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HIGH SCHOOL BIOLOGY PACING GUIDE 2013-2014
3 days
*The Characteristics of Life will be the basis of topics covered in class and the first topic reviewed/built upon from middle and elementary curriculum.
Write BIOLOGY on the board

Have students come up with the definition
Group Poster Competition – All organisms have these in common (characteristics)
Present poster (characteristics students came up with in groups)

tell class how many characteristics the groups as a whole got correct then have them as individual groups figure out which ones were correct and see if they can come up with the missing ones
Characteristics of Life Scramble  turn this into notes if students wish
Characteristics of Life PPT (as a review if needed)
Eyewitness Life video and worksheet
Characteristics of Life Play on words drawing “play on words” for classroom concept map (* characteristics and subtopics)
Mystery Matter Lab
Characteristics of Life Quiz (traditional or clicker or group)
Characteristics of Life Review Packet Homework Assignment (for those not scoring well on quiz)
Marty Martian Trial (Pre-AP or Top Level – depending on student maturity and ability)
Virus Project (assessment)
* Lab Safety, Lab Equipment, Technical Terminology, etc. will be covered within given topics versus having separate lessons
Vocabulary:

Biology

Organism

Scientific Method

Observation
o
Inference
o
Fact

Hypothesis

Experiment
o
Constant
o
Control Group
o
Experimental Group
o
Independent Variable
o
Dependent Variable

Data

Conclusion

Theory

Law

Ethics

Metric System
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Organization of Life
2 weeks
Contextual Language
-
-
-
-
Variation
Classification
Taxonomy
Binomial Nomenclature
Taxon
Species
Genus
Family
Order
Class
Phylum
Kingdom
o
Archaebacteria
o
Eubacteria
o
Protista
o
Fungi
o
Plantae
o
Animalia
Domain
o
Archae
o
Eubacteria
o
Eukarya
Virus
Cladistics
o
Cladistic Analysis
o
Cladogram
Phylogeny
o
Phylogenetic Tree
Key Concepts
Enduring Understandings
Evolutionary
Classification
Life is organized at all levels from cells to
biosphere.
Evidence of Common
Ancestry
Modern classification systems are based
upon biochemical and genetic evidence that
indicates evolutionary
relationships.
Derived
Characteristics
Morphology
Broadest to most
specific
Viruses are complex inert structures and
their evolutionary relationship is still under
consideration.
Millions of different species of plants,
animals, and microorganisms that live on
Earth today are related by descent from
common ancestors.
Essential Questions
What determines relationships in classification?
What criteria do biologists use to classify
organisms?
How is the modern classification system and
naming of organisms beneficial to all scientists?
How does the evidence of evolution contribute to
modern classification systems?
Presentation Resources
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Comparing & Contrasting Life
3 days
Contextual Language
-
Prokaryote
Eukaryote
 Cyanobacteria
 Photoautotroph
 Thermoacidophiles
 Halophiles
 Methanogens
 Nitrogen-fixation
 Flagellum
 Capsule
 Nucleoid
 Capsule
 Endospore
 Pilus

Lytic cycle

Lysogenic Cycle

Capsid

Retrovirus
 Prion
 Bioluminescence
 Colony
 Contractile Vacuole
 Pellicle
 Plasmodium
 Protozoans
 Algae
 Pseudopod
 Cilia
o
Lichen
o
Chitin
o
Hyphae
o
Rhizoid
o
Yeast
o
Spore
o
Saprobe
Key Concepts
Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote
Peptidoglycan/Cellulose/C
hitin/Capsid
Autotrophy vs.
Heterotrophy
Enduring Understandings
All organisms and systems are organized from
simple parts into complex systems that must
maintain homeostasis in order to survive.
Diverse organisms carry out common life processes
differently.
Essential Questions
What are the similarities and differences among the six
kingdoms of life?
How are prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms similar or
different?
How are unicellular and multi-cellular organisms similar
or different?
How are responses to conditions which threaten
homeostasis the same and different for a variety of
different cell types belonging to organisms in the same
kingdom?
How are responses to conditions which threaten
homeostasis the same and different for similar cell types
belonging to organisms representing different kingdoms
of life?
How do organisms (simple and complex) carry out life
processes differently?
Why do complex organisms have specialized structures to
carry out life processes?
Why would organisms in different kingdoms have similar
or
different characteristics?
How would DNA extraction differ depending on the
typical cell structure for a specified kingdom?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
2 weeks
Contextual Language
-
History of Life
-
















