Course Syllabus
Welcome
We are pleased that you selected this course to fulfill your unique educational needs. You are now a member of the Mizzou Academy's global student body.
Course Description
Science 8A takes an integrative approach to teach science by using crosscutting concepts that link all branches of science. The concepts include patterns; cause and effect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; energy and matter; structure and function; and stability and change. Students will explore life science, physical science, and earth science concepts together. This course will focus on forces and motion as well as an introduction to space systems. Throughout all lessons, there will be an emphasis on scientific processes and engineering design.
Lead Teacher Introduction
Ericca Thornhill
Ericca Thornhill is the Science Division Chair for Mizzou Academy. She earned both a bachelor’s & master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Missouri - Columbia. She lives between Columbia & the Missouri River with her husband & kayak. Before coming to Mizzou Academy, Ericca worked as a high school & middle school science teacher in rural & urban public schools, a private school and Missouri Scholars Academy. She loves science because it helps us understand this amazing universe and makes our lives so much better! Her favorite part of working with Mizzou Academy is helping her students reach their dreams!
Ericca Thornhill
Teacher
Science Division Chair
Required Materials
Lesson 1
- Activity: Egg Drop
- Raw Eggs
- Recycled materials. Consider finding old cardboard boxes, food containers like egg cartons, old newspapers, etc.
- Recommended: “dummy” eggs for testing, like plastic Easter eggs or candy eggs.
- Paper towels
- Camera to record drop before and after.
Lesson 2
- Activity:Test Track
- Books or something else to lift one end of a ramp
- Timer (stopwatch, phone with stopwatch function etc.)
- Ruler or meter stick
- Ball or marble
- Cardboard to use as a ramp
- Activity: Build an Accelerometer
- Index card
- String
- Washer or small weight
- ruler
Lesson 3
- Friction Lab
- A small object that can slide across a surface (such as a bottle cap or coin)
- Ruler
- Four different flat surfaces such as tile, wood, wax paper, sandpaper, carpet, aluminum foil, concrete or paper
Lesson 4
- Activity: Explore Forces of Circular Motion
- String
- Small soft toy
- Activity: Experiment with Momentum
- Basketball or similar sized ball
- Ping pong ball or similar sized ball
- Meter stick
Lesson 5
- Activity:
- Dumbbell or can of food less than 2.3 kg
- Timer
- Ruler or meter stick
- Activity: Lever Challenge
- Ruler
- Marker
- Masking tape
- Tennis ball
Lesson 6
- Activity: “Seeing Light”
- 2 glasses with smooth sides
- tonic water
- tap water
- black paper
- sunlight
- Activity: Build a Balloon Rocket
- Balloon
- Plastic straw
- String
- tape
Lesson 7
None
Lesson 8
- Activity: Comparing Crystals
- Table salt
- Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)
- Magnifying lens
- Activity: Modeling the Rock Cycle
- Crayons
- Hot water
- Tweezers or small tongs
- Plastic knives
Lesson 9
- Activity: Exploring Invisible Forces
- 2 bar magnets
- small objects some magnetic and others not
- Activity: Creating Invisible Fields
- 2 meters of insulated copper wire
- 6 V battery
- D size battery
- Large iron nail
- Paper clips
Lesson 10
- Activity: Exploring Forces
- Stack of 40 pennies or other coins
- Heavy ball or marble
- Several other balls of varying mass
- Paper towel tube
- 4 books
- string
- foam
- rubber bands
- popsicle sticks
- plastic spoons
- tape
- Activity: Creating Your Own Crater Model
- Shallow pan or box
- Flour
- Cocoa powder
- Balls or marbles of different mass
- ruler
Technical Requirements
The most up-to-date requirements can be found here:
- Computer Requirements
- Browser Requirements
- Proctoring Requirements
- Microphone (external or internal)
- Webcam
Additional requirements for the course are below:
- audio and video recording capabilities (e.g. smartphone, camera)
Accessibility
If you anticipate barriers related to the format or requirements of this course, please let Mizzou Academy know as soon as possible. If disability-related accommodations are necessary (for example, a scribe, reader, extended time on exams, captioning), please contact Mizzou Academy.
Exams
Midterm Exam
The Midterm Exam is over Lessons 1-5. Your exam is 40 questions, 4 points each; Choose the one best answer.
This exam is proctored. Your proctor or teacher will enter the access code for you to begin your exam. When you begin, you will have 2 hours.
During the exam you are NOT allowed to navigate away from this exam page or use any other resources to assist you in the exam unless otherwise specified on this exam page.*
Final Exam
The Final Exam is over Lessons 6-10. Your exam is 40 questions, 4 points each; Choose the one best answer.
This exam is proctored. Your proctor or teacher will enter the access code for you to begin your exam. When you begin, you will have 2 hours.
During the exam you are NOT allowed to navigate away from this exam page or use any other resources to assist you in the exam unless otherwise specified on this exam page.*
Note: Before taking this exam, complete the study guide, located in the course modules. Also, refer to Skill Group 10 in our Learning Library.
Grades
Your final grade will be based on the number of points you earn on assignments and exams.
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 90–100 |
| B | 80–89 |
| C | 70–79 |
| D | 60–69 |
| F | 0–59 |
After completing the course, unofficial transcripts will be available in the Tiger Portal. See this page for information on requesting official transcripts.
Canvas and Technical Support
Canvas will be used as the primary platform for accessing course materials and assignments for this class.
- Access Canvas through the Tiger Portal https://mizzouacademy.missouri.edu/
- For assistance with Canvas, passwords, or other technical issues, submit a ticket by selecting Help from the Global Navigation menu on the left in Canvas. Additional information is provided in the following Canvas Guide: How do I get help with Canvas as a student?
- For questions about enrollment, access to courses, exam proctoring, or billing, contact our Support Services Team at (855) 256-4975 or mizzouacademy@missouri.edu.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|