Texas TEKS 8.5.E

Science8th GradeRecurring themes and concepts

The Standard

analyze and explain how energy flows and matter cycles through systems and how energy and matter are conserved through a variety of systems

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students trace energy transfers and matter movement within a defined system. They identify inputs, outputs, storage, and transformations, then explain how total energy and matter remain conserved.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can map matter cycling through organisms, air, water, and soil while showing energy moving through and leaving the system as heat. They support each arrow with evidence.
Common Misconceptions: Students may say energy cycles through ecosystems in the same way matter does. They may think matter disappears during burning or decomposition, or that heat loss means energy was destroyed.
How to Assess It: Give students a closed terrarium diagram. Ask them to add arrows for sunlight, heat, carbon, and water, then explain what cycles and what flows.

Lesson moves

Use colored beads to model a food web, passing energy beads one way while repeatedly moving carbon beads among organisms, air, and soil.
Ask students to explain why a sealed terrarium still needs sunlight, then sketch where its water, carbon, and energy go.
Run a card sort placing examples under energy transfer, energy transformation, matter movement, or matter transformation, then defend two choices.
Trace food scraps through a compost pile, naming matter outputs and explaining why the pile warms without creating energy.

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