6th, 7th, and 8th Science TEKS Changes

Learn about some of the changes to the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Science TEKS. The new Science TEKS will be implemented in the 2024-2025 school year.

Some Changes to the 6th grade science TEKS

• Reporting Category 1: Density
  • Old - calculate the density of an unknown substance (6.6B)
  • New - compare the density of substances relative to various fluids (6.6D)
• Reporting Category 2: Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
  • Students will now be asked to calculate the net force in addition to determining if the forces are balanced or unbalanced (6.7B)
• Reporting Category 3: Earth's Seasons
  • Students will now be asked to model and illustrate how the tilted Earth revolves around the Sun, causing changes in seasons (6.9A)
• Reporting Category 4: Relationships between Organisms
  • Students will now be asked to describe and give examples of predatory, competitive, and symbiotic relationships between organisms (6.12B)

Some changes to the 7th grade science TEKS

• Reporting Category 1: Aqueous Solutions
  • Students will now be asked to describe aqueous solutions in terms of solute and solvent, concentration, and dilution (7.6D)
• Reporting Category 2: Newton's Laws
  • Students will now be asked to analyze the effect of balanced and unbalanced forces on the state of motion of an object using Newton's First Law of Motion (7.7D)
• Reporting Category 3: Plate Tectonics
  • Students will now be asked to describe how plate tectonics causes ocean basin formation, earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic eruptions, including supervolcanoes and hot spots (7.10B)
• Reporting Category 4: Kingdoms
  • Students will now be asked to describe the characteristics of the recognized kingdoms and their importance in ecosystems such as bacteria aiding digestion or fungi decomposing organic matter (7.14B)

Some changes to the 8th grade science TEKS

• Reporting Category 1: Atomic Structure
  • Atomic structure will no longer be taught in middle school and has been moved to High School Chemistry
• Reporting Category 2:
  • Students will now be asked to compare the characteristics of amplitude, frequency, and wavelength in transverse waves, including the electromagnetic spectrum (8.8A)
• Reporting Category 3: Climate Change
  • Students will now be asked to use scientific evidence to describe how natural events, including volcanic eruptions, meteor impacts, abrupt changes in ocean currents, and the release and absorption of greenhouse gases influence climate (8.11A)
• Reporting Category 4: Cell Organelles
  • Students will now be asked to identify the function of the cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, ribosomes, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant or animal cells (8.13A)

*This list DOES NOT include all changes for the middle school Science TEKS.