Download MLHS-Biology Honors

HONORS BIOLOGY
Course Description and Philosophy
Honors Biology is the advanced level freshman biology course. It is a fast-paced survey of fundamental biological concepts. Honors
Biology is an accelerated course designed to meet the needs of freshmen students who are independent learners, with well developed
formal reasoning skills, and who have a genuine interest in the sciences, particularly the biological sciences. The course surveys
major concepts and topics in modern biology, with emphasis on the methods of scientific inquiry, the chemical and biochemical
activities of living things, cell biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, genetic and heredity, evolution, environmental biology, and
plant and animal systems and their interactions.
Honors Biology is intended for honors level students, those students with enough maturity and independence to maintain an advanced
level of effort through the course of the year. Students need to demonstrate higher order thinking skills to be successful in this course,
such as the ability to make associations, to draw conclusions from data, to analyze and interpret, and to make predictions based on
previously learned materials. Students who are successful at this level must not only memorize material, but must also be able to do
something with the material they have learned. Teacher recommendations from their eighth grade science program are required for
entry into Honors Biology.
Within the Honors Biology course, emphasis is placed on viewing science as a process, and on understanding how scientists arrive at
their conclusions. This approach lends itself to inquiry and interpretation, and so the course is designed throughout to help develop
and hone the students’ higher order thinking skills. Students are encouraged to see connections between biology and other disciplines,
within the sciences as well as across the high school curriculum. Historical connections are emphasized, and the course is designed to
reinforce writing skills in many ways, including writing lab reports, essays, and term papers. Computer technology is used in
presentations and class discussions, and students are encouraged to develop their own technology skills in a variety of ways.
Laboratory activities are an integral part of the Honors Biology course. These lab activities are a major vehicle for reinforcing the
course content, allowing the students a practical venue for observing the core concepts of biology. Labs are a major means of
addressing differentiation within the biology curriculum. In addition to the content reinforcement, laboratory activities develop higher
order thinking skills such as interpretation and extrapolation, provide opportunities to use technology, allow for cooperative learning,
and develop social skills.
Material is presented during the Honors Biology course in a wide variety of formats. Methods employed include lecture, class
discussion, laboratory activities, interactive computer activities, film and CD presentations, student presentations and student research.
Students are evaluated in the Honors Biology using teacher made tests, quizzes, lab reports, worksheets and homework exercises, oral
reports and presentations, and term papers.
Text Reference:
Audesirk, Teresa, Audesirk, Gerald, and Byers, Bruce. Biology, Life on Earth with Physiology, 9th Edition. Copyright 2011, Pearson
Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Revised July 2014
Unit 1: An Introduction to the Science of Biology
Essential Question- How do scientists study living things, and what are the characteristics of living things?
Objectives – Students will be able to:
 Explain that living things are highly organized, and describe the organizational hierarchy of living things, from atoms to the
biosphere.
 Define homeostasis as a characteristic of living things, and give examples of how living things maintain homeostasis.
 Explain that living things are constantly exchanging materials with their environment, taking in materials and energy, and
giving off wastes.
 Explain that living things grow and develop.
 Define metabolism, and relate metabolism to other characteristics of living things, such as exchange with the environment or
growth and development.
 Define reproduction, and state that reproduction is a characteristic of living things.
 Explain that living things are adapted to their environment, and that these adaptations have evolved by natural selection.
 Explain the role of DNA in both the continuity of life during reproduction and the evolution of living things due to mutations
in the DNA selected for via natural selection.
 Describe the current divisions of living things into 3 domains, and describe characteristics of these three domains- Archaea,
Eubacteria, and Eukarya.
 Contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
 Describe characteristics of and make contrasts between the four kingdoms of Eukarya- Plantae, Animalia, Protista, Fungi.
 Describe the scientific method, and apply the scientific method to solving a problem or performing an experiment to gain
information. Emphasize research and information gathering as a key component of the scientific method.
 Explain the proper design of an experiment, contrasting the role of variables and controls in properly designed experiments.
Recognize the correct controls needed for a given experimental design.
 Explain the role of the hypothesis in an experiment.
 Explain what is meant by a scientific theory, and contrast theory with hypothesis.
