Grade 8
Science: Life Science

Use the information below to get a deeper understanding of what your child has mastered and areas where your child may need more help. There are also resources you can use to find activities to support your child’s learning at home.

Help can I help my child progress?

Next Steps

Here are some exercises you can work on at home with your Grade 8 student.

Below Mastery

With your student, identify similarities of living things. Then, search “characteristics of life” online for more facts. Talk about how individuals in a school have diverse roles such as students, teachers, and principal. Compare this to roles of species in ecosystems, animals in populations, and parts in cells.

At or Near Mastery

With your student, discuss how individuals in a school have diverse roles such as students, teachers, coaches, and principal. Compare this to roles of species in ecosystems, organisms in populations, systems in bodies, and parts in cells. Then, search “biological levels of organization” online for more information.

Above Mastery

With your student, discuss how schools include people with different roles such as students, teachers, and principal, and objects such as buildings, desks, and computers. Compare this to parts of ecosystems, populations, bodies, and cells. Then, search “biological levels of organization” online for more information.

Talking With Your Child's Teacher

This document titled “Moving Forward: A Guide for Conversations with Your Child’s Teacher” includes helpful tips and questions to discuss with the teacher about your child’s classroom performance, academic progress, and more.

Additional Free Resources Available to Support Your Child's Learning

Use this information to have a meaningful conversation with your child’s teacher about the skills and content in the grade level and to support your child’s learning at home.

An elated student raises her arms in the air after learning on a laptop computer.

What Can I Do to Help My Child?

Visit the college- and career-readiness resource hub for families to find tools to help your child achieve college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school.
A teacher speaks to a student while holding a dry erase marker next to a whiteboard.

Talking with your child's teacher

This document titled “Moving Forward: A Guide for Conversations with Your Child’s Teacher” includes helpful tips and questions to discuss with the teacher about your child’s classroom performance, academic progress, and more.
A student types on a laptop.

Check Out the Test in Action

Visit the WVGSA practice test to become more familiar with test items and tools. Once there, just click "Sign In"!