Name: ______________________________
1.1 Goal Setting and Natural Selection 
Pre-Assessment 
Activity #1: Do NOW
A. According to Kid President, what
are ​THREE​ ways you can make it
awesome for somebody else this
year?
● ______________________
______________________
● ______________________
______________________
● ______________________
______________________
PAIR-SHARE Question​: (Using Level 2 voices, discuss with your partner)
One way/thing you can do to make this final semester more awesome for somebody else or yourself is...
Activity #2: Setting Goals
Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Kid President Video
B. What are ​TWO​ ways/things C. What is​ ONE​ way/thing you can
you can do this semester to do this semester to make the world
make the world for ​somebody for ​YOURSELF​ more awesome in
else​ more awesome in your last your last 8th grade semester?
8th grade semester?
#1: 1.___________________________
_________________________ _____________________________
_________________________ _____________________________
_________________________ ____________________________
_________________________
#2:
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
 
 
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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #3: 8th Grade Culmination Requirements  
Fill in the 8th Grade Culmination Requirements Below: 

1. 8th Grade Culmination is on ___________________________ at _________

2. _________ school days left until culmination (does not include weekends) 
3. No more than ________ __________________ in each semester.
4. No more than _______ unexcused ___________ per year (____ tardies = 1 Absence)
5. _________ hours of community service hours: Due __________ to Mr. Andrade in main office
6. No more than _________ office ______________ for the school year
7. Must not have more than ______ “non-suits” deductions for __________per semester  
 

 
Activity #4: Ms. Paredes’ Classroom 
Expectations 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Entering the Classroom   Rotations/Dismissal  

 
 
1. _________ up outside classroom
AGAINST THE WALL 1. READY!​- Get your materials ready ​QUIETLY
2. Go to your assigned seat and a. Log out laptops/close _________
IMMEDIATELY take out your: b. Roll up __________
a. ____________ c. Put __________ away.
b. highlighter 2. Set!
c. __________ ______________ a. get out of _________
3. Update your Table of Contents in b. push in ___________
your science folder c. Put your __________ on shoulders
4. Answer the Do Now Question on your QUIETLY!
packet 3. Go!
________________________​and a. Move to your new seat ​_________
INDEPENDENTLY b. ________ class ​QUIETLY

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 Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #5: “The Deadly Dare” Reading  
The year was 1979, on a night filled with fun and CATCH Annotate CFS
games. The excitement of the evening died down ❏ Highlight one keypoint from
when all in company started noticing that each paragraph.
something was wrong with one of their friends. He ❏ Circle 2 unknown/vocab
was a​ man, 29 years old​, who was becoming words
numb and weak. He told them he thought he was ❏ Ask 1 question OR make 1
going to die. Still, he refused to go to the hospital. connection
He was left alone. In 15 minutes, his heart gave ❏ Answer ​Thinking Questions
out.
1.What happened to the 29 year old
man?
Flashback, to right before the problems began.Someone thought it would be funny _______________________________
if our victim ate a rough-skinned newt. He dared him to do it. Who can resist the
2. ​Why did this happen to the 29 year
temptation of a dare? He swallowed a newt and it was his fatal mistake.
old man?
He’s not the only one to succumb to this temptation. A 36 year old man, consumed _______________________________
5 rough-skinned newts on a dare. He could just barely walk. He was dizzy and was
_______________________________
vomiting. He had trouble coordinating his muscles. He went to the hospital and
was treated and he survived. He was very fortunate. ______________________________

It’s hard to believe that this inoffensive adorable little newt could cause these
3. The newt is the only land animal to
problems, but in fact, in terms of sheer potency, you are arguably looking at the
deadliest animal in our country-worse than rattlesnakes or black widow spiders. contain what?
This little newt is the only land animal to contain ​tetrodotoxin, an incredibly _______________________________
potent neurotoxin (poison​). This neurotoxin is also found in 2 sea animals. also _______________________________
found in The deadly puffer fishes (I recall a Simpson’s episode where Homer eats
_______________________________
improperly cut puffer fish sushi and believes he only has 24 hours to live) and the
blue-ringed octopus. The octopus gets its toxin from another organism living inside 4. What other​ sea animals​ is
of it, however there is some evidence that this newt can produce its own toxin. neurotoxin found in?
_______________________________
Fortunately, this neurotoxin is only a problem if the newt is consumed. It doesn’t
leach into its environment, which also means it doesn’t have any effect on our _______________________________
drinking water (yay!). For the most part, as long as we can avoid eating these _______________________________
animals, they’ll have few negative effects on us. (Apparently, this is easier said
_______________________________
than done. I really just mentioned a couple of cases of grown men eating these
guys, but there has also been instances of small children trying to stick these 5. When is this neurotoxin a problem?
amphibians in their mouths and getting sick. For the record, my new state, Oregon, _______________________________
has the record for death by newt.) ______________________________
6. How do other animals know to
The same can be said for other animals that might prey on the newt. If predators
just choose a different meal, then they won’t be poisoned. So, how do they know avoid this newt?
to​ avoid this newt?​ Well, the newt gives them a warning. It’s called the unken _______________________________
reflex, where they arch their back in such a way that their head and their tail move
______________________________
toward each other. This exposes their bright belly.

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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #6: Can Science Explain the Origin of Life?
Directions: ​Watch ​Can Science Explain the Origin of Life?​ and answer the questions.

1. What is chemistry?
__________________________________________________________________

2. In what TWO ways is the Chemistry of Life Special?

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. What did Friedrich Wohler accidentally make in the lab?

__________________________________________________________________

4. What does the artificial urine made in the lab suggest about life?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. Where are the building blocks of life, amino acids, and sugars found?
__________________________________________________________________

6. If many of the building blocks of life are found in meteorites, what does this tell us?
__________________________________________________________________

7. What is chemical evolution?

__________________________________________________________________

8. Can Science explain the Origin of Life? Explain.

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

 
 
 

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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________
Activity #7: Pre-Test  
Directions: ​Answer the following questions as best as you can.  

I selected ________
because
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

I selected ________
because
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________

I selected ________
because
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

I selected ________
because
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

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Name: ______________________________ Period: ___________ Date: _______________