 Discuss the theory of evolution as an example of how a scientific theory is arrived at. Explain how the theory of evolution
functions as a central unifying theme in modern biology.
Topic/Content Skills
Assessment
Resources
Topic 1: Characteristics Tests,
of living things
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
 The
Classwork
organizational
hierarchy of living Homework
Lab Reports
things.
 Responsiveness
 Homeostasis and
metabolism
 Growth,
development,
and reproduction
 Exchange with
the environment
 Adaptation
Topic 2: Evolution as a unifying theme
 Organisms adapt via natural
selection
 The theory of evolution by natural
selection
 Contrasting a theory and a
hypothesis
 Scientific assumptions and
philosophy of science
Topic 3: The methods of science.
 Recognize a problem
 Observation and information
gathering
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Instructional Methods
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Class Discussion
Group Work
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Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
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Interactive computer
activities
Tech Infusion
Next Gen
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PowerPoint
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VCR
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HS-LS1-1
HS-LS1-2
HS-LS4-4
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Hypothesis formation
Experimentation with proper
controls
Interpretation of results
Classic examples of the scientific
method
Differentiated Learning Activities
A difficult concept to grasp is proper lab procedures and dependent versus independent variables. Introduce students to a variety of
different lab experiments done over time (example: Francisco Redi or Alexander Fleming). Discuss how they went about doing the
experiment and also talk about the variables involved in each experiment. Afterwards, have students design their own experiment to
test out the effectiveness of a new drug. They must include proper procedures as well as list the different variables involved.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
Discuss how are science and society related. Take about examples of ethical and moral questions that science cannot address. Discuss
what might happen if a scientist were biased.
21st Century Skills
Students will design a lab to help test different aspects of chewing gum. In groups, they need to design, implement, and record their
results. Each student will perform a different role in their group and each group must complete a lab report. This will help all students
understand the scientific method.
Unit 2: The Molecules of Living Things
Essential Question: What important molecules make up living things, and how do these molecules affect the characteristics of living
things, their makeup and metabolism?
Objectives: Students will be able to:
 Define atom and element.
 Name the three biologically important subatomic particles, and compare/contrast them as to mass, location in the atom, and
charge.
 Define and contrast atomic number and atomic mass.
 Define isotope, and discuss biological and medical uses for isotopes, especially radioactive isotopes.
 Explain how electrons are arranged in orbits or shells, and predict the reactivity of an element based on its electron
configuration.
 Define ion, explain how ions are formed, and discuss how ionic bonds are formed. Predict the chemical formula of two ion
types that interact to form an ionic substance.
 Define covalent bonds, and explain how these bonds occur when atoms share electrons. Predict the chemical formula of two
atoms that interact to form covalent bonds, given the atomic number and electron configuration.
 Explain why polar covalent bonds are formed in some molecules.
 Define hydrogen bonding, and explain how this results from polarity, using water as an example.
 List and describe many important properties of water for living things, including high solvency, cohesion, adhesion, high heat
capacity, high heat of fusion, high heat of vaporization, capillary action, surface tension, and floating when it freezes. Explain
how each of these properties is important to living things, and discuss how each results from polarity and hydrogen bonding.
 Contrast hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. Explain what types of molecules dissolve well in water, what types do not,
and why.
 Describe the pH scale. Contrast acids and bases, and explain what types of ions are characteristic of each type of solution.
Explain that a neutral solution will have equal concentrations of hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions.
 Define organic molecules as those molecules with a carbon “core.” Explain, using carbon’s electron configuration, why this
atom is so conducive to forming the large, complex molecular chains characteristic of living things.
 Recognize the structure and describe the chemical characteristics of some of the important functional groups associated with
organic molecules, including hydroxyl groups, amino groups, phosphate groups, carboxyl groups, and methyl groups.
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Define monomers and polymers. Explain the chemical process that forms polymers from monomers in living things,
dehydration synthesis or condensation. Explain the opposite chemical process by which polymers are broken into monomers,
hydrolysis. Cite the specific role of water in each type of chemical reaction.
Explain the basic chemical pattern characteristic of carbohydrates.
