle
• Plant classification – flowering vs non-flowering
• Vascular vs non-vascular plants
• Plant parts – roots, stem, leaves, flowers and seeds
• Plant profile – how a cactus can survive in extreme environments
• Photosynthesis
• Transpiration – diffusion and osmosis
• Experiment – tasty leaves
• What is in our soil
• Soil profiles – sandy soil, silt soil, clay soil, and loamy soil
• Types of soil certain plants need
• Experiment – soil composition test
• Experiment - Investigating the components of soil
• STEM – soil testing technologies
• Coding – soil testing machine
• Additives in soil – fertilizers and pesticides
• Experiment - Pop bottle composter
• Pesticides – effects on soil/plants
• Environmental challenges to plants – light, temperature, construction, drought
• Hydroponics
• Selective breeding
• Monocultural farming
• Crop rotations
• Plant propagation - root cuttings, stem cuttings, seeds, division, suckers
• Indigenous agricultural practices promoting sustainability
• Locally grown food
• Two billion trees
• Robotic bees – pollination
• Invasive species – Phragmites
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Heat and Temperature

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• Why humans need heat
• The history of heat use – campfires, fireplaces, stoves, furnaces, central heating systems
• Heat-related technologies – hair and clothes dryers, stoves, oven mitts, ski suits, protective equipment
• Industrial heat processes – metallurgy, cement, glass
• What is thermal energy?
• The Particle Theory of Matter
• Heat transfer and the Particle Theory
• Thermal energy experiment
• Heat vs temperature – what is the difference?
• How heat is generated
• Effects of heat on states of matter
• Thermal expansion and thermal contraction in matter
• Convection – heat transfer examples in our everyday lives
• Convection – hot air balloon
• Sea breeze and land breezes – convection
• Science experiment – convection in action
• Conduction – travel mug example
• Thermal conductivity versus thermal resistivity
• Radiation – heat transfer from the Sun
• Heat transfer – convection, conduction, and radiation (real life examples)
• Assignment – creating a heat transfer infographic
• Ocean currents and climate – convection
• The Sun’s heat affecting the water cycle
• The Greenhouse Effect
• Human activities creating greenhouse gases
• Research assignment – greenhouse gas emissions per country
• Renewable and non-renewable sources of energy used to heat our homes
• Geothermal heat pumps
• Using renewable source of energy – wind, hydro, and solar (benefits and drawbacks)
• Energy efficient homes – insulation (R-values)
• Net-zero homes – insulation, improved construction materials (triple-paned windows)
• Lab experiment - insulation
• STEM Activities
• Hands on Experiments – Greenhouse Gas Effect, Wind Turbines, Insulation Lab
• Building models, systems, or structures
• Reading and writing code
• STEM Assignment – Heating and Cooling Invention
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Structures and Forces

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• Types of structures: shell structures, frame structures, and solid structures
• Centre of gravity affecting a structure’s stability
• Leaning Tower of Pisa – How the centre of gravity is affecting its stability
• Evaluating the stability of structures by determining the centre of gravity
• Centre of gravity experiments
• Internal forces – shear, compression, tension, and torsion affecting structures
• Finding examples of these internal forces in our environment
• External forces from the natural environment – natural forces (earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.)
• Tropical storms – hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones
• How to build structures strong enough to withstand natural phenomenon
• Storm shutters, houses built on pillars, storm windows
• The Tacoma Narrows Bridge – how external and internal forces caused the collapse
• Live and dead loads
• Describing forces – Magnitude, direction, point of application and plane of application
• Magnitude – Force diagrams using arrows
• Determining the net force by reading force diagrams and arrows
• Symmetrical structures creating stability
• Structural failures – poor foundations, bad designs, faulty construction and extraordinary loads
• Digging foundations below the frost line – Basements
• Leaning Tower of Pisa and its poor foundation – foundation settling
• Examining bad designs in structures around the world
• Faulty construction leading to structural failures – Skyline Plaza Apartment Building collapse
• Properties of materials – cement, steel, rubber and plastic
• Choosing the right building material – manufacturing shoes
• Beams – I beams (H beams) used under compressive loads
• Experiment – building a cardboard I beam
• Strong structures – cats surviving high falls, tall sunflower plants
• Structural analysis – engineers and architects researching the forces and loads acting on potential structures
• Structural assessment reports – engineers working to keep structures safe
• STEM Activities
• Hands on Experiments – building bridges, chairs, tower
• Artificial intelligence on construction sites keeping them safe
• Coding – Monitoring the Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Reading and writing code
• STEM Assignment – AI improving safety at recess
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Planet Earth

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is geology?
• Sudden vs gradual changes to the Earth
• Sudden: earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides
• Evidence of how earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides have changed the Earth
• How volcanoes created the Hawaiian Islands
• Plate boundaries – convergent, divergent, and transform
• Experiment – demonstrating plate boundaries
• Where earthquakes happen – Pacific Ring of Fire
• Mount St. Helen Volcano eruption and landslide
• Rocks vs minerals
• Classifying rocks and minerals
• Mineral composition of certain rocks – granite, gneiss, limestone, conglomerate, etc.
• The rock cycle – reading and diagram
• Science experiment – the rock cycle
• Geological processes that create metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rock
• Physical properties of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock
• Identifying metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks
• Describing rocks/minerals using their properties – lustre, hardness, colour, texture, transparency
• The Mohs Test – testing the hardness of rocks
• Earth’s processes – compacting, cementing, cooling, heating, pressure, erosion, etc.
• Controlling erosion – seawalls
• Weathering rocks – sediments and sedimentation
• Weathering, erosion, and deposition – formation of islands and sand dunes
• The effects of wind, water, and ice on rocks and landforms
• Coastal erosion – sea stumps, caves, arches and columns
• Waterfall formation – erosion
• Mountain formation – types of mountains and how they are forms
• Rocks and fossils
• What fossils tell us about Earth’s history
• Geological time scale
• Research assignment – determining living organisms during each time period/era
• Mining technologies – core drilling and underground drones
• STEM Assignment – Underground Drones
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

GRADE 8 Units

Mix of Flow and Matter

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is a fluid?
• WHMIS – Understanding safety symbols
• The safe handling, disposal, and storing of fluids
• Pure substances – compounds and elements
• Mixtures and pure substances
• Homogenous mixtures and heterogenous mixtures
• Classifying mixtures and pure substances
• Classifying homogenous and heterogenous mixtures
• Science experiment – homogenous and heterogenous mixtures
• Solutes, solvents, and solutions
• Science experiment – testing the dissolving process
• Factors affecting solubility
• Describing solutions – concentration and dilution of solutions
• Describing the concentration of solutions – in quantitative and qualitative terms
• Understanding viscosity
• Experiment – comparing viscosities
• Particle theory – effects on fluids
• Relationship between mass, volume, and density
• Density of gases, liquids, and solids
• Calculating density – mass/volume
• Buoyancy – positive buoyancy, negative buoyancy, and neutral buoyancy
• Experiments determining buoyancy – water vs saltwater vs sugar water
• Archimedes’ Principle
• Lighter-than-air flying devices – airships and hot air balloons (buoyancy of gases)
• Compressing gases – experiment and reading/questions
• Mishandling of compressed gases
• Hydraulic systems vs pneumatic systems
• Pascal’s Law – buoyancy
• Performing calculations using Pascal’s Law
• Factors affecting the flow of fluids – temperature, pressure, density, viscosity
• Calculating pressure – force per unit of area (Newtons per metre squared, Pascals, Kilopascals, and PSI)
• Regulating fluids in the circulatory system and in engines
• Valves in mechanical systems
• Comparing a fish’s bladder vs ballast water
• Impacts of fluid technologies – renewable energy (wind turbines, hydro)
• Oil spills - The Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• Indigenous communities and oil spills – Ocean Man oil spill
• Hands on Experiments – Comparing viscosities, densities of liquids, buoyancy, air pressure
• Building a hydraulic system
• Reading and writing code – cleaning up oil spills and coding hydraulic systems
• STEM Assignment – Researching and inventing fluid technologies
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Cells and Systems

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is a cell?
• Cell theory
• Organelles in cells – nucleus, cell membrane, cytoplasm, cell wall, mitochondria and more
• Research assignment – organelle in plant and animal cells
• Diagrams of plant and animal cells
• Comparing plant and animal cells – structure, organelles, size, shape
• Identifying plant and animal cells
• Experiment/activity – building a 3D model of a cell
• Diffusion of molecules in cells
• Osmosis in cells
• Factors affecting diffusion
• Diffusion and the exchange of gas in humans and frogs
• Ideal solutions for cells – osmosis
• Unicellular organisms – Amoeba and Paramecium
• Research assignment – studying unicellular organisms
• Multicellular organisms – humans, worms, and frogs
• Levels of organization – cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems
• Researching organ systems to learn about the organs, tissues, and cells included
• Nervous system – diagrams, reading and questions
• Circulatory system – diagrams, reading and questions
• Circulatory system experiment – testing heart rate and exercise
• Respiratory system – diagrams, reading, questions, and building a respiratory system model
• Digestive system – diagrams, reading, questions, and creating a model digestive system
• Skeletal system - diagrams, reading and questions
• Muscular system - diagrams, reading and questions
• Integumentary system – reading, diagram, and questions
• Immune system – reading, diagram, and questions
• Excretory system – reading, diagram, and questions
• Diseases – Stroke, Asthma, Celiac, and Epilepsy – Readings and questions for all four
• Stem cell technologies treating disease – Alzheimer's and Spinal injuries
• Researching advantages and disadvantages of stem cells
• Cellular agriculture – cultured meat
• Using cultured meats – multiple perspectives (animals, environmentalists, livestock farmers)
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Light and Optical Systems

