Download A - Pompton Lakes School District

POMPTON LAKES SCHOOL DISTRICT
BIOLOGY
COURSE OF STUDY
June 2011
Dr. Paul Amoroso, Superintendent
BOARD MEMBERS
Mr. Jose A. Arroyo, Mrs. Traci Cioppa, Mr. Robert Cruz, Mr. Shawn Dougherty,
Mr. Garry Luciani, Mr. Carl Padula, Mr. Tom Salus, Mrs. Nancy Schwartz,
Mrs. Stephanie Shaw, Mr. Timothy Troast, Jr.
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Standard: The Standard outlines the core understanding for each content domain. Each standard statement explains why the strands and
cumulative progress indicators are important.
Strand: The strand defines a core concept or principle in life science. Each strand runs throughout students’ K-12 academic experience. Each of
the life science strands supports the core understanding of the Standard.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
These questions have no ‘right’ or ‘easy’ answer, and are meant to
These understandings are insights that a student gains through learning
inspire investigation and raise more questions.
experiences, and are transferable to new situations.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
These statements describe the life science concept/content that a
These statements describe how students can demonstrate their
student needs to understand.
understanding of the concept/content.
Unpacked Content Statements:
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The bulleted items are intended to provide a finer grain level of clarification about what students should understand. Reading the Content
Statement, Unpacked Content Statement and the Instructional Focus will help teachers pinpoint what students need to understand.
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The unpacking language comes from Benchmarks for Science Literacy, National Science Education Standards, and Science for All
Americans. The italicized alphanumerical coding after the statement indicates where the language was originally found.
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It is important to note that the Science Practices are not integrated in this section. They must, however, be integrated into the assessments
and in the instructional experiences provided to students.
Instructional Focus:
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Provides further clarification of the learning expectations for curriculum developers, teacher, assessment panels, and students
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Offers suggestions for scaffolding for instruction
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Provides boundaries for the content included in the Biology End of Course Assessment
o Narratives identified with this symbol are details that will not be part of the statewide assessments.
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Desired Results
The 2009 NJCCCS for Science explicitly require that students
understand concepts and principals at a depth such that they can
apply their understandings to new and novel situations.
Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Plan instructional strategies and learning experiences that bring students
to the proficiency levels defined in the Desired Results.
Assessment items or tasks should integrate specific science practices
with specific content.
Determine how you will make student thinking visible (assessment).
Define what kinds of assessments will allow students to demonstrate
that they have developed the science practices and understandings of
the concepts and principles.
Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of assessment strategies and
not limit their strategies to multiple choice or short answer
instruments.
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5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of
life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life.
Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does structure relate to function in living systems from the
Living systems, from the organismal to the cellular level,
organismal to the cellular level?
demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Cells are made of complex molecules that consist mostly of a few
Represent and explain the relationship between the structure and
elements. Each class of molecules has its own building blocks and
function of each class of complex molecules using a variety of
specific functions.
models. (5.3.12.A.1)
Unpacked Content Statement:
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A living cell is composed of a small number of chemical elements mainly carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, and sulfur.
Carbon, because of its small size and four available bonding electrons, can join to other carbon atoms in chains and rings to form large and
complex molecules. 5C/H8
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Most complex molecules of living organisms are built up from smaller molecules. The various kinds of small molecules are much the same
in all life forms, but the specific sequences of components that make up the very complex molecules are characteristics of given species.
5A/H4
Instructional Focus:
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Modeling (using physical or digital tools) the four major categories of organic molecules (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids)
using unique characteristics and primary functions
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Determining how and why each major category of organic molecule is essential to life
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Identifying the six elements most common to biological organisms: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur
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Desired Results
Discuss the cell theory.
Identify and give the function of the three basic structures of
most cells.
Distinguish between prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
List the major cytoplasmic organelles and describe their
functions.
Compare the structure of plant and animal cells.
Describe the four levels of organization in a complex
multicellular organism.
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Cell theory timeline
Prokaryote and eukaryote comparison
Cell lab
Cell city analogy
Organelles lab
Levels of organization foldable
A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life.
Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does structure relate to function in living systems from the
Living systems, from the organismal to the cellular level,
organismal to the cellular level?
demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Cellular processes are carried out by many different types of
Demonstrate the properties and functions of enzymes by designing
molecules, mostly by the group of proteins known as enzymes.
and carrying out an experiment. (5.3.12.A.2)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Most cells function best within a narrow range of temperature and acidity. At very low temperatures, reaction rates are too slow. High
temperatures and/or extremes of acidity can irreversibly change the structure of most protein molecules. Even small changes in acidity can
alter the molecules and how they interact. 5C/H7
 Some protein molecules assist in replicating genetic information, repairing cell structures, helping other molecules get in or out of the cell,
and generally catalyzing and regulating molecular interactions. 5C/H9 (SFAA)
Instructional Focus:
 Analyzing and explaining how cells carry out a variety of chemical transformations that allow conversion of energy from one form to
another, the breakdown of molecules into smaller units, and the building of larger molecules from smaller ones
o Assessments will not include the molecular basis of enzyme function
 Recognizing that most chemical transformations are made possible by protein catalysts called enzymes
 Identifying enzymes as proteins, and determining how they catalyze biochemical reactions
o Assessments will not include the molecular basis of enzyme catalysis
 Conducting experiments to demonstrate that the activities of enzymes are affected by the temperature, ionic conditions, and the pH of the
surroundings
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Desired Results
Identify the four most abundant elements in living things.
Compare inorganic compounds and organic compounds.
Describe some important properties of carbon.
Explain the importance of polymerization.
Identify the four groups of organic compounds in living things.
Describe the structure and function of each group of
compounds of life.
Explain how enzymes work and why they are important.
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Properties of water lab
Acids and bases lab
Organic vs. inorganic worksheet
Polymer lab
Carbohydrates flow chart
Lipids flow chart
Proteins flow chart
Nucleic acids flow chart
Beano: enzymes to the rescue lab
A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life.
Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does structure relate to function in living systems from the
Living systems, from the organismal to the cellular level,
organismal to the cellular level?
demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Cellular function is maintained through the regulation of cellular
Predict a cell’s response in a given set of environmental conditions.
processes in response to internal and external environmental
(5.3.12.A.3)
conditions.
Unpacked Content Statement:
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Every cell is covered by a membrane that controls what can enter and leave the cell. 5C/H1a
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Within the cells are specialized parts for the transport of materials, energy capture and release, protein building, waste disposal, passing
information, and even movement. 5C/H2a
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Cell behavior can also be affected by molecules from other parts of the organism or even other organisms. 5C/H5
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Most cells function best within a narrow range of temperature and acidity. At very low temperatures, reaction rates are too slow. High
temperatures and/or extremes of acidity can irreversibly change the structure of most protein molecules. Even small changes in acidity can
alter the molecules and how they interact. 5C/H7
Instructional Focus:
 Modeling how processes are regulated both internally and externally by environments in which cells exist
 Explaining how the fundamental life processes of organisms depend on a variety of chemical reactions that occur in specialized areas of the
organism's cells
o Assessments will not include the identification of cellular organelles
 Modeling how cells are enclosed within semi-permeable membranes that regulate their interaction with their surroundings, including the
transport of materials into and out of the cell
o Assessments will not include the molecular basis of membrane transport
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Desired Results
identify the different parts to a cell membrane
describe the difference between passive and active
transport
understand the lock and key fit of an enzyme
Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
 diffusion and osmosis lab
 tooth pick case lab
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A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life.
Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does structure relate to function in living systems from the
Living systems, from the organismal to the cellular level,
organismal to the cellular level?
demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Cells divide through the process of mitosis, resulting in daughter
Distinguish between the processes of cellular growth (cell division)
cells that have the same genetic composition as the original cell.
and development (differentiation). (5.3.12.A.4)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The genetic information encoded in DNA molecules provides instructions for assembling protein molecules. 5C/H4a
 Before a cell divides, the instructions are duplicated so that each of the two new cells gets all the necessary information for carrying on.
5C/H4c
 Complex interactions among the different kinds of molecules in the cell cause distinct cycles of activities, such as growth and division. Cell
behavior can also be affected by molecules from other parts of the organism or even other organisms. 5C/H5
Instructional Focus:
 Explaining how the many cells in an individual can be very different from one another, even though they are all descended from a single
cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions
 Tracing the general process where the progeny from a single cell form an embryo in which the cells multiply and differentiate to form the
many specialized cells, tissues and organs that comprise the final organism
o Assessments will not include the details or graphic demonstration of each stage in mitosis
 Present evidence that supports the concept that complex multicellular organisms are formed as a highly organized arrangement of
differentiated cells
 Providing examples of how different parts of the genetic instructions are influenced by the cell’s environment
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Desired Results
Describe cell growth.
Define cell division.
Define mitosis and cytokinesis.
Describe the cell cycle and the changes that take place during
interphase.
Discuss the events and significance of mitosis.
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Limitations of cell growth activity
Mitosis flip book
Cell cycle simulation
Mitosis lab
Chromosomes of Frimpanzees lab
A. Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life.
Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does structure relate to function in living systems from the
Living systems, from the organismal to the cellular level,
organismal to the cellular level?
demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function.
Content Statements
There is a relationship between the organization of cells into tissues
and the organization of tissues into organs.