Explain the structure and give examples of and functions for; carbohydrate monomers, such as glucose; disaccharides, such as
sucrose: and polysaccharides, such as starch.
Explain why cellulose cannot be digested by animals (without help from microbes!) even though it contains the same
monomers as starch. Discuss the critical function of cellulose and other undigestible fiber in the diet of humans.
Name the monomers of lipids, and describe how they are joined together.
Discuss the basic structure and functions of various types of lipids in living things, including triglycerides, phospholipids, and
steroids.
Contrast saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, and explain the health benefits of unsaturated fatty acids in the diet.
Define amino acids as the monomers of proteins, and describe the two functional groups associated with all amino acids- an
amino group and a carboxyl group.
Describe in detail the formation of a peptide bond that joins amino acids together.
Discuss the four levels of structure found in proteins, and how each level contributes to the overall shape of the protein.
Explain the relationship between a protein’s structure and its function, using both a structural protein and an enzyme as
examples.
Explain what happens when a protein is denatured, and list some factors that can cause protein denaturation, such as heat,
acids, bases, and detergent.
Describe the basic structure of a nucleic acid. Define amino acids as the monomers of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: Nature and Design
of Atoms
 Protons, neutrons,
and electrons
 Atomic number;
atomic mass;
 Isotopes and their
uses
 Electron shells and
electron configuration
 Ions
Assessment
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Topic 2: Chemical Bonding
 Ionic bonding
 Covalent bonding
 Polarity and polar bonds
 Hydrogen bonding of polar
compounds
 Properties of water important for life
 pH
Resources
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media
Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Films and
DVD’s
Instructional Methods
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
Tech Infusion NextGen:
iBooks and
HS-LS1-1
probes
HS-LS1-6
Laserdisc
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
Topic 3: Organic Molecules
 Carbon can form 4 covalent bonds
 Functional groups
 Carbohydrates
 Lipids
 Proteins
 Nucleic Acids
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will create a table for the 4 different types of macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. These tables
should include the monomers & polymers for each type as well as examples of them. It should also include any other important facts
they took from the reading of the chapter.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
Discuss the effects of genetically and chemically modified foods on the human body. Should we continue to use these foods? What are
the advantages and disadvantages to genetically modified foods? Why is there such a big market for organically grown foods?
21st Century Skills
Potato Enzyme Lab – In lab groups, students will perform an experiment to test the effect of different temperatures on the enzyme
peroxidase (found in most life forms, including potatoes). Students will test the enzyme action at cold, hot, and room temperatures
using Hydrogen Peroxide to see a visual reaction.
Sustainability
Acid and Base Testing Lab – In lab groups, students will test the pH of different household liquids (examples: soda, lemon juice,
ammonia, bleach, etc). Afterwards, students will discuss the effects of acids and bases on different water systems in the environment
and the impact humans have on ecosystems.
Unit 3: Cell Structure and Function
Essential Question: What are the basic features of cells, and how do they work together to generate and maintain the characteristics
of living things?
Objectives – Students will be able to:
 Explain the design of the plasma membrane, and discuss how the chemical nature of phospholipids leads to the characteristics
of the plasma membrane.
 Describe the plasma membrane as a fluid mosaic, containing proteins and cholesterol as well as phospholipids.
 List some functions of membrane proteins, including transport, signaling, and anchorage.
 Define diffusion, and explain how molecules move into and out of the cell by diffusion.
 Explain that facilitated diffusion is diffusion using transport proteins.
 Define osmosis. Predict the movement of water when a cell is placed into: a hypertonic solution, a hypotonic solution, or an
isotonic solution.
 Define active transport. Explain how active transport requires both ATP hydrolysis and an active transport carrier.
 Contrast endocytosis and exocytosis.
 Compare and contrast cell-cell junctions- desmosomes, gap junctions, tight junctions, and plasmodesmata.
 Discuss the major tenets of cell theory.
 Contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
 Identify the characteristics of and components found within prokaryotic cells.
 Identify eukaryotic cells as those containing nuclei and membrane-bound organelles.
 Outline the location, basic structure, and function within a eukaryotic cell of the major organelles; nucleus and nucleoli,
mitochondria, chloroplasts, lysosomes, rough and smooth ER, ribosomes, Golgi bodies, vacuoles, transport vesicles, cilia and
flagella, and cytoskeletal elements.
