STAAR 8th Grade Science Quick Reference Guide

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by James

STAAR 8th Grade Science Quick Reference Guide consolidates readiness standards (RS) and supporting standards (SS) across four reporting categories: Matter and Energy, Force, Motion, and Energy, Earth and Space, and Organisms and Environments. It summarizes learning targets on atomic structure and periodic table organization, chemical reactions and balanced equations, core energy concepts, Newton’s laws and motion relationships, Earth-Sun-Moon systems and lunar cycles, tides and plate tectonics, and ecosystem interactions and environmental change.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy

Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion, and Energy

Reporting Category 2 (continued)

Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space

Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments

STAAR 8th GRADE SCIENCE Quick Reference Guide | RS | Readiness Standard | | --- | --- | | SS | Supporting Standard | | Process Skills | | | Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy (14 questions) | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 8.5A | RS | describe the structure of atoms, including the masses, electrical charges, and locations, of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons in the electron cloud | | 8.5B | RS | identify that protons determine an element’s identity and valence electrons determine its chemical properties, including reactivity | | 8.5C | RS | interpret the arrangement of the Periodic Table, including groups and periods, to explain how properties are used to classify elements | | 8.5D | RS | recognize that chemical formulas are used to identify substances and determine the number of atoms of each element in chemical formulas containing subscripts | | 8.5E | RS | investigate how evidence of chemical reactions indicate that new substances with different properties are formed | | 8.5F | SS | recognize whether a chemical equation containing coefficients is balanced or not and how that relates to the law of conservation of mass. | | 7.5C | SS | diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids | | 7.6A | SS | identify that organic compounds contain carbon and other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, or sulfur | | 7.6B | SS | distinguish between physical and chemical changes in matter in the digestive system | | 6.5C | SS | differentiate between elements and compounds on the most basic level | | 6.6A | SS | compare metals, nonmetals, and metalloids using physical properties such as luster, conductivity, or malleability | | 6.6B | SS | calculate density to identify an unknown substance | | Reporting Category 2
Force, Motion, and Energy (12 questions) | | | | 8.6A | RS | demonstrate and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object’s motion | | 8.6B | SS | differentiate between speed, velocity, and acceleration | | 8.6C | RS | investigate and describe applications of Newton’s law of inertia, law of force and acceleration, and law of action-reaction such as in vehicle restraints, sports activities, amusement park rides, Earth’s tectonic activities, and rocket launches | | 7.7A | SS | contrast situations where work is done with different amounts of force to situations where no work is done such as moving a box with aramp and without a ramp, or standing still | | Reporting Category 2 (continued) | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 6.8A | SS | | compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy | | | 6.8C | SS | | calculate average speed using distance and time measurements | | | 6.8D | SS | | measure and graph changes in motion | | | 6.9C | SS | | demonstrate energy transformations such as energy in a flashlight battery changes from chemical energy to electrical energy to light energy | | | Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space (14 questions) | | | | | | 8.7A | | RS | | model and illustrate how the tilted Earth rotateson its axis, causing day and night, and revolves around the Sun causing changes in seasons | | 8.7B | | RS | | demonstrate and predict the sequence of events in the lunar cycle | | 8.7C | | SS | | relate the position of the Moon and Sun to their effect on ocean tides. | | 8.8A | | RS | | describe components of the universe, including stars, nebulae, and galaxies, and use models such as the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for classification | | 8.8B | | SS | | recognize that the Sun is a medium-sized star near the edge of a disc-shaped galaxy of stars and that the Sun is many thousands of times closer to Earth than any other star | | 8.8C | | SS | | explore how different wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum such as light and radio waves are used to gain information about distances and properties of components in the universe | | 8.8D | | SS | | model

FAQs

What does the guide include for STAAR 8th Grade Science?

It lists readiness standards (RS) and supporting standards (SS) organized by STAAR reporting categories, giving concise descriptions of what students should know and be able to do.

Which topics are covered under Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy?

It includes atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical formulas and reactions, and balancing equations tied to conservation of mass.

What types of science ideas are addressed in the Earth and Space and Organisms and Environments sections?

Earth and Space covers Earth-Sun-Moon motion, lunar cycles, tides, the universe, and plate tectonics, while Organisms and Environments focuses on relationships in food webs, ecosystem factors, environmental change, and human impacts.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by James