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Describe how a disease is the result of a malfunctioning system,
organ, and cell, and relate this to possible treatment interventions
(e.g. diabetes, cystic fibrosis, lactose intolerance). (5.3.12.A.6)
The structures and functions of organs determine their relationships
within body systems of an organism.
Unpacked Content Statement
 In addition to the basic cellular functions common to all cells, most cells in multicellular organisms perform some special functions that
others do not. 5C/H2b
 Complex interactions among the different kinds of molecules in the cell cause distinct cycles of activities, such as growth and division. Cell
behavior can also be affected by molecules from other parts of the organism or even other organisms. 5C/H5
 Gene mutation in a cell can result in uncontrolled division called cancer. Exposure of cells to certain chemicals and radiation increases
mutations and thus the chance of cancer. 5C/H6
Instructional Focus:
 Describing the relationships within multi-cellular organisms, where cells perform specialized functions as parts of sub-systems (e.g.,
tissues, organs, and organ systems), which work together to maintain optimum conditions for the benefit of the whole organism
o Assessments will not include the identification of specific tissues, organs or body systems
 Recognizing that certain chemicals, pathogens, and high-energy radiation can seriously impair normal cell functions and the health of the
organism
o Assessments will not include the specific mechanisms of action of mutagens
 Identifying emerging biotechnology that shows promise in preventing and treating disease
o Assessments will not include the mechanisms of biotechnologies such as PCR, electrophoresis or the molecular actions of specific
treatments
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Desired Results
Relate cell growth to cell division.
understand how mutations in the cell can lead to cancer
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
activity: the faces of cancer
cancer growth simulation
5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of
life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have
different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is matter transferred and energy transferred/ transformed in
All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to
living systems?
another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain
structures within the organism.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
As matter cycles and energy flows through different levels of
Cite evidence that the transfer and transformation of matter and
organization within living systems (cells, organs, organisms,
energy links organisms to one another and to their physical setting.
communities), and between living systems and the physical
(5.3.12.B.1)
environment, chemical elements are recombined into different
products.
Note to Teacher:
The energy for life primarily derives from the sun. Plants capture energy by absorbing light and using it to form strong (covalent) chemical bonds
between the atoms of carbon-containing (organic) molecules. These molecules can be used to assemble larger molecules with biological activity
(including proteins, DNA, sugars, and fats). In addition, the energy stored in bonds between the atoms (chemical energy) can be used as sources of
energy for life processes.
Students should observe heat generated by consumers and decomposers. Discussions of ecosystems can both contribute to and be reinforced by
students' understanding of the systems concept in general.
This level is also a time to ask what this knowledge of the flow of matter and energy through living systems suggests for human beings. Issues
such as the use of fossil fuels and the recycling of matter and energy are important enough to pay considerable attention to in high school.
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different
ways. At each link in a food web, some energy is stored in newly made structures but much is dissipated into the environment. Continual
input of energy from sunlight keeps the process going. 5E/H3
 Over a long time, matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. As
in all material systems, the total amount of matter remains constant, even though its form and location change. 5E/M2
 Energy can change from one form to another in living things. 5E/M3a
 Organisms get energy from oxidizing their food, releasing some of its energy as thermal energy. 5E/M3b
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Instructional Focus:
 Tracing the cycling of atoms and molecules on Earth among the living and nonliving components of the biosphere
 Explaining how molecules are used to assemble larger molecules with biological activity (including proteins, DNA, sugars and fats)
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of synthesis and decomposition (intermediate steps and
molecules, details of dehydration synthesis)
 Following the transfer of matter (molecules) from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical
environment
 Identifying how the total amount of matter in a system remains constant, even though its form and location change
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Desired Results
Define ecology and explain its importance.
Observe how energy flows through the biosphere.
Describe how nutrients are cycled through the biosphere.
Describe a food web and identify its trophic levels
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Energy flow lab
Food web activity
Mississippi river activity
Comparing nutrient cycle activity
B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have
different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is matter transferred and energy transferred/ transformed in
All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to
living systems?
another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain
structures within the organism.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Each recombination of matter and energy results in storage and
Use mathematical formulas to justify the concept of an efficient diet.
dissipation of energy into the environment as heat.
(5.3.12.B.2)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The chemical elements that make up the molecules of living things pass through food webs and are combined and recombined in different
ways. At each link in a food web, some energy is stored in newly made structures but much is dissipated into the environment. Continual
input of energy from sunlight keeps the process going. 5E/H3
 The chemical bonds of food molecules contain energy. Energy is released when the bonds of food molecules are broken and new
compounds with lower energy bonds are formed. Cells usually store this energy temporarily in phosphate bonds of a small high-energy
compound called ATP.
 All matter tends toward more disorganized states. Living systems require a continuous input of energy to maintain their chemical and
physical organizations. With death, and the cessation of energy input, living systems rapidly disintegrate.
