Course Introduction Page 3 – How to Work Through Science 8

When you view the Table of Contents for the course, you will see small boxes beside the end-of-section section quizzes, section projects, unit projects, and exams. When you receive marks for these assessments, the boxes will automatically be checked. It's a good way to keep track of all the assessments you need to complete in the course that count for marks.



This is a great way to keep track of your progress in the course.

There are checklists provided for all of the section and unit activities in the course. You can reach the checklists anytime by clicking "Checklists" from the Resources Menu in the Navigation Bar:



The most important checklists are the Unit Checklists. These list everything you need to complete for marks. You can also get to these Unit Checklists by clicking the Unit Checklist button at the top of almost every page in the course:



YOU are responsible for checking the boxes on checklists yourself (it does not happen automatically). Those checklists look like this:

Each unit starts with four pre-assessment questions. Don't worry, Pre-assessments are not for marks! They are an opportunity for you and your teacher to see what you already know about the topic. If you don’t know much about the topic yet, don’t worry. You will learn the answers to these questions as you work through the unit. If you have studied the topics before and find that the pre-assessment questions are very easy, you should tell your teacher.

The Unit and Section Introductions contain interesting stories that will start you thinking about the main learning ideas in the upcoming lessons.

Make sure to look at the word clouds with “Words to Think About”. The definitions of these words are important to your understanding of science concepts. Look for these words as you work through each lesson.

Key questions for each lesson are listed in the Section Introductions. Keep these key questions in mind as you work through each lesson. Once you finish a lesson, you should be able to answer its key question.

Each lesson focuses on one important topic. The video lesson at the start of each lesson explains the most important science concepts that you need to understand. Watch the video lessons, more than once if necessary.

Elsie is a junior high ADLC student. She writes a blog called “ Explore with Elsie” about all the interesting things she is learning about science that relate to her life. Check out Elsie’s blog for links to interesting videos, websites, and games.

Some lessons will have links to “Explore with Elsie”. If you click on the link, it will take you to the blog.

The end of each lesson and section has five self-check questions. Don't worry, Self-Checks are not for marks! If there are questions you can’t answer correctly in a self-check, you should go back and review those concepts or ask your teacher for help. Collecting all the self-checks is a great way to create a study tool you can use to prepare for exams.

At the end of each section you will find either a 15-question quiz or a project you must complete. These summative assessment are for marks. This is your chance to show what you know about the section you just learned, so study carefully!

At the end of each unit you will find a project you must complete. These unit projects are for marks. This is your chance to show what you know about the unit you just learned, so work at your project very carefully!

At the end of each unit you will find a review to help make sure you understand all the unit material. Following the review, there is a 35-question unit exam you must complete. These unit exams are for marks. This is your chance to show what you know about the unit you just learned, so study carefully!

Each lesson starts with a video! Watch it carefully, you are responsible for learning the concepts that are talked about in the video. Watch the video lesson more than once, if you need to. Stopping the video where you need to and taking notes are also very good ideas.

This lesson feature explains how a science topic connects to other subjects, such as math, technology, careers, and language.

In this lesson feature, you will see the results from a science experiment, or you a problem will be posed to you that will force you to think scientifically. You will think about possible explanations, come to a conclusion, and answer questions.

This lesson feature links to interesting videos related to science concepts in the lesson.

In this lesson feature, you will try some simple science experiments. These hands-on activities are an opportunity to observe science concepts in real life. The experiments use materials that you can probably find around your house, or that you can easily find in a grocery or department store.

This lesson feature is a larger learning activity that you need to complete. Lesson activities might involve doing a large experiment, or researching information.