-
Biogenesis
Spontaneous Generation
Primordial Soup
Microorganism
Endosymbiosis
Radiometric Dating
o
Half-Life
Absolute Time
o
Relative
o
Law of Superposition
Fossil Record
Fossil Index
Primitive
Advanced
Evolutionary Milestone
Geologic Timescale
Era:
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Period:
Quartenary
Tertiary
Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic
Permian
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian
Epoch
Cambrian Explosion
Mass Extinction
Key Concepts
Evolutionary History
Earliest cells &
Multicellular Forms
Endosymbionic Theory
Molecular clock theory
Enduring Understandings
Molecular (biochemical) evidence supports
anatomical (morphological) evidence from fossils
about the sequence of descent.
The great diversity of organisms is the result of
more than 3.5 billion years of evolution that has
filled every available
niche with life forms.
Evolution explains the number of different life
forms we see, similarities in anatomy and chemistry,
and the sequence of changes in fossils formed over
more than a billion years.
Essential Questions
How can the history of organisms be explained in terms of
Earth’s history, biodiversity and ancestry?
How can common ancestry be analyzed through
observation of similarities and differences among anatomy,
biochemistry, and fossil changes in a diversity of
organisms?
What evidence indicates evolution has occurred?
How has the evidence from evolution contributed to the
organization of geologic time?
How does fossil and biochemical evidence support
evolutionary theory?
How do similarities in the amino acid sequence of a protein
among different species imply evolutionary relationships?
What do fossil records show about changes in frequencies
of phenotypes of inherited traits over time and the
formation of
new species?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Perseverance of Life
2 weeks
Contextual Language
-
Natural Selection
Adaptation
Regulation
Fitness
Biological Resistance
Survival of the Fittest
Evolution
Derived Trait
Homologous Structure
Vestigial Structure
Analogous Structures
Speciation
Gradualism
Punctuated Equilibrium
Adaptive Radiation
Key Concepts
Nature decides
Only the strong survive to
reproduce
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Environmental conditions affect organisms at
cellular levels.
What role does natural selection play in the changes in
organisms over time?
Organisms respond to internal changes and external
stimuli to maintain homeostasis.
How does natural selection influence evolution?
Species evolve over time.
How does comparative structure evidence support
evolution?
Evolution is a gradual process.
Why is evolution by natural selection considered to be a
mechanism for how life changes overtime?
Evolution occurs in populations of organisms not
individuals.
How does natural selection drive the adaptations that
increase the fitness of an organism for its environment?
Natural selection is a primary factor in evolutionary
change.
How do interrelationships and interdependencies of
organisms generate survivable adaptations?
Change or die out
Evolution is a consequence of the interactions of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