 Discuss the theory of endosymbiosis as an explanation for the origin of chloroplasts and mitochondria, providing evidence for
this theory.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: Membranes and
membrane transport
 Phospholipids and
the phospholipid
bilayer
 Fluid Mosaic model
 Diffusion and
facilitated diffusion
 Osmosis
 Active transport
 Endocytosis and
exocytosis
Assessment
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Topic 2: Cell Structure
 Prokaryotic cells
 Eukaryotic cells
 The nucleus
 Mitochondria
 Chloroplasts
 Ribosomes and ER
 Lysosomes and protein traffic
 Cilia and flagella
 Cytoskeleton
Topic 3: Theory of Endosymbiosis
Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion NextGen:
Text
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Films and
DVD’s
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS1-2
HS-LS1-4
Differentiated Learning Activities
Osmosis Children’s Story Book – Students will make a children’s storybook about a cell involved in osmosis. The cell must go
through 3 different types of osmosis solutions: isotonic, hypotonic, and hypertonic. The book must be done with creativity and effort
and demonstrate the student’s knowledge on the concept of osmosis.
21st Century Skills
Cell Model Project – In small groups, students will design a model of a town, but each town building will represent a specific
organelle of the cell (example: Post office is the Golgi Apparatus). Models can be built out of any type of material and all
buildings/parts should be labeled with the proper cell part. Students will be graded on accuracy, creativity, and effort.
Unit 4: Energy in a Cell
Essential Question: How do cells obtain and utilize the energy necessary to carry on life processes?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 State the first and second laws of thermodynamics in their own words, and relate both these laws to activities of living things,
including their own cells and bodies.
 Define entropy, and relate the concept of entropy to the requirement that living things need an input of energy to develop and
maintain the complexity typical of any organism.
 Contrast exergonic and endergonic reactions. Recognize that the endergonic reactions required for anabolic activities must be
coupled to some exergonic reactions to deliver the necessary energy for those reactions.
 Explain that the energy molecule most often used by living things to drive reactions is ATP. Describe exactly how ATP is
used to drive chemical reactions in living things.
 Define enzymes as organic catalysts, and explain the role enzymes perform in metabolic activities.
 Explain the induced fit hypothesis of enzyme activity. Describe how enzymes might be regulated by inhibition.
 List and briefly explain some factors that might influence the action of enzymes, such as temperature and pH.
 Explain that virtually all energy used by living things ultimately comes from the sun.
 Describe the design of chloroplasts, locating the compartments within the organelles where the major events of photosynthesis
take place.
 Describe in detail the actions of the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Name the products of these reactions,
explaining precisely how these products are made.
 Name oxygen as the critical byproduct of the light dependent reactions. Explain precisely how O2 is generated. Describe the
experiment that first proved the source of O2 during photosynthesis.
 Describe in detail the actions of the light independent reactions of photosynthesis, including the role of the ATP and NADPH
from the light dependent reactions.
 Recognize that all carbon molecules produced by plants, not just glucose, get their carbon core from the reactions of
photosynthesis.
 Contrast the normal or C3 pathway of most plants with the C4 pathway which has evolved in many plants from hot, dry
climates.
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Define cellular respiration as the pathway by which organisms obtain usable energy, in the form of ATP, from glucose and
other foods or energy sources.
List the major divisions of cellular respiration: glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain
and oxidative phosphorylation.
Describe the major steps of glycolysis. Explain exactly how ATP is used in glycolysis, how many ATP’s are made, and what
other energy molecules are made.
Explain what happens to the pyruvate resulting from glycolysis in the absence of oxygen in animals. Contrast those reactions
with the anaerobic reactions in yeast.
Explain the advantage of aerobic respiration over anaerobic respiration.
Describe the design of the mitochondria, and locate the sites within the organelle in which the aerobic components of cellular
respiration occur.
Explain the energy yield and the fate of the carbon skeleton of glucose during pyruvate oxidation and the citric acid cycle.
Explain in detail how the electron transport chain uses stored energetic electrons to generate most of the ATP of cellular
respiration. