8th Grade Interdisciplinary Workshop Options: Ventura, California

Workshop

Standards

Evidence of
Understanding

The Universe
Discoverers

8th Grade
Science: Earths
Place in the
Universe

Days 1-5:
Students will be
able to
understand the
Earth and its
place within the
universe as well
as the effect of
the universe
towards Earth,
for example
seasons.

Days 1-5: MSESS1-1:

Develop and use
a model of the
Earth-sun-moon
system to
describe the
cyclic patterns of
lunar phases,
eclipses of the
sun and moon,
and seasons.
(Examples of
models can by
physical,
graphical, or
conceptual)
Days 6-10: MSESS1-4:
Construct a
scientific
explanation based
on evidence from
rock strata for
how the geologic
time scale is used
to organize
Earths 4.6 billionyear-old history.
Breaking
News!

Speaking and
Listening
Standards 6-12

Formative
Assessment

Summative
Assessment

Students will
keep daily
journals of
activities/adventures they have
done throughout
this workshops
to remind them
of what they
have learned as
well as use it as
a reflection for
the teacher to
Days 6-10:
see where the
Students will also students stand in
be able to
their knowledge.
understand the
Earth as a whole,
such as how it is
constructed, its
size and the
history it holds
over 4.6 billion
years.

Students will
create individual
projects over any
subject they
choose that was
taught throughout
the workshop.
Projects may be
dioramas,
posters,powerpoi
nts, or anything
else that visually
displays their
topic of choice.
Along with the
project, students
will write a small
snippet of their
experience during
their time in the
workshop and
can use their
journal log as a
reference.

Students will
write the scripts
for their news

Students will
compile their 5
reporter

Students will film

5 reporter
segments on

Presentation of
Knowledge and
Ideas: Grade 8
4. Present claims
and findings (e.g.,
argument,
narrative,
response to
literature
presentations),
emphasizing
salient points in a
focused, coherent
manner with
relevant evidence,
sound valid
reasoning, and
well-chosen
details; use
appropriate eye
contact, adequate
volume, and clear
pronunciation. CA

reports including:
an engaging
hook, strong
word choice, and
their main claim
with 3-5 pieces
of supporting
evidence. They
will film these
pieces, focusing
on eye contact,
volume,
pronunciation,
and formal
speaking.

topics of their
choosing. They
will be doing this
in groups of 3,
traveling to the
different
locations to film
their segments.
At the locations,
they will read the
scripts they have
written,
practicing the
oral speaking
skills we will
emphasize.
These segments
will be filmed
using our school
cameras.

segments into a
final News
Report, adding in
an introductory
segment,
transitions, and a
closing segment.
They will do this
using iMovie
technology.

Students will
examine the
judicial system in
the mid-1800s
and compare it to
the present-day
judicial system
present in their
home county of

Students will
take part in case
studies that
examine the
different roles of
judiciaries in the
gold rush era as
well as in their
own culture.

Students will
collaborate to
hold a mock trial
reminiscent of the
gold rush era and
compare it to
present-day
jurisdiction. The
students will work

8. Integrate
multimedia and
visual displays into
presentations to
clarify information,
strengthen claims
and evidence, and
add interest.
Time Travel
with the
Gavel

United States
History and
Geography:
Growth and
Conflict:
Grade 8
8.3 Students
understand the

foundation of the
American political
system and the
ways in which
citizens
participate in it.

8.12 Students
analyze the
transformation of
the American
economy and the
changing social
and political
conditions in the
United States in
response to the
Industrial
Revolution.
Disaster
Relief

Standard 5:
Decision Making
All students will
demonstrate the
ability to use
decision-making
skills to enhance
health.
RST.68.7
Integrate
quantitative or
technical
information
expressed in words
in a text with a
version of that
information
expressed visually.
(MS-LS4-1),(MSLS4-3)

Ventura,
California. They
will also be able
to apply
information on
how the impact
of the the
transitory
financial boom in
California and
the social and
industrial
transitions
occurring during
this time
impacted the
courts and legal
system.

They will choose

one current court
case to examine
and be able to
note the different
components that
are a constant in
the system to
help them
contextualize the
concepts they
are studying.

together as a
cohesive unit,
and each
individual will also
have a working
knowledge of the
difference in
demeanor their
character would
exhibit in either
circumstance.

Students will
learn the
importance of fire
safety by
volunteering with
the firefighters of
Ventura County.
For two weeks
they will be
staying overnight
with the
firefighters. Also,
they will be
observing what
the firefighters do
during a fire and
what it entails to
be a firefighter.

Students will
write in a journal
once a day as
they are working
with the
firefighters.
Jotting down key
facts about fire
safety that they
learn throughout
the week. They
will also be
writing about
what the
firefighters do on
a daily basis, so
the students will
have a better
insight about this
job field if they
decide someday
that this is what

Students will put

together a fire
safety video for
their classmates.
The video will
consist of various
video clips from
the week that
informs their
classmates about
what they need to
do if a fire were to
ever occur in their
home or at
school. The video
will also include
clips of the what
the firefighters do
on a daily basis,
so their
classmates can
see how hard

they want to do.

firefighters work
for our safety.