Instructional Focus:
 Explaining how food webs are limited and how pyramidal relationships exist
 Recognizing that all matter tends toward more disorganized states, and that living systems require a continuous input of energy to maintain
their chemical and physical organizations
 Recognizing that the chemical bonds of food molecules contain energy, which is released when the bonds of food molecules are broken and
new compounds with lower energy bonds are formed
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of synthesis and decomposition (intermediate steps and
molecules, details of dehydration synthesis)
 Calculating the trends in production, use and transfer of energy from one trophic level to another using data
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Desired Results
Describe the function of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Identify cellular respiration as the process by which a cell
releases the energy of glucose
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
computer animations
PowerPoint presentations
ATP synthase lab
B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have
different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is matter transferred and energy transferred/ transformed in
All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to
living systems?
another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain
structures within the organism.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Plants have the capability to take energy from light to form sugar
Explain how environmental factors (such as temperature, light
molecules containing carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
intensity, and the amount of water available) can affect
photosynthesis as an energy storing process. (5.3.12.B.4)
Unpacked Content Statement:
Instructional Focus:
 Recognizing the process of photosynthesis as providing a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living systems
 Describing how plants capture energy by absorbing light and use it to form strong chemical bonds between the atoms of carbon-containing
molecules
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of photosynthesis (intermediate steps and products of the
light-dependent and light-independent reactions)
 Designing independent investigations to determine the effects of changing environmental factors on photosynthesis
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Desired Results
Explain that when light waves of the visible light spectrum are
absorbed, the absorbed light is transformed into another form of
energy
List the colors of visible light wavelengths which are absorbed
by chlorophyll and converted to chemical energy
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Factors influencing rate of respiration lab
Plant Pigment Chromatography lab
B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have
different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is matter transferred and energy transferred/ transformed in
All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to
living systems?
another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain
structures within the organism.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
In both plant and animal cells, sugar is a source of energy and can be
Investigate and describe the complementary relationship (cycling of
used to make other carbon-containing (organic) molecules.
matter and flow of energy) between photosynthesis and cellular
respiration. (5.3.12.B.5)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Plants alter the earth's atmosphere by removing carbon dioxide from it, using the carbon to make sugars and releasing oxygen. 4C/H1a
 Organisms get energy from oxidizing their food, releasing some of its energy as thermal energy. 5E/M3b
Instructional Focus:
 Analyzing and describing how the process of photosynthesis provides a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living
systems
 Explaining how plants and many microorganisms use solar energy to combine molecules of carbon dioxide and water into complex, energy
rich organic compounds and release oxygen to the environment
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of photosynthesis and respiration (intermediate steps and
products of the Calvin cycle, Krebs/citric acid cycle, and glycolysis)
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Desired Results
Identify photosynthesis as the process by which light energy is
absorbed and then converted to the chemical energy of glucose
Describe the light-dependent reactions
describe the Calvin cycle
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Influencing the rate of photosynthesis lab
photosynthesis computer animation
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B. Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have
different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is matter transferred and energy transferred/ transformed in
All organisms transfer matter and convert energy from one form to
living systems?
another. Both matter and energy are necessary to build and maintain
structures within the organism.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
All organisms must break the high-energy chemical bonds in food
Explain how the process of cellular respiration is similar to the
molecules during cellular respiration to obtain the energy needed for
burning of fossil fuels. (5.3.12.B.6)
life processes.
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The complexity and organization of organisms accommodates the need for obtaining, transforming, transporting, releasing, and eliminating
the matter and energy used to sustain the organism.
Instructional Focus:
 Examining how the breakdown of some food molecules enables the cell to store energy in specific molecules that are used to carry out the
many functions of the cell
 Tracing the process in which nutrients are transported to cells to serve as building blocks for the synthesis of structures and as reactants for
cellular respiration
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of respiration (intermediate steps and products of the
Krebs/citric acid cycle and glycolysis)
 Recognizing that food molecules are taken into cells and react to provide the chemical constituents needed to synthesize other molecules,
and knowing that the breakdown and synthesis are made possible by enzymes
o Assessments will not include the representations of specific detailed steps of synthesis and decomposition (intermediate steps and
molecules, details of dehydration synthesis)
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Desired Results
Identify cellular respiration as the process by which a cell releases
the energy of glucose
Diagram the ATP-ADP cycle and explain what happens during the
cycle
Compare and contrast aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Fermentation Lab
Factors influencing rate of respiration lab
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5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of
life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
C. Interdependence: All animals and most plants depend on both other organisms and their environment to meet their basic needs.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How are organisms’ dependant on each other?
The survival of organisms is affected by interactions with each other
and their environment, and can be altered by human manipulation.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Biological communities in ecosystems are based on stable
Analyze the interrelationships and interdependencies among different
interrelationships and interdependence of organisms.
organisms, and explain how these relationships contribute to the
stability of the ecosystem. (5.3.12.C.1)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Ecosystems can be reasonably stable over hundreds or thousands of years. As any population grows, its size is limited by one or more
environmental factors: availability of food, availability of nesting sites, or number of predators. 5D/H1
Instructional Focus:
 Analyzing the interactions between organisms that result from the ability to produce populations of infinite size in an environment where
resources are finite
 Providing evidence of how organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems
 Using evidence to explain why interrelationships and interdependencies of organisms may generate stable ecosystems
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Desired Results
define ecology and explain its importance
understand predator-prey dynamics
describe the different symbiotic relationships that exist in an
ecosystem
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
owl pellet lab
predator-prey dynamics lab
activity: mutualism vs. parasitism
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C. Interdependence: All animals and most plants depend on both other organisms and their environment to meet their basic needs.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How are organisms dependent on each other?
The survival of organisms is affected by interactions with each other
and their environment, and can be altered by human manipulation.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Stability in an ecosystem can be disrupted by natural or human
Model how natural and human-made changes in the environment
interactions.
will affect individual organisms and the dynamics of populations.
(5.3.12.C.2)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Ecosystems can be reasonably stable over hundreds or thousands of years. As any population grows, its size is limited by one or more
environmental factors: availability of food, availability of nesting sites, or number of predators. 5D/H1
 Human beings are part of the earth's ecosystems. Human activities can, deliberately or inadvertently, alter the equilibrium in ecosystems.
5D/H3
 If a disturbance such as flood, fire, or the addition or loss of species occurs, the affected ecosystem may return to a system similar to the
original one, or it may take a new direction, leading to a very different type of ecosystem. Changes in climate can produce very large changes
in ecosystems. 5D/H2
Instructional Focus:
 Identifying situations where humans intentionally and unintentionally modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and
consumption
 Providing evidence of how human destruction of habitats threatens current local and global ecosystem stability
 Predicting how direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors will affect population dynamics in a given ecosystem
based on data and accepted mathematical models
 Predicting how natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, volcanoes will affect population dynamics in a given ecosystem based on data
and accepted mathematical models
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Desired Results
explain how the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and water cycle are
affected by human activity
describe how nutrients are cycled through the biosphere
describe the different types of succession
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
comparing nutrient cycle activity
eutrophication lab
research on primary, secondary, and aquatic succession
Page 27 of 41
5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of
life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
D. Heredity and Reproduction: Organisms reproduce, develop, and have predictable life cycles. Organisms contain genetic information that
influences their traits, and they pass this on to their offspring during reproduction.
Essential Questions
How is genetic information passed through generations?
Enduring Understandings
There are predictable patterns of inheritance, and the variation that
exists within a species is related to its mode of reproduction (sexual
or asexual).
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Explain the value and potential applications of genome projects.
(5.3.12.D.1)
Content Statements
Genes are segments of DNA molecules located in the chromosome
of each cell. DNA molecules contain information that determines a
sequence of amino acids, which result in specific proteins.
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules, long chains linking just four kinds of smaller molecules,
whose precise sequence encodes genetic information. 5B/H3
 Genes are segments of DNA molecules. Inserting, deleting, or substituting segments of DNA molecules can alter genes. An altered gene
may be passed on to every cell that develops from it. The resulting features may help, harm, or have little or no effect on the offspring's
success in its environment. 5B/H4
 Different parts of the genetic instructions are used in different types of cells, influenced by the cell's environment and past history. 5B/H6b
 Heritable characteristics can include details of biochemistry and anatomical features that are ultimately produced in the development of the
organism. By biochemical or anatomical means, heritable characteristics may also influence behavior. 5B/H7 (SFAA)
 Some protein molecules assist in replicating genetic information, repairing cell structures, helping other molecules get in or out of the cell,
and generally catalyzing and regulating molecular interactions. 5C/H9 (SFAA)
 The genetic information encoded in DNA molecules provides instructions for assembling protein molecules. 5C/H4a
 The genetic information encoded in DNA molecules is virtually the same for all life forms. 5C/H4b
Instructional Focus:
 Recognizing that the instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA, a large polymer formed from
subunits of four kinds (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine)
o Assessments will not include the identification of the structure of specific nucleotides or the nature of bonding between DNA strands
 Explaining how the chemical and structural properties of DNA allow for genetic information to be both encoded in genes and replicated
o Assessments will not include the individual detailed steps of the processes of transcription and translation
 Identifying that hereditary information is contained in genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell, and each gene carries a single unit of
information
Page 28 of 41
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Providing specific examples of how an inherited trait of an individual can be determined by one or many genes and a single gene can
influence more than one trait
Analyzing the current and potential impact of genome projects on human health (e.g. pathogenic bacteria or disease vectors) or species with
commercial importance (e.g. livestock and crop plants)
Desired Results
Indicate the manner in which the four DNA nucleotides join each
other in the DNA molecule and sketch a segment of a DNA
molecule
Describe the structure and replication of DNA and relate this to the
process of mitosis
Indicate that each gene is responsible for the synthesis of a protein
or polypeptide
Explain why a codon of three bases in a row is needed to represent
one amino acid
Compare and contrast the structure of RNA and DNA
Differentiate between messenger RNA and transfer DNA
Compare and contrast transcription and translation
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
DNA Structure Lab
DNA Extraction lab
DNA Replication activities
transcription and translation activities
Page 29 of 41
D. Heredity and Reproduction: Organisms reproduce, develop, and have predictable life cycles. Organisms contain genetic information that
influences their traits, and they pass this on to their offspring during reproduction.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is genetic information passed through generations?