the potential for a species to increase its
numbers.
the genetic variability of
offspring due to mutations and recombination.
a finite supply of resources required for life.
the selection by the environment of those
offspring better able to survive and leave
offspring.
Diversity among organisms is due to adaptations to
changing environmental conditions.
The adaptations of an organism enables the
organism to be successful within an ecosystem
through the action of natural selection.
Favorable variations among individuals that increase
the chance of survival tend to be passed onto
successive generations.
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Perseverance of Life: Plant
Adaptations
3 days +
dissection
Contextual Language
-
-
-
-
-
Stomata
Guard Cells
Turgor Pressure
Nonvascular Plants
o
Alternation of Generations
o
Sporophyte
o
Gametophyte
Vascular Plants
o
Xylem
o
Phloem
Seed
o
Cotyledon
o
Seed Coat
o
Endosperm
Pollination
Gymnosperms
o
Cone
Angiosperms
o
Pistil
o
Stamen
Tropisms
o
Gravitropism
o
Phototropism
o
Photoperiodism
o
Thigmotropism
Key Concepts
Survival skills from
primitive to advanced
plants
Enduring Understandings
Diverse organisms carry out common life processes
differently.
Multi-cellular organisms are formed as highly
organized arrangements of differentiated cells.
Essential Questions
How do plant adaptations influence their ability to survive
stressful environmental conditions?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Perseverance of Life: Animal Adaptations and Behavior
3 days +
dissection
Contextual Language
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Body Structure
Anterior
Posterior
Dorsal
Ventral
Symmetry
o
Asymetrical
o
Bilateral
o
Radial
Coelom
Segmentation
Cephalization
Ectoderm
Endoderm
Mesoderm
Appendages
Tetrapod
Bipedal
Reproduction
o
Internal Fertilization
o
External Fertilization
o
Hermaphrodite
o
Sexual Selection (Courtship) Fertilization
o
Amnion
o
Placenta
o
Monotreme
Skeleton
o
Invertebrate
o
Vertebrate
o
Endoskeleton
o
Exoskeleton
o
Cartilage
o
Bone
Circulatory System
o
Open Circulatory System
o
Closed Circulatory System
o
Water Vascular System
o
Endotherm
o
Ectotherm
Nervous System
o
Ganglia
o
Nerve Cord
o
Notochord
o
Chordate
o
Eye spot
o
Compound Eye
o
Binocular Vision
Regeneration
Respiratory System
o
Gills
o
Lungs
o
Diaphragm
Excretory System
o
Nephron
Integumentary/Lymphatic System
o
Glands
o
Hair
Behavior
o
Hibernation
o
Migration
o
Foraging Behavior
o
Imprinting
o
Innate Behavior
o
Learned Behavior
o
Camouflage
o
Mimicry
Key Concepts
Survival skills from
primitive to advanced
animals
Enduring Understandings
Diverse organisms carry out common life processes
differently.
Multi-cellular organisms are formed as highly
organized arrangements of differentiated cells.
Essential Questions
How have physical and behavioral adaptations affected
animals’ ability to survive stressful environments?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Chemistry of Life
2 weeks
Contextual Language
-
-
-
-
Monomer
Polymer
Calorie
Macromolecule
Carbohydrate
o
Monosaccharide
o
Disaccharide
o
Polysaccharide
o
Gluocose
Protein
o
Amino Acid
o
Peptide
o
Enzyme

Catalyst

Substrate

Activation Site

Activation Energy

Optimal Conditions

Amylase

Peptidase

Lipase
Lipid
o
Glycerol
o
Fatty Acid
Nucleic Acid
o
Nucleotide
o
DNA
o
RNA
o
Nitrogen Base
Key Concepts
Monomer as related to
Polymers
Function of them
Which make up cell parts
Enduring Understandings
All cells are composed of many different molecules
that are organized into specialized structures that
carry out cell
functions.
Most cell functions involve chemical reactions that
utilize enzymes that either break down or synthesize
compounds.
Chemical bonds of food molecules contain energy
that is released in the process of cellular respiration;
the
products are used to synthesize needed molecules.
Enzymes are essential for metabolism in living
things.
Without enzymes, cell processes would occur too
slowly for life.
Enzymes work like a lock and key mechanism: the
protein enzyme only fits and works with one type of
substrate.
Enzymes, biological catalysts, are proteins that are
specific for the reactions
they catalyze.
Enzymes have optimal conditions (pH and
temperature) for working.
Essential Questions
How are the four basic elements C,H,O,N bonded
together to form the macromolecules?
What is the function of the four major
macromolecules (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, lipids,
nucleic acids).
How is energy stored and released in food
molecules?
Describe the chemical composition and configuration
of enzymes and discuss the factors that modify
enzyme structure and/or function.
How do enzymes function as catalysts?
How does the lock and key mechanism of an enzyme
work?
How does the functioning of enzymes help
cells/organisms do the following?
a. maintain homeostasis
b. cycle energy
c. survive stressful conditions
W h y are enzymes specific to certain substrates
within organisms?
How can enzymes act to decrease the energy input
needed to form and break bonds in biochemical
reactions?
Basic Structure & Function of Life
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
3 days
Contextual Language
-
-
-
-
Organelle
Cell Wall
Cell Membrane
o
Plasma Membrane
o
Phospholipid Bilayer
o
Lipid Bilayer
o
Fluid Mosaic Model
o
Selectively Permeable
o
Transport Protein
Cytoskeleton
Cytoplasm
Chloroplasts
Nucleus
o
Nuclear Envelope
o
Nuclear Membrane
o
Nucleolus
o
Centrioles
Lysosomes
Ribosomes
Cytoplasm
Endoplasmic Reticulum
o
Rough
o
Smooth
Golgi Apparatus (Body)
o
Vesicle
Vacuole
Mitochondria
Flagellum
Cilia
Key Concepts
Parts of a whole
Subunit contributes to the
welfare of the larger unit
(organelle  cell)
Working cooperatively to
maintain life
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Multi-cellular organisms are formed as highly
organized arrangements of differentiated cells.
How does cellular organization enable cells to carry
out life processes?
All cells are composed of many different molecules
that are organized into specialized structures that
carry out cell functions.
How does the structural organization of a cell result in
such a diversity of living things?
Cells have particular structures that underlie their
functions.
Cellular processes of prokaryotic and eukaryotic
cells are similar in-spite of their structural
differences.
Organisms carry out common life processes
differently.
How is the organization/function of organelles in a
cell similar to the organization/function of
departments in an industry?
Why is cell differentiation necessary for the survival
of multicellular organisms?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Balance of Life
3 days
Contextual Language
Key Concepts
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
-
Homeostasis
Survival and stability require that living things
maintain biological balance at all levels.
How do cells maintain equilibrium when environmental
changes occur?
Cells desire to be in an equilibrium state with the
environment.
How do organelles work together to maintain
homeostasis in the cell?
A cell can transport substances from location to
location to maintain balance.
How do organisms use diffusion and osmosis to
maintain overall survival?
-
Passive Transport
Active Transport
Diffusion
o
Osmosis
o
Facilitated Diffusion
o
Isotonic Solution
o
Hypertonic Solution
o
Hypotonic Solution
Concentration Gradient
Turgor Pressure
Endocytosis
Exocytosis
Phagocytosis
Pinocytosis
Plasmolysis
Polarity
Solute
Solvent
Solution
Equilibrium
Cell Transport
Response to Environment
Cells’ balance aids in an organism’s survival.
The regulation of cell functions through the
expression of genes (enzymes) allows cells to
respond to the environment.
Water is important for life.
Water’s polarity makes it a good solvent and then
helps to transport materials and maintain suitable
temperatures for life.
All organisms and systems are organized from
simple parts into complex system that must maintain
homeostasis in order to survive.
Regardless of cell type, cellular components
function together to maintain homeostasis.
Organisms must use cell transport for survival at all
levels of organization to maintain equilibrium.
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Contextual Language
Key Concepts
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Energetics of Life
2 weels
-
Energy
-
Chemical Reaction
Reactants
Products
Photosynthesis:
o
Chloroplast
o
Chlorophyll
o
Stomata,
o
Light-dependent Reaction
o
Light-independent Reaction
Dark Reactions
Calvin Cycle
o
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
o
Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP)
o
Thylakoid
o
Stroma
o
Grana
o
NADP+
o
NADPH
o
Transpiration
-
-
Cellular Respiration:
o
Aerobic Respiration
o
Anaerobic Respiration
o
Lactic Acid Fermentation
o
Alcoholic Fermentation
o
Glycolysis
o
Kreb’s Cycle
o
Pyruvic Acid
o
Mitochondria
o
Electron Transport Chain
o
Metabolism
Chemosynthesis:
o
Tube Worms
o
Chemosynthetic Bacteria
o
Hydrothermal Vents
o
Symbiosis
o
Hydrogen Sulfide
Similarities and
differences between
photosynthesis,
cellular respiration,
and chemosynthesis.
Reciprocal
relationship of
photosynthesis and
cellular respiration.
Alternatives to harsh
environments
Energy can be neither created nor
destroyed but can be transformed from
one form to another as it flows though
organisms and ecosystems.
Photosynthetic organisms use sunlight to
combine
inorganic molecules to form energy
storing organic
molecules and release oxygen that is vital
to most
living things.
The process of photosynthesis provides
the
vital connection between the sun and the
energy needs of
living systems.
Carbon and oxygen cycle through the
processes of
photosynthesis and respiration.
Formulas of photosynthesis and cellular
respiration are opposite of one another.
What photosynthesis makes cellular
respiration needs and what cellular
respiration makes photosynthesis needs.
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
are considered to be opposite reactions.
Chemical bonds of food molecules
contain energy that is released in the
process of cellular respiration; the
products are used to synthesize needed
molecules.
No light can reach the bottom of the
ocean so organisms living their have to
obtain energy through chemosynthesis.
Chemosynthetic bacteria make glucose
out of the chemicals of the earth so they
are considered the producers of this
environment – just as plants make
glucose for other environments.
How do organisms obtain and transform
energy?
How is energy transferred from sunlight to
glucose to ATP?
How is energy stored and released from
food molecules?
How are the processes of photosynthesis
and respiration related?
How do photosynthesis and respiration
contribute to the Carbon cycle?
How are plants and animals dependent
upon one another to obtain or cycle matter?
How does photosynthesis serve as the link
between the inorganic and organic world?
How are the processes of photosynthesis
and respiration involved in the formation
and
breakdown of certain macromolecules?
How is energy stored and released in living
systems?
How does the production of carbon dioxide
in fermenting yeast show the cycling of
energy in
living systems?
How are the products of cellular respiration
used by photosynthetic organisms?
Connections of Life
2 weeks
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-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Thermodynamics
Autotroph
o
Photosynthesizer
o
Chemosynthesizer
Heterotroph
o
Carnivore
o
Herbivore
o
Omnivore
o
Detritivore
Habitat
Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biome
Biosphere
Food Chain
Food Web
Ecological Hierarchy