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is light?
• Properties of light – light absorbing, light reflecting, and light refracting
• Experiment – light maze
• Measuring reflected light using diagrams and a protractor
• White light – seeing colours
• Light interacting with different materials – absorbing, reflecting, and refracting
• STEM Assignment – creating a soundproof room
• Experiment – creating a soundproof box
• Light transmission - transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
• Experiment – transparent, translucent, and opaque materials
• Light refraction – reading and questions
• Experiment – demonstrating refraction
• Experiment – refraction in water versus saltwater
• Refraction – measuring angles of incidence and angle of refraction
• Optical illusions
• Research - Mirages and Rainbows
• Coherent versus incoherent light
• Vision – how do our eyes work?
• Binocular vision and binocular vision dysfunction (lazy eye, crossed eyes, etc.)
• Cones and rods
• Comparing eyes and cameras
• Concave versus convex lenses
• Microscopes – compound lenses
• Microscope diagram
• Electron microscope
• Devices that use light – telescope, microscope, motion detector, microwaves, traffic lights
• Light technologies – lasers correcting eye impairments
• LASIK and cataract surgery
• Optical systems in animals
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Mechanical Systems

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• What is a system?
• Purpose, inputs, and outputs of systems
• Components of systems – computer system, HVAC system, and backhoe system
• Improving mechanical systems over time – Mill wheel, Archimedes’ Screw, Persian Wheel
• Trial and error – The Wright Brothers and their experimenting/success in building a flying machine
• Physics – using scientific terms (energy, work, forces, displacement, efficiency)
• Different types of energy – chemical, electrical, thermal, mechanical, nuclear
• Forces – contact and non-contact forces
• Research assignment – understanding the compass
• Describing everyday situations using scientific terms – forces, energy, work, displacement, efficiency
• Calculating work using the formula work = force x distance
• Mechanical advantages using simple machines
• Calculating the mechanical advantages of levers, gears, pulleys and inclined planes
• Diagrams of the simple machines and their mechanical advantages
• Lever experiment
• Compound machines – combining simple machines to build powerful systems
• Analyzing compound machines and systems
• Pneumatic systems – pressurized air (air compressor and nail guns)
• Hydraulic systems – qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the system
• Determining the mechanical advantages of hydraulic systems
• Pressure of fluids
• Importance of machines – Machines helping us build the structures we have now
• Calculating the pressure of pneumatic and hydraulic systems – Pascals and Kilopascals
• Dissipating heat from mechanical systems
• Friction causing dissipation (sliding friction, static friction, and rolling friction)
• Technologies reducing friction and dissipation (lubricants, wheels, furniture sliders)
• Experiment – phone book friction (sticky notes)
• Calculating efficiency – energy out/total energy in = efficiency
• Technological innovations improving productivity – robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), 3D printing
• Research assignment – Industry 4.0 (evolution of industrial revolution)
• Automation of manufacturing industry
• Impact of automation on society, economy, and the environment
• Self-driving autonomous vehicles
• Automation – different points of view
• Hands on experiments – testing machines and testing efficiency
• Building models, systems, or structures
• Reading and writing code – self-driving vehicles, lawn mowers, robot vacuums
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

Freshwater and Saltwater Systems

Some of the concepts that are covered:

• Studying glaciers – the Cryosphere
• Water distribution on Earth
• Water characteristics
• TDS – Total dissolved solids found in water
• Difference between freshwater, saltwater, and potable water
• Plants and animals living in saltwater and freshwater
• Ocean depth zones
• Animals living at each ocean depth
• Aquatic habitats – deep ocean
• Overfishing – effects on populations
• Watershed, Water table and Aquifers
• Groundwater diagrams
• Coastal erosion – headlands, sea stumps, sea caves, sea stacks, arches
• Formation of headlands and bays
• Meandering streams – erosion and deposition
• Experiment - flow rate of a stream
• Oceanic basins – geological features (trenches, continental shelves, and submarine volcanoes)
• Drinking water – Different types of wells
• Human activities affecting the water table
• Climate change – Melting glaciers
• Effects of melting glaciers on coastal communities
• Assignment – Creating an Infographic about Melting Glaciers
• Coastal Storms – Hurricanes, Typhoons, Cyclones as well as storm surges and flooding
• Microclimates – Victoria, BC
• Comparing atmospheric conditions in coastal regions versus regions inland
• Water quality – pH levels, turbidity, bacteria, dissolved oxygen
• Experiment – determining pH levels in local bodies of water
• Human activities affecting water quality – agriculture, fossil fuels, sewage, pharmaceuticals
• Water treatment plants – research assignment and reading/questions
• Tertiary water treatment systems
• Rural water treatment systems – Septic tanks
• Experiment – creating a water filter
• How cities manage water – water meters and incentives to conserve water usage
• Personal water consumption survey
• How the Indigenous use water
• Drinking water advisories in First Nation communities
• Rainwater harvesting and greywater systems - technologies
• Desalination systems – converting saltwater to freshwater technologies
• Hands on Experiments – groundwater model, testing pH levels, making a water filter, finding a microclimate
• Reading and writing code – water testing technology and water testing invention
• Unit test
• Answer pages for all activities

This is a comprehensive bundle that will save you hours of planning! It has been tested and found effective in helping students achieve the learning goals in the NEW science curriculum.

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