There are predictable patterns of inheritance, and the variation that
exists within a species is related to its mode of reproduction (sexual
or asexual).
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Inserting, deleting, or substituting DNA segments can alter the
Predict the potential impact on an organism (no impact, significant
genetic code.
impact) given a change in a specific DNA code, and provide specific
real world examples of conditions caused by mutations. (5.3.12.D.2)
An altered gene may be passed on to every cell that develops from it.
The resulting features may help, harm, or have little or no effect on
the offspring’s success in its environment.
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce organisms with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, and some can
be deleterious. 5B/H1
 Genes are segments of DNA molecules. Inserting, deleting, or substituting segments of DNA molecules can alter genes. An altered gene may
be passed on to every cell that develops from it. The resulting features may help, harm, or have little or no effect on the offspring's success in
its environment. 5B/H4
 Gene mutations can be caused by such things as radiation and chemicals. When they occur in sex cells, they can be passed on to offspring; if
they occur in other cells, they can be passed on to descendant cells only. The experiences an organism has during its lifetime can affect its
offspring only if the genes in its own sex cells are changed by the experience. 5B/H5
 Heritable characteristics can include details of biochemistry and anatomical features that are ultimately produced in the development of the
organism. By biochemical or anatomical means, heritable characteristics may also influence behavior. 5B/H7 (SFAA)
 Gene mutation in a cell can result in uncontrolled division called cancer. Exposure of cells to certain chemicals and radiation increases
mutations and thus the chance of cancer. 5C/H6
Instructional Focus:
 Recognizing that changes in DNA (mutations) occur spontaneously at low rates, and some of these changes make no difference to the
organism, whereas others can change cells and organisms
 Explaining that only mutations in germ cells can create the variation that changes an organism's offspring
o Assessments will not include the specific detailed steps of meiosis
 Tracing the progression of conditions that result from genetic mutation in a variety of different organisms
Page 30 of 41
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Desired Results
Indicate that a structural gene is a segment of a DNA molecule
which is responsible for the synthesis of a particular protein or
polypeptide
Describe the function of DNA which is found outside the nucleus of
a cell
Compare and contrast gene mutations and chromosome mutations
Describe an example in which a mutation affecting the sex cell
might spread throughout an entire population
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
cancer PowerPoint presentations and discussions
point mutation lab
Page 31 of 41
D. Heredity and Reproduction: Organisms reproduce, develop, and have predictable life cycles. Organisms contain genetic information that
influences their traits, and they pass this on to their offspring during reproduction.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How is genetic information passed through generations?
There are predictable patterns of inheritance, and the variation that
exists within a species is related to its mode of reproduction (sexual
or asexual).
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction result in a
Demonstrate through modeling how the sorting and recombination of
great variety of possible gene combinations in the offspring of any
genes during sexual reproduction has an effect on variation in
two parents.
offspring (meiosis, fertilization). (5.3.12.D.3)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Some new gene combinations make little difference, some can produce organisms with new and perhaps enhanced capabilities, and some
can be deleterious. 5B/H1
 The information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules, long chains linking just four kinds of smaller molecules,
whose precise sequence encodes genetic information. 5B/H3
 Genes are segments of DNA molecules. Inserting, deleting, or substituting segments of DNA molecules can alter genes. An altered gene
may be passed on to every cell that develops from it. The resulting features may help, harm, or have little or no effect on the offspring's
success in its environment. 5B/H4
 Gene mutations can be caused by such things as radiation and chemicals. When they occur in sex cells, they can be passed on to offspring;
if they occur in other cells, they can be passed on to descendant cells only. The experiences an organism has during its lifetime can affect
its offspring only if the genes in its own sex cells are changed by the experience. 5B/H5
 The many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another, even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus
have essentially identical genetic instructions. 5B/H6a
 Heritable characteristics can include details of biochemistry and anatomical features that are ultimately produced in the development of the
organism. By biochemical or anatomical means, heritable characteristics may also influence behavior. 5B/H7 (SFAA)
 Before a cell divides, the instructions are duplicated so that each of the two new cells gets all the necessary information for carrying on.