Ecological Pyramid:

Trophic Level

Biomass Pyramid

Energy Pyramid

Population Pyramid
Symbiosis
o
Mutualism
o
Commensalism
o
Parasitism
Nutrient
Nutrient Cycles
Biogeochemical Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle:

Nitrogen Fixation

Denitrification
o
Water Cycle
o
Carbon Cycle
o
Phosphorus Cycle
Niche
o
Producer
o
Predator
o
Prey
o
Decomposer
Abiotic
Biotic
Limiting Factor
o
Competition
o
Resource
o
Pollution
o
Carrying Capacity
Density-Independent Factor
Density-Dependent Factor Population Growth Rate
Logistic Growth Model
Dispersion
Emigration
Immigration
Population Density
Exponential Growth Model
Biodiversity
Species Diversity
Genetic Diversity
Ecosystem Diversity
Biological Magnification
Ecological Succession

Primary Succession:

Pioneer Species

Climax Community
o
Secondary Succession
Endemic
Extinction
Habitat Fragmentation
Invasive species
Natural Resource
Nonrenewable Resource
Interdependence
Patterns of ecological organization are similar to those
of cells and organisms.
Cycles in Nature
Energy Transference
Factors that affect
populations
Biodiversity
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but can be
transformed from one from to another as it flows
through organisms and ecosystems.
How do energy and matter move through the ecosystem?
How is ecosystem stability achieved and maintained?
How do community interactions maintain stability in an ecosystem?
How do biotic and abiotic factors shape an ecosystem and determine the communities
that will be successful in it?
How is energy transferred in an ecosystem?
Energy flows through ecosystems in one direction from
photosynthetic organisms to herbivores to carnivores
and decomposers.
Everything is connected from the biosphere to the atom.
How is the biosphere like a cell in that both are composed of parts that work together to
make the whole?
How do the 1st & 2nd Laws of Thermodynamics apply to energy transfer in an
ecosystem?
How do organisms in a food chain & food web relate?
The atoms and molecules on earth cycle among the
living
and nonliving components of the biosphere. SB4b
Describe how the three ecological pyramids represent trophic levels in ecosystems.
Slight changes can cause drastic changes.
Describe how nutrients move through the biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem.
Explain why decomposers are important in ecosystems.
Describe the importance of nutrients to living organisms.
How does energy flow through an ecosystem?
Organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems
Organisms are interdependent on each other and their
environment.
How much energy is available to be transferred to each level of a food chain consisting
of grasses, grasshoppers, finches, and a hawk?
Why is the amount of energy not the same in all trophic levels in a food chain?
Why are there a limited number of trophic levels in a food chain?
The distribution and abundance of organisms in
populations and ecosystems are limited by the
availability of matter and energy and the ability of the
ecosystem to recycle materials.
The interrelationships and interdependencies of
organisms may generate ecosystems that are stable
for hundreds or thousands of years.
Compare the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients.
How is a habitat different from a niche? What is an example of a habitat and an
individual’s niche in that habitat?
What are some abiotic factors that limit plant growth? What are some biotic factors that
limit plant growth?
How do adaptations affect organisms’ ability to survive stressful environmental
conditions?
Why do limiting factors have a lesser impact on humans than for most other organisms?
The total energy found in organisms from one trophic
level in a food chain is not available to organisms in the
next trophic level as only a portion of energy consumed
is
stored as organic matter; the rest is utilized in metabolic
processes or transformed into heat.
Summarize the concepts of carrying capacity and limiting factors.
Ecosystems result from dynamic relationships between
organisms and their environment.
How is energy transferred in an ecosystem?
Living organisms have the capacity to produce
populations of infinite size but are limited as
environments and resources are finite
Why does energy only flow in one direction in an ecosystem?
Human activities and natural phenomena disrupt the
homeostatic nature of the environment
How can the human race help prevent causing negative changes within the ecosystems
of the biosphere?
Compare and contrast logistic and exponential growth models.
Compare and contrast species diversity and genetic diversity.
Explain why ecosystem diversity results in species diversity in a healthy biosphere.
Why is preserving biodiversity important?
How do plants and animals depend on each other based on energy flow in ecosystems?
How is a food web different from a food chain?
What are some changes that occur in an ecosystem caused by the activities of humans?
How do human activities interrupt the stability of ecosystems?
Patterns of evolution vary and can be impacted by
human
Activities
