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Download Foundations of Science I - Iowa City Community School District
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Foundations of Science I Course Description Foundations of Science I Course Description Foundations of Science I (FOS I) is a yearlong life science course. Concepts and themes introduced in this course will be built upon and expanded in the tenth grade biology course. The philosophy behind FOS I is that science should be taught as a process in the context of issues relevant to the students' lives. A wide variety of inquirybased teaching strategies are utilized to address different learning styles and make science accessible to all students. Important concepts and skills spiral through each unit and the whole course. Issues and Life Science is the researchbased curriculum used for FOS I. It was developed by the Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP), which also produced the issuesbased curriculum, Issues, Evidence & You, used in FOS II. Instructional materials Text: Issues and Life Science ISBN: 9781603012621 Published by LabAids, Inc., Ronkonkoma, NY Website: www.labaids.com Online text available at: http://ebooks.labaids.com/studentresources Username= northwestjrhigh3 Password= dhill Issues and Life Science Unit Summaries Experimental Design: Studying People Scientifically In an introductory unit, students investigate the scientific study of humans. By focusing on themselves as subjects of investigation, students develop scientific approaches to problem solving. Student investigations address important ideas about the nature of science, the traditional scientific method, and experimental design. For example, students simulate the role of placebos in studies of medication for human use; at the end of the unit, they evaluate several proposed studies for the quality of their scientific design. Essential Understandings: 1. Welldesigned experiments control variables, use a control, collect appropriate data, and are reproducible. 2. Humans as test subjects, presents unique challenges in experimental design, ethics, and the drawing of conclusions. 3. Scientific investigations (especially those involving human subjects) involve making tradeoffs. Human Body Systems Students investigate concepts and issues related to sustaining personal health. A major goal of this unit is to provide a foundation for evidencebased decision making about health issues such as the use of medication, nutrition and exercise, and heart disease. The unit focuses on the role of organ systems in providing nutrients and oxygen to the body and transporting and eliminating wastes (maintaining internal balance). Students investigate the heart and circulatory system in depth, with an emphasis on the relationship between structure and function. Essential Understandings: 1. The body is made of systems that perform vital functions. 2. The body systems are interconnected and depend on one another. 3. The body is organized at different levels including cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Cell Biology and Disease By exploring how infectious diseases affect people, students study microbiology; cell size, structure, function, and permeability; and systems of classification. They learn how to use a microscope to gather data and they continue to build on their ability to conduct experiments. Through laboratory activities and simulations, students also explore the function of the immune system and the growth of antibioticresistant organisms. A research project on infectious disease provides students with an opportunity to develop research skills. Essential Understandings: 1. Infectious diseases are caused by germs which are transmitted in a variety of ways. 2. Germs include bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. 3. Diseases may be prevented in a variety of ways including hand washing and the use of vaccines, antibiotics, and quarantine. 4. The use of disease prevention methods have tradeoffs including the development of antibioticresistant bacteria. 5. Cells are the basic unit of life. 6. The structure of cells is related to their function. 7. Microbes play a variety of roles other than as pathogens. Genetics Students consider whether to be tested for a hereditary condition as they explore fundamental principles of Mendelian genetics. Laboratory activities and simulations allow students to examine the inheritance of traits through generations. Students investigate heredity among imaginary "critters," pea plants, and humans. Other activities focus on the difference between asexual and sexual reproduction, the process of cell division, and the role of nature and nurture in determining traits. Near the end of the unit, students model the use of DNA technologies to solve realworld problems. Essential Understandings: 1. Every organism has a set of instructions for specifying its traits. 2. Genes contain hereditary information that determines traits such as blood type and eye color. 3. Reproduction is a characteristic of all living systems, and breeding experiments can provide information about the behavior of genes. 4. Scientists formulate and test their explanations of nature through observations, experiments, and theoretical and mathematical models. Ecology What happens when a new species is introduced into an ecosystem? Students begin to consider this issue as they model ecological relationships within an ecosystem; simulate the effect of competition, predation, and other factors on population size; and investigate local ecosystems. Students will also learn how population models are used to investigate causes of population decline in endangered species and how humans can reduce their negative impact on other species' survival. Essential Understandings: 1. The energy driving the Earth’s ecosystems comes mainly from the sun and flows through ecosystems in one direction; matter continuously cycles through Earth’s ecosystems. 2. Ecosystems comprise complex interactions involving both living organisms and nonliving factors. 3. Humans play an increasingly significant role in all the world’s ecosystems. 4. Biodiversity ensures stability in any ecosystem, large or small, and the loss of biodiversity is a major concern. Evolution Students consider whether an extinct species should be brought back to life as they begin to explore evolution. Students examine fossils as they continue to distinguish between observation and inference. A role play presents the basic concept of evolution and the process of natural selection. Activities model the lines of evidence for evolution, natural selection, and the role of genetic mutations. Students evaluate the impact of humans on the extinction and evolution of species. Essential Understandings: 1. Most species that have once lived on this earth are extinct, and species alive today are descendants of earlier ones. 2. Geological time is vast, and microbial life has existed on Earth for much of Earth’s history. 3. Natural selection is the process by which species evolve. 4. Evolution is a continual process as environments continue to change. 5. Variation is present in any population of organisms.