5C/H4c
Instructional Focus:
 Explaining the process where an egg and sperm unite to begin the development of a new individual, and how that new individual receives
genetic information from its parents
o Assessments will not include the specific detailed steps of meiosis, fertilization and early embryological development
 Explaining how sexually produced offspring are never identical to either of their parents
 Understanding how new heritable characteristics can result from new combinations of existing genes in reproductive cells
 Recognizing how heritable characteristics can strongly influence what capabilities an organism will have, therefore influencing how likely
it is to survive and reproduce
Page 32 of 41
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Desired Results
Define genetics as the study of heredity.
Describe Mendel’s observation of the pea plants
Differentiate between the F1 generation and the F2 generation.
State the law of dominance and explain how Mendel arrived at this
conclusion.
Compare and contrast dominant and recessive traits. Explain the
reasoning by which Mendel assumed that genes segregate during
gamete formation.
Describe a Punnett square and demonstrate its use in determining
the possible combinations of characters among offspring
Explain how Mendel tested his hypothesis about segregation and
state the law of segregation.
Compare and contrast genotype and phenotype.
Differentiate between homozygous and heterozygous.
Compare the difference between the genotypic ratio and the
phenotypic ratio in the solution of a genetics problem.
Explain what is meant by incomplete dominance and predict the
outcome of a cross between individuals using this concept.
Use either the Punnett square method or product rule method to
solve genetics problems involving two traits.
Describe an example in which a trait is governed by more than two
alleles.
Differentiate between the X and Y chromosomes and their role in
sex determination.
Apply the rules of probability or use the Punnett square method to
solve a problem involving a sex-linked characteristic.
State and explain the chromosome theory of heredity.
Describe the relationship of genetics and the environment.
Describe how crossing over and mutation effect the expression of a
gene.
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
practice Punnett squares
determining genotype and phenotype activities
probability lab
pedigree analysis
karyotype lab
fingerprint lab
human traits lab
Page 33 of 41
5.3 Life Science: Life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of
life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be
modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and reproducing
in different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over
extremely long periods of time.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does natural selection encourage inter and intra-specific
The diversity and changing of life forms over many generations is
diversity over time?
the result of natural selection, in which organisms with advantageous
traits survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to offspring.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
New traits may result from new combinations of existing genes or
Account for the appearance of a novel trait that arose in a given
from mutations of genes in reproductive cells within a population.
population. (5.3.12.E.1)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 The sorting and recombination of genes in sexual reproduction results in a great variety of possible gene combinations in the offspring of
any two parents. 5B/H2
 Heritable characteristics influence how likely an organism is to survive and reproduce. 5F/H4b
 The continuing operation of natural selection on new characteristics and in diverse and changing environments, over and over again for
millions of years, has produced a succession of diverse new species. 5F/H10 (SFAA)
Instructional Focus:
 Recognizing how heritable characteristics can strongly influence how likely an individual is to survive and reproduce
 Describing how evolution involves changes in the genetic make-up of whole populations over time, not changes in the genes of an
individual organism
 Analyzing natural selection simulations and use the data generated to describe how environmentally favored traits are perpetuated over
generations resulting in species survival, while less favorable traits decrease in frequency or may lead to extinction
Page 34 of 41
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Desired Results
describe the process of natural selection and calculate gene
frequencies using the Hardy-Weinberg equation
define the term gene pool and how a helpful mutation can spread
through a population
describe how a harmful mutation can hurt a species
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Page 35 of 41
Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
gene frequency lab using beans
research on gene mutations
E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and reproducing
in different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over
extremely long periods of time.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does natural selection encourage inter and intra-specific
The diversity and changing of life forms over many generations is
diversity over time?
the result of natural selection, in which organisms with advantageous
traits survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to offspring.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Molecular evidence (e.g., DNA, protein structures, etc.) substantiates
Estimate how closely related species are, based on scientific
the anatomical evidence for evolution and provides additional detail
evidence (e.g., anatomical similarities, similarities of DNA base
about the sequence in which various lines of descent branched.