What are the components of an ecosystem?
How does human activity impact an ecosystem?
How do natural selection pressures shape population growth curves?
Human activities and natural phenomena often disrupt
the environment causing changes in the population
dynamics and steady state balances of the biotic and
abiotic factors in the environment.
How do ecosystems influence the relationships among organisms in changing
environments?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Contextual Language
Growth & Reproduction of Life
3 days
-
-
Cell Cycle
Stem Cell
Asexual Reproduction
o
Cell Growth
 Mitosis
 Diploid
 Somatic Cell
 Autosome
o
Budding
o
Vegetative Propagation
o
Regeneration
o
Binary Fission
o
Spore Formation
o
Cancer
o
Carcinogen
Sexual Reproduction
 Meiosis
 Haploid
 Gametes
o
Conjugation
o
Fertilization
Key Concepts
Advantages and
Disadvantages of Asexual
and Sexual Reproduction
Genetic Diversity
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Organisms must be able to grow and reproduce to
ensure species survival.
If every living organism is made of cells, why do we
all look different?
In the development of multi-cellular organisms, the
progeny from a single cell forms an embryo in
which the cells multiply and differentiate to form the
many specialized cells, tissues, and organs that
comprise the final organism.
What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over
asexual reproduction in terms of genetic variability
and the population diversity which results?
Sexual reproduction leads to diversity to help
species survive bad environments, whereas asexual
reproduction does not.
Asexual reproduction is advantageous for producing
large numbers of offspring to ensure the propagation
of the species.
Cells in sexually reproducing organisms contain two
copies of each chromosome; therefore, two copies of
each gene explain many features of heredity such as
how variations that are hidden in one generation can
be expressed in the next.
Cells undergo programmed cell growth, division and
death.
Certain factors promote and control these processes.
Eukaryotic cells undergo a more complex cell
division than prokaryotes.
The reproductive patterns of organisms are affected
by environmental conditions.
What are the evolutionary advantages of the
maintenance of methods of asexual reproduction, even
within plant species which are capable of sexual
reproduction?
How does natural selection help to maintain the
diversity of plants so that plants can continue to use
both asexual and sexual reproduction to survive?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Codes of Life
3 days
Contextual Language
-
-
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
o
Double Helix
o
Nucleotide
o
Base Pairing Rule
o
Replication
o
DNA Polymerase
o
Hydrogen Bond
Ribonucleic Acid (RNA)
o
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
o
Messenger RNA (mRNA)
o
Transfer RNA (tRNA),
o
RNA Polymerase
o
Codon
o
Anticodon
o
Transcription
o
Translation
Key Concepts
DNA and RNA are
different
Importance of both DNA
and RNA
Enduring Understandings
The instructions for specifying the characteristics of
an organism are carried in DNA, a large polymer
formed from the subunits ATCG, located in the
cell(s) of that organism.
Essential Questions
How does DNA code for living organisms?
How can a change in the sequence of DNA affect the
type of protein that is coded?
Why would two different species have similar DNA
and yet have different traits?
Why are the processes of translation and transcription
crucial to biological function in an
organism?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Heredity of Life
2 weeks
Contextual Language
-
-
Chromosome
Sex Chromosomes
Genes
Traits
Inheritance
Allele
Punnett Square
Probability
Phenotype
Genotype
Homozygous
o
True breed
Heterozygous
o
Hybrid
Mendel’s Laws
 Law of Dominance:
 Dominant
 Recessive
o
Law of Segregation
 Law of Independent Assortment:
 Homologous Chromosome
 Crossing Over
Polyploidy
Polygenic Trait
Co-dominance
Incomplete Dominance
Multiple Alleles
Key Concepts
Trait Inheritance
Enduring Understandings
Using the DNA code, cells manufacture needed
proteins that determine an organism’s phenotype.
Mendel
Hereditary information, coded by DNA, is passed
down from generation to generation in a predictable
way.
Cells in sexually reproducing organisms contain two
copies of each chromosome; therefore, two copies of
each gene explain many features of heredity such as
how variations that are hidden in one generation
(Law of Dominance) can be expressed in the next
(Law of Segregation).
Essential Questions
What is the relationship between genetics and
evolutionary adaptations?
How do the laws of inheritance influence organisms’
genetic variability?
What are the effects of meiosis on genetic variability?
How is the basis of the principle of segregation a
mechanism of genetic variability?
How does independent assortment correlate with
reproductive variability?
By what mechanisms is heredity transmitted from
generation to generation?
How can the frequency of a gene in a population be
determined?
What conditions could cause changes in the frequency
