8th grade · K–8

What Should an 8th Grader Know?

Nobody can tell you what every 8th grade student knows; students differ, and so do states. What we can tell you exactly is what we teach. Below is the whole 8th grade list: 61 topics in eight subjects, in the order we teach them, each with the standard it addresses. It is a plan, not a test and not a legal standard — if your student is ahead in one subject and behind in another, that is ordinary.

61 topics8 subjects6,800 questions

Math

8 topics440 questionsSubject page

1. Irrational numbersRational approximations; square roots on a number line8.NS
2. Exponents and scientific notationInteger exponents; square and cube roots8.EE.A
3. Slope and linear equationsGraph proportional relationships; slope8.EE.B
4. Systems of equationsSolve two linear equations together8.EE.C
5. FunctionsDefine, compare and model with functions8.F
6. TransformationsTranslations, rotations, reflections, dilationsGeometry (8.G.A)
7. Pythagorean theoremUse and prove a² + b² = c²Geometry (8.G.B)
8. Scatter plotsLines of best fit; two-way tables8.SP

Reading

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

1. Choosing the strongest evidenceCite the evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of a storyReading: Literature (RL.8.1)
2. Theme, characters, setting and plotAnalyze a theme's development through characters, setting and plot; summarize objectivelyReading: Literature (RL.8.2)
3. Dialogue and incidents that drive a storyAnalyze how lines of dialogue or incidents propel action, reveal character or provoke decisionsReading: Literature (RL.8.3)
4. Dramatic irony and suspenseAnalyze how differences in what characters and readers know create suspense or humorReading: Literature (RL.8.6)
5. Connotation, analogies and allusionsDetermine word meanings, including figurative and connotative, and the impact of analogiesReading: Informational Text (RI.8.4)
6. How a paragraph builds an ideaAnalyze how particular sentences develop and refine a key concept in a paragraphReading: Informational Text (RI.8.5)
7. Author's response to other viewpointsDetermine an author's point of view or purpose and how the author responds to conflicting evidence or viewpointsReading: Informational Text (RI.8.6)
8. Spotting irrelevant evidenceEvaluate an argument's reasoning and evidence and recognize when irrelevant evidence is introducedReading: Informational Text (RI.8.8)

English & Writing

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

1. Verbals: gerunds, participles and infinitivesExplain the function of verbals in general and in particular sentencesLanguage (L.8.1a)
2. Active and passive voiceForm and use verbs in the active and passive voice and choose the voice that fits the purposeLanguage (L.8.1b)
3. Verb mood: indicative, imperative, conditional and subjunctiveForm and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional and subjunctive moodLanguage (L.8.1c)
4. Commas, ellipses and dashes for a pause or breakUse a comma, ellipsis or dash to indicate a pause or break in a sentenceLanguage (L.8.2a)
5. Narratives that shift time and settingUse transitions to convey sequence and signal shifts in time frame or setting, with reflection on the eventsWriting (W.8.3)
6. Informative essays with formal styleDevelop a topic with well-chosen facts, quotations and examples; use precise language and a formal styleWriting (W.8.2)
7. Arguments with counterclaimsDistinguish a claim from alternate or opposing claims and support it with logical reasoning and credible evidenceWriting (W.8.1)
8. Judging source credibility and accuracyAssess the credibility and accuracy of each source, quote or paraphrase, and cite in a standard formatWriting (W.8.8)

Science

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

1. Forces and changes in motionHow net force and mass determine changes in an object's motionMS-PS2-2
2. Kinetic energy, mass and speedInterpret data showing how kinetic energy depends on mass and speedMS-PS3-1
3. Wave propertiesUse a model to describe how amplitude relates to the energy a wave carriesMS-PS4-1
4. Heredity and Punnett squaresAsexual reproduction gives identical offspring; sexual reproduction gives genetic variationMS-LS3-2
5. Natural selectionExplain how inherited trait variations raise some individuals' chances of surviving and reproducingMS-LS4-4
6. Evidence for plate tectonicsFossils, rock types, continent shapes and seafloor features as evidence of past plate motionMS-ESS2-3
7. Factors in rising global temperaturesEvidence about the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past centuryMS-ESS3-5
8. Electric and magnetic forcesAsk questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forcesMS-PS2-3

History & Social Studies

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

1. The road to the American RevolutionExplain the multiple causes, from the French and Indian War to new taxes and protests, that led to the RevolutionHistory (D2.His.14.6-8)
2. The ideas of the Declaration of IndependenceAnalyze natural rights, consent of the governed and the right to alter government, and how the ideas influenced later AmericansCivics (D2.Civ.8.6-8)
3. The Constitution: three branches, checks and balancesExplain the powers and limits of Congress, the President and the courts, and how federalism divides powerCivics (D2.Civ.4.6-8)
4. The Bill of Rights and the roles of citizensExplain key rights in the first ten amendments and the roles citizens play as voters, jurors and petitionersCivics (D2.Civ.2.6-8)
5. Westward expansion and its many perspectivesAnalyze how land, rivers and trails shaped westward movement and how it affected settlers, Native nations and MexicoGeography (D2.Geo.8.6-8)
6. Causes of the Civil WarEvaluate the relative influence of slavery, its expansion, sectional economies and political compromises in causing the Civil WarHistory (D2.His.15.6-8)
7. Reconstruction: change and continuityClassify the changes brought by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments and the continuities that limited them after 1877History (D2.His.2.6-8)
8. Abolitionists and the Underground RailroadExplain the historical significance of abolitionists, the Underground Railroad, Frederick Douglass and Harriet TubmanHistory (D2.His.3.6-8)