and/or amino acid sequence). (5.3.12.E.2)
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Molecular evidence substantiates the anatomical evidence for evolution and provides additional detail about the sequence in which various
lines of descent branched off from one another. 5F/H2
 Heritable characteristics can be observed at molecular and whole-organism levels—in structure, chemistry, or behavior. 5F/H4a
Instructional Focus:
 Identifying, explaining and demonstrating how technology can be used to determine evolutionary relationships among species (gel
electrophoresis, DNA/amino acid sequences)
o Assessments will not include the mechanisms of biotechnologies such as PCR, electrophoresis
 Integrating scientific information from a variety of disciplines to provide evidence for the relatedness of species on Earth (geology,
comparative anatomy, biochemistry, and taxonomy)
Page 36 of 41
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Desired Results
List ways in which comparative anatomy supports the concept of
evolution
Define and cite example of homologous organs or parts
Indicate the relationship between selective breeding and the process
of genetic recombination resulting from mutations
Understand the process of gel electrophoresis
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Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
homologous and analogous structure labs
evolutionary tree lab
gel electrophoresis lab
Page 37 of 41
E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and reproducing
in different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over
extremely long periods of time.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does natural selection encourage inter and intra-specific
The diversity and changing of life forms over many generations is
diversity over time?
the result of natural selection, in which organisms with advantageous
traits survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to offspring.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
The principles of evolution (including natural selection and common
Provide a scientific explanation for the history of life on Earth using
descent) provide a scientific explanation for the history of life on
scientific evidence (e.g., fossil record, DNA, protein structures, etc.).
Earth as evidenced in the fossil record and in the similarities that
(5.3.12.E.3)
exist within the diversity of existing organisms.
Unpacked Content Statement
 Modern ideas about evolution and heredity provide a scientific explanation for the history of life on Earth as depicted in the fossil record
and in the similarities evident within the diversity of existing organisms. 5F/H7
 Life on earth is thought to have begun as simple, one-celled organisms about four billion years ago. Once cells with nuclei developed about
a billion years ago, increasingly complex multi-cellular organisms evolved. 5F/H8
 Evolution builds on what already exists, so the more variety there is, the more there can be in the future. But evolution does not necessitate
long-term progress in some set direction. Evolutionary change appears to be like the growth of a bush: Some branches survive from the
beginning with little or no change; many die out altogether; and others branch repeatedly, sometimes giving rise to more complex
organisms. 5F/H9
 The continuing operation of natural selection on new characteristics and in diverse and changing environments, over and over again for
millions of years, has produced a succession of diverse new species. 5F/H10 (SFAA)
Instructional Focus:
 Recognizing that a change in a species over time does not follow a set pattern or timeline
 Explaining how the millions of different species on Earth today are related by common ancestry using evidence
 Using natural selection and its evolutionary consequences to provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life forms, and
the molecular similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms
o Assessments will not include the classification of organisms in taxa
Page 38 of 41
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Desired Results
Define evolution as change among living things during successive
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generations
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Define and cite examples of fossils and describe how they are
formed
Describe how fossil records are used to support the ideas that
organisms evolve and that organisms living today are descendants of
organisms which lived previously
Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
Evolution web quest
Fossil record activity
Page 39 of 41
E. Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and reproducing
in different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over
extremely long periods of time.
Essential Questions
Enduring Understandings
How does natural selection encourage inter and intra-specific
The diversity and changing of life forms over many generations is
diversity over time?
the result of natural selection, in which organisms with advantageous
traits survive, reproduce, and pass those traits to offspring.
Content Statements
Cumulative Progress Indicators
Evolution occurs as a result of a combination of the following
Account for the evolution of a species by citing specific evidence of
factors:
biological mechanisms. (5.3.12.E.4)
 Ability of a species to reproduce
 Genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and
recombination of genes
 Finite supply of the resources required for life
 Natural selection, due to environmental pressure, of those
organisms better able to survive and leave offspring
Unpacked Content Statement:
 Natural selection provides the following mechanism for evolution: Some variation in heritable characteristics exists within every species;
some of these characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing; and the advantaged offspring, in turn,
are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. As a result, the proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will
increase. 5F/H3
 Natural selection leads to organisms that are well-suited for survival in particular environments. 5F/H6a
 When an environment, including other organisms that inhabit it changes, the survival value of inherited characteristics may change.
Instructional Focus:
 Discussing how environmental pressure, genetic drift, mutation and competition for resources influence the evolutionary process
 Predicting possible evolutionary implications for a population due to environmental changes over time (e.g., volcanic eruptions, global
climate change, pollution)
Page 40 of 41
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Desired Results
Explain the various lines of evidence which led Charles Darwin to
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conclude that organisms evolve
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Explain what is meant by Darwin’s theory of natural selection
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Explain the relationship between adaptation and ability, for survival
and reproduction
Compare and contrast morphological adaptations, physiological
adaptations, and behavioral adaptations, and cite an example of each
Explain the sequence of events which may lead to the evolution of
subspecies and then species
List humans’ special physical adaptations and suggest how they may
have evolved
Describe the theory of divergent evolution which explains how
humans and apes may have had a common ancestor
Investigations, Labs, and Sense Making Experiences
The beaks of the finches lab
Lamarck vs. Darwin discussion
Human hand adaption lab
Page 41 of 41