6-8th Grade MCAS Review Packet

Science Basics-

Mass: Measurement of matter

Unit= gram (g)
Tool= balance

Weight: Measure of the pull of gravity

Unit= pounds (lbs)
Tool= scale

Volume: Measure of how much space an object takes up

Unit= milliliters (mL), liquids or cubic centimeters (cm 3), solids
1mL= 1 cm3

Density: Measure of how much matter is in a space

This is a property of a substance. A 10g piece of copper will have the same density as a
200g piece of copper.
mass
density =
volume
Unit= g/cm3

Space Science: Our Place in the Solar System-

Our Universe is known to be 91 billion Light Years in diameter.

It contains billions of galaxies.
Each galaxy can contain between 1000’s to 1 hundred trillion stars.

This is our galaxy- the Milky Way, a spiral galaxy.

All of the planets in our solar system revolve (orbit) around our Sun (a star). All planets are held in place
around our Sun because of GRAVITY.
How long a revolution takes depends on how far away from the sun a planet is.
Mercury= shortest orbit, Neptune= longest orbit

This is called a dwarf planet

Inner planets are made of rock.

Outer Planets are made of gas, and

are called “gas giants”

As our Solar System formed the

heaviest material collected
towards the center (the Sun)
and the lighter gas like material
collected at the edges.

Space Science: The Sun- Earth- Moon System

The moon does NOT have its own light. The moon’s light is a reflection of the Sun’s rays. So when we
see the phases of the moon, it is because we see only parts of the moon lit for the sun.

The inner circle is how the moon looks in space

when we are looking down at its orbit.

The outer circle is how the moon appears to us as

we look up at the moon in the sky.

As you study this picture take note of where the

sun’s, the moon’s and the Earth’s positions are in
relation to one another.
Eclipses occur when the light of the sun is blocked by either the moon or the earth.

Seasons are caused by three factors.

1. The Earth revolves around the sun (1 year, 365 days)
2. The Earth’s tilt is 23.5°.
3. The Earth’s tilt is ALWAYS pointed to the same spot in space.

Earth Science: Geology

 Earth is driven by the convection
currents in its mantle. The
convection currents in the
asthenosphere push around the
plates of the lithosphere causing our
Earth to be shaped the way it is.

Oceanic crust is made of basalt. It is

very dense and sinks.

Continental crust (land) is granite

based. It is less dense and rises.

Plate Tectonics: Earth’s surface is split into sections, or plates. These plates move around on the
asthenosphere. Slowly, over millions of years these plates interact to create landforms.
 The Rock Cycle is a picture that
describes how different types of
rocks are formed.

When you look at layers of rocks,

the OLDEST ROCKS will ALWAYS
be on the BOTTOM, they get
younger as you head towards the
surface.

FOSSILS are typically only found in

SEDIMENTARY rocks.

Igneous rocks come in two types,

intrusive (inside earth, magma) or
extrusive (outside Earth, lava)

Weather vs Climate

Weather is the day to day readings of precipitation, humidity, temperature, etc.

Climate is the yearly long term measurements of precipitation, humidity, temperature, etc.
Earth Science: Oceans

Water has the ability to resist temperature changes so it takes a long time to heat up, and a long time to
cool. If you live by the ocean you can have mild winters and cooler summers, than other places inland.
That’s why in the fall and winter we in New Bedford have milder winter with less snow than central
Massachusetts.

Cold Currents come from the Poles. Warm currents come from the equator.

Ocean water evaporates into the atmosphere causing weather.

Physical Science: Energy

Energy is the
ability to cause
change.

There are many

different types of
energy.

Law of the
Conservation of
Energy:

Energy cannot be
created or
destroyed, it only
changes form.

Heat Transfer:

Conduction- when two objects touch, a collision of particles. (ex- a spoon in a hot bowl of soup)
Convection- a movement within a fluid (water, air, magma). Hot is less dense and rises. Cool condenses
and gravity brings particles down. (convection currents)
Radiation- energy transfer of electromagnetic waves. Sunlight, microwave oven, x-rays
Physical Science: Newton’s Laws of Motion

1st Law of Motion- An object at rest remains at rest unless acted upon by an outside unbalanced force.
Inertia- the ability to resist change. A car will remain still in the wind, unlike a leaf. (based on mass)
Remember- gravity and friction can be an outside force.

2nd Law of Motion- Force=Mass ×acceleration , F=ma

The harder the force on an object, the faster it goes. OR It takes more effort to push something heavy
than something light.

3rd Law of Motion- For every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction.
If a ball bounces on the wall, the wall will push back with the same force equal to the ball’s.
If a rocket’s fire shoots down, the rocket will move up.

Balance force (0 N) = no motion Unbalance force= acceleration

Physical Science: Chemistry

Atom- the smallest unit of matter that has properties. Protons, neutrons,
electrons

Element- a single atom or molecule that contains only one type of atom.

Molecule- more than any one type of atom put together

Compound- 2 or more different atoms put together, properties change and can only be
separated by chemical process.

Physical vs Chemical Changes

A Physical Change is a change in state or size.
A Chemical Change is new molecules are formed and their properties have changed.
Signs of a Chemical Change:
Bubbles/ gas produced
Light
Sound
Color change
Heat change Add heat, gets hot = exothermic Removes heat, gets cold = endothermic
Notice how as the temperature increases the energy of each molecule increases.
Gas has the
most energy so
the particles
become less
dense rises and
spreads out.

A liquid is formed when

particles gain enough energy
to flow over one another

A solid is so cold that the particles are fixed in

Place, and just vibrate, but no actual movement

Solid- Anything that has definite volume and shape

Liquid- anything that has definite volume but takes the shape of the container
Gas- anything that has NO definite volume or shape

Life Science: Cell Biology

A cell is the most basic unit of life, if there are no cells, then it was never living.
There are two different types of cells.

Prokaryotic- which has no nucleus and is bacteria.

Eukaryotic- which has a nucleus and is the unit of

every other form of life
Life Science: Ecology

Ecology- how organisms fit into their environment

Ecosystem- a mixture of biotic (living) and non-biotic (non-living) factors that affect organisms in their
environment
Community- a group of organisms in the same area
Habitat- where and organism lives

How they feed

Autotroph Heterotroph
(self)(feeding) (other)(feeding)

Plants Herbavores (plant eaters)

Makes food through Photosynthesis Carnivores (meat eaters)
Omnivores (eat plant and meat)

Producers Consumers

Photosynthesis: water + carbon dioxide+ sunlight → Sugar + oxygen

IT’S A
Cellular Respiration: sugar +oxygen → Water+carbon dioxide +energy CYCLE!!!!!

These are the trophic levels of each part of this food chain.

Notice the arrows. The energy of the sun is GOING INTO the grass. The energy of the grass is GOING
INTO the grasshopper. The energy of the grasshopper is GOING INTO the shrew. The energy of the
shrew is GOING INTO the owl.

When you put many food chains together… it becomes a food web…
The hawk and the owl are top
level predators.

The grass and the blueberry

bush are the producers, plants
who make their own food.
 Everything in the web is
interconnected. If you remove
the blueberry bush the skunk
will have nothing to eat and the
population will die out. The owl
will have to eat more shrews,
which will decrease the
population of the shrews.

A trophic pyramid shows the

mass of each level, but also how the
available energy decreases with each step
up.
Life Sciences: Genetics