of alleles in a population?
How could you trace the transmission of genetic traits
through successive generations of a family?
Why do Mendel's laws and the Hardy-Weinberg
principle provide biologists with an avenue for
prediction of trends in inheritance and evolution over
time?
How can a change in DNA in one organism affect
future generations of a population?
What is the relationship between natural selection and
allelic frequencies in a population?
Broad
Unit
Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
Alterations in Life
3 days
Contextual Language
-
Mutation
Mutagen
Biological Magnification
Pedigree
Karyotype
Genetic Disease (Trisomy)
Sex Linked Trait
Carrier
Restriction Enzyme
Gene Mutation
Chromosome Mutation
o
Substitution
o
Frameshift
o
Nondisjunction
o
Translocation
o
Deletion
o
Insertion
Key Concepts
Change is not always bad
Mutations can be linked to
the health of the
environment
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Changes in DNA occur spontaneously at low rates;
some of these changes make no difference to the
organism whereas others can change cells and
organisms.
What are some of the major causes of genetic
mutations that lead to diseases?
Favorable variations among individuals that increase
the chance of survival tend to be passed on to
successive generations.
What progress has been made in the research of gene
therapy?
The reproductive patterns of organisms are affected
by environmental conditions.
Mutations can occur in both autosomal and sex
chromosomes and have various causes, but only
mutations in germ cells can contribute to the
variation that changes an organism’s offspring.
What treatments can be offered to alleviate the
symptoms of a genetic disorder?
How are Mendel's laws demonstrated by the
occurrence of genetic diseases?
Was your investigated syndrome or disease an
autosomal mutation or a mutation that occurred in the
germ cells? Explain your answer using Mendel's
laws of inheritance.
Why do dental assistants take care to cover your
reproductive organs while X-raying your teeth
without shielding your head, neck or arms?
How can mutation and meiosis result in a new trait
appearing in an organism?
How do human activities alter mutation rate in
populations of organisms?
How can mutation adversely affect a population?
Enhance the viability of a population?
How can adaptations and mutations in a population
become more prevalent by processes such as natural
selection?
Biotechnology
Broad
Unit Topic
Themes
Estimated
Time to
Cover
3 days
Contextual Language
Key Concepts
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
-
Genetic technology is
expanding
DNA offers important information about life that
can provide technological advances in forensics,
medicine, and agriculture.
How has genetics influenced the development of
genetically modified organisms?
Genetic Engineering
Genetic Recombinant
Biological Resistance
Cloning
Selective Breeding
Transgenic Organism
DNA Fingerprinting
PCR
Gel Electrophoresis
Bioethics
Genome
Gene Therapy
Inbreeding
Plasmid
Recombinant DNA
Restriction Enzyme
Selective Breeding
The development and use of technologies may lead
to social, moral, ethical, and legal issues.
Biotechnology provides potential solutions to
problems or improvements to products by applying
modern biological techniques to many
environmental and health issues in our
world.
Biotechnology may have significant social,
environmental or ethical concerns which must be
considered and addressed.
The development of new biotechnical solutions is a
complicated and extensive process and requires the
input of many disciplines, people, and consideration
of many issues.
What impact will advances in DNA biotechnology
have on your life?
How can the differences in each organism’s genetic
material be used to isolate/identify specific
organisms?
What are some uses of DNA fingerprinting?
How can biotechnology be used to solve problems
and/or resolve current environmental
and health issues?
How can a new or improved biotechnology product
be marketed?
What role does DNA have in storing and
transmitting cellular information?
What impact would altering a segment of DNA have
on cell function?
What types of DNA technology are being used to
treat known genetic diseases?
How has the Human Genome Project contributed to
our knowledge of genetic diseases?
Why have gene therapies and their development been
debated among members of the medical community
over the past few years?
What impact do lethal genetic recombinations have
on populations?
Pres
Students will understand importance of epidemiology, disease progression, spread and prevention. They will further understand how antigens and antibodies work and that there are certain tests that can be used to detect the presence
and track the spread of some infectious diseases.
Essential Question(s):
1. What types of microorganisms can cause an epidemic?
2. How can an infectious disease be detected and tracked?
3. How can we prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B?
Vocabulary Words:
Reagents
Antigen
Immunity
Antibody
Epidemiology
Vaccine
Antibiotic