SC.8.L.18.2

Describe and investigate how cellular respiration breaks down food to provide energy and releases carbon dioxide.
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 8
Body of Knowledge: Life Science
Idea: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning
Big Idea: Matter and Energy Transformations -

A. Living things all share basic needs for life.

B. Living organisms acquire the energy they need for life processes through various metabolic pathways (photosynthesis and cellular respiration).

C. Matter and energy are recycled through cycles such as the carbon cycle.

Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Assessed: Yes

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
2002100: M/J Comprehensive Science 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
2002110: M/J Comprehensive Science 3, Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
2000010: M/J Life Science (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
2000020: M/J Life Science, Advanced (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7820017: Access M/J Comprehensive Science 3 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))
2002085: M/J Comprehensive Science 2 Accelerated Honors (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7920030: Fundamental Integrated Science 1 (Specifically in versions: 2013 - 2015, 2015 - 2017 (course terminated))
2000025: M/J STEM Life Science (Specifically in versions: 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
2001100: M/J Coastal Science 1 (Specifically in versions: 2022 and beyond (current))
2001105: M/J Coastal Science 2 (Specifically in versions: 2022 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
SC.8.L.18.In.2: Recognize that cells break down food to release energy.
SC.8.L.18.Su.2: Recognize that plants and animals get energy from food.
SC.8.L.18.Pa.2: Recognize that food provides energy.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

Cellular Respiration Simulation:

In this lesson, students will model cellular respiration during a simulation and by creating a drawing. Students will follow a storyline in which manipulatives are used to represent primary components of cellular respiration. Students will keep a Respiration Record of the steps in cellular respiration as they complete the simulation. Students will then create a drawing model of cellular respiration. Finally, an exit ticket assesses the outcomes of the lesson with respect to the learning goal of being able to explain cellular respiration in terms of the flow of energy and matter.

Type: Lesson Plan

R-E-S-P-I-R-E, Find Out What It Means To Me!:

This lesson will help students understand the concepts of cellular respiration and fermentation with multiple-day activities. Students will be able to compare and contrast the two processes through the use of an interactive lab where students will provide varied amounts of sugar to yeast and record CO2 production.

Type: Lesson Plan

Kinetic Energy and Carbon Dioxide:

Students investigate the increase of their respiration rate of carbon dioxide due to the change of energy from chemical potential energy to kinetic energy. This lesson plan involves students doing physical activities to see the change from potential to kinetic energy.

Type: Lesson Plan

Cellular Processes: Aerobic and Anaerobic Respiration:

This lesson is an introduction lesson that provides students with the basics concepts of aerobic and anaerobic respiration. The lesson centers around a reading passage and lab activity. By the end of the lesson students should be able to complete a concept map to compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic respiration.

Type: Lesson Plan

The Link between Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration:

This is a lesson that addresses standards and misconceptions associated with Big Idea 18 about Matter and Energy Transformations as related to photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The lesson also embeds a review of other related standards for which the students possesses prior knowledge. The lesson is vertically aligned to review classification of organisms, taxonomy, and build from related introductory activities into learning about cell types, organelles and their structures, and functions, with an emphasis on the chloroplast and the mitochondrion and their role in photosynthesis and cellular respiration. The lesson scaffolds text coding, note taking, charting, answering media dependent questions and culminates in a summative written essay assessment. An alternative short response exam has been included which could be used as an exam or the questions could be used as formative questions throughout the lesson.

Type: Lesson Plan

BTB-How Does It Work?:

Students will investigate how BTB works. Under what conditions does a color change occur? What causes the color change? This is a precursor to labs in which the students are investigating respiration or photosynthesis and using BTB as an indicator.

Type: Lesson Plan

Exercise and Respiration:

Students will investigate the process of respiration by investigating the question: How does exercise affect the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled? They will use bromothymol blue to time how fast it changes color before and after exercising. They will be guided into an understanding of the process of cellular respiration.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

Energy and Cellular Respiration:

Learn how food is broken down to produce energy for cells in the in the form of ATP in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiasts

Food, Energy, Fitness, and Good Health:

Good food and exercise lead to great health!

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: Calories, Exercise, and Metabolism Rates:

How much food do you need to cross the Pacific in a kayak? Get a calculator and a bag of almonds before you watch this.

Related Resources:
KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: GPS Data Set[.XLSX]
KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: Path Visualization for Google Earth[.KML]

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: Energy and Nutrition:

Calorie-dense foods can power the human body across the ocean? Feel the burn.

Related Resources:
KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: GPS Data Set[.XLSX]
KROS Pacific Ocean Kayak Journey: Path Visualization for Google Earth[.KML]

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

Text Resource

Getting the Dirt on Carbon:

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. Carbon, an essential part of life on Earth, exists in a never-ending cycle. It is continually moving back and forth between living and non-living factors, as well as from organism to organism. Soil, with its ability to "lock up" carbon, plays a major role in the carbon cycle. Atmospheric CO2 levels are linked to climate change, so ways of keeping carbon locked in soil are of great interest to scientists.

Type: Text Resource

Unit/Lesson Sequence

Chemical Change Investigations | Inquiry in Action:

In this series of 10 investigations, students gain experience with the evidence of chemical change - production of a gas, change in temperature, color change, and formation of a precipitate. Students begin by observing that similar-looking powders can be differentiated by the way they react chemically with certain test liquids. Students then use their chemical tests and observations to identify an unknown powder and, in a follow-up activity, to identify the active ingredients in baking powder. Students continue to explore chemical change by using a thermometer to observe that temperature either increases or decreases during chemical reactions. Then they control these reactions by adjusting the amount of reactants. In another set of activities, students use the color changes of red cabbage indicator to classify substances as acids or bases, neutralize solutions, and compare the relative acidity of two different solutions. Students conclude the investigation by comparing a precipitate to one of the reactants that formed it. Students see that a new substance was created during the chemical reaction. Information and questions about photosynthesis and cellular respiration are included as examples of chemical changes on pages 316-318 of this resource.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Video/Audio/Animation

Science Crossword Puzzles:

A collection of crossword puzzles that test the knowledge of students about some of the terms, processes, and classifications covered in science topics

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8

Energy and Cellular Respiration:

Learn how food is broken down to produce energy for cells in the in the form of ATP in this interactive tutorial. 

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorial

Energy and Cellular Respiration:

Learn how food is broken down to produce energy for cells in the in the form of ATP in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Video/Audio/Animation

Science Crossword Puzzles:

A collection of crossword puzzles that test the knowledge of students about some of the terms, processes, and classifications covered in science topics

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.