Content and Cognitive Domains (Grade 8)

Thirty-five percent of the eighth-grade science assessment was devoted to biology, including characteristics and life processes of organisms; cells and their functions; life cycles, reproduction, and heredity; diversity, adaptation, and natural selection; ecosystems; and human health. Eighth-grade students were asked about how structure relates to function in organisms, cell structure and function, and the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Other areas assessed included reproduction and heredity, molecular biology and molecular genetics, adaptation and natural selection, and processes and interactions in ecosystems.

Twenty percent of the assessment covered three chemistry topics—composition of matter, properties of matter, and chemical change. Students were asked about elements, compounds, and mixtures; the use of the periodic table; physical and chemical properties of matter; as well as the properties of mixtures and solutions and the properties of acids and bases. The chemical change topic focused on the characteristics of chemical changes and the conservation of matter during chemical changes.

Twenty-five percent of the assessment was devoted to physics, which consisted of five topics: physical states and changes in matter, energy transformation and transfer, light and sound, electricity and magnetism, and motion and forces. For example, eighth-grade students were asked to describe processes involved in changes in the state of matter, to identify different forms of energy and describe simple energy transformations, to apply the principle of conservation of total energy in practical situations, to understand the difference between thermal energy (heat) and temperature, to describe properties of permanent magnets, and to know how simple machines function.

The remaining 20 percent of the assessment was devoted to earth science topics. Students were asked about the structure and physical features of Earth, including Earth’s structural layers and the atmosphere, as well as processes, cycles, and patterns, including geological processes that have occurred over Earth’s history, the water cycle, and patterns of weather and climate. Earth’s resources and their use and conservation also were covered. Students were also asked about Earth in the Solar System and the universe, including identifying how observable phenomena relate to the movements of Earth and the Moon, and describing the features of Earth, the Moon, and other planets.

Eighth-grade students also needed to draw on a range of cognitive skills across the content domains described above. There are three cognitive domains: knowing, applying, and reasoning. Thirty-five percent of the eighth-grade assessment was devoted to the knowing cognitive domain, 35 percent to applying, and 30 percent to reasoning. The knowing domain covers recognizing, describing, and providing examples of facts, concepts, and procedures students were expected to know at eighth grade. The applying domain focuses on students’ ability to apply knowledge and conceptual understanding through comparing, explaining, relating, and interpreting models and information to solve practical problems or answer questions. The reasoning domain goes beyond the solution of familiar problems to encompass unfamiliar situations, complex contexts, and multistep problems. Additionally, five science practices fundamental to scientific inquiry were assessed within the content areas and cognitive domains.