The curriculum for 8th Grade Physical Science delves into two main areas of Science – Chemistry and Physics.  Students will begin with an overview of laboratory safety and a review of scientific inquiry and metric measurement.  In Chemistry, students will participate in hands-on activities and lessons on matter – its properties, states, and changes of state.  Students will learn to distinguish between elements, compounds, and mixtures.  They will also be introduced to the atom, atomic theory, and the Periodic Table of the Elements.  Other focus areas include identifying and distinguishing between ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds, writing chemical formulas, and balancing chemical equations.  In Physics, the students will work with force, friction, gravity, and motion.  They will be introduced to Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, through both interactive lecture and group lab activities.