Life Skills

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

1. Credit, loans and debtCompare loan costs using interest and fees, understand credit cards and credit scores and avoid debt trapsManaging Credit (Jump$tart)
2. Jobs, paychecks and taxesRead a pay stub, calculate gross and net pay and explain how taxes and deductions fund public servicesEarning Income (Jump$tart)
3. Digital footprint, privacy and spotting misinformationManage a digital footprint, adjust privacy settings and check sources before believing or sharing informationNational Health Education Standard 2 (NHES)
4. Setting long-term goals and planning for high schoolWrite SMART goals, map steps toward them and choose classes and activities that fit those goalsNational Health Education Standard 6 (NHES)
5. Respect, consent and healthy teen relationshipsDescribe respect, consent and communication in relationships and recognize warning signs of unhealthy behaviorNational Health Education Standard 4 (NHES)
6. Making healthy choices about vaping, alcohol and drugsExplain how substances affect a growing brain and practice refusal skills and supportive responsesNational Health Education Standard 1 (NHES)
7. Advocacy and community serviceChoose an issue you care about, plan a respectful action and work with others to help your communityNational Health Education Standard 8 (NHES)

Entrepreneurship & Business Thinking

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

1. The balance sheet: assets, liabilities, equityBuild a simple balance sheet and show that assets equal liabilities plus equityCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 14 (CEE)
2. Loans, investors and crowdfundingCompare ways to fund a business by what each costs the ownerCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 12 (CEE)
3. Social enterprise: profit with a purposeExplain how a business earns money while solving a community problem and measure its impactEconomics (D2.Eco.5.6-8)
4. Managing business risk and insuranceIdentify business risks and compare the cost of protection with the cost of lossCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 14 (CEE)
5. Operations and supply chainsFind the bottleneck and unit cost in a simple supply chainCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 6 (CEE)
6. The investor pitchBuild a short pitch with numbers and answer hard questions honestlyCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 14 (CEE)
7. Taxes and regulationExplain why governments tax and regulate businesses and calculate sales and income taxCouncil for Economic Education, Standard 16 (CEE)

Psychology for Kids

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

1. Kindness and prosocial behaviorExplain why people help or do not help and plan a safe act of helpSocial Awareness (CASEL)
2. Calming strong emotions: reappraisal and self-talkUse reappraisal and balanced self-talk to change the intensity of an emotionSelf-Management (CASEL)
3. Making decisions under pressureApply a stepwise decision process and plan responses to risky situationsNHES Standard 5
4. Social media, screens and the mindExplain how apps hold attention and set guidelines for intentional useNHES Standard 2
5. Healthy relationships and communicationTell healthy from unhealthy behaviors and use assertive communication and boundariesNHES Standard 4
6. How we learn: conditioning, feedback and mindsetDescribe conditioning and use deliberate practice and feedback to improve a skillAPA Learning
7. Mental wellness and supporting a friendDescribe wellness habits, warning signs and how to connect a friend with a trusted adultNHES Standard 3

What one lesson contains

Every topic in every subject follows the same five steps, then an answer key. Nothing changes between subjects, so a student always knows what comes next.

1. Quick CheckQuestions before you teach, to show what the student already knows. A high score means you can move faster.
2. Learn ItKey words, step-by-step teaching with lines you can read aloud, worked examples, and the mistakes to watch for.
3. We Do It TogetherQuestions you work through side by side. The answer and the reason it is the answer are printed right after each question.
4. You TryThe student works alone. Do a page a day, or as many as the student needs.
5. Show What You KnowNew questions at the end. Compare the score with the Quick Check to see the change.
6. Answer KeyEvery question has its answer and a short explanation, at the end of each topic, so a student can work without peeking.

Other grades

• What should a kindergarten student know?
• What should a 1st grade student know?
• What should a 2nd grade student know?
• What should a 3rd grade student know?
• What should a 4th grade student know?
• What should a 5th grade student know?
• What should a 6th grade student know?
• What should a 7th grade student know?

More

• Summer math workbook for kids going into 8th grade
• Summer math workbook for students going into high school
• Flashcards: squares, roots and powers, plus subject vocabulary
• Free: The parent's math guide
• Free: The parent's reading guide
• See the whole curriculum
• Workbook store
• Frequently asked questions

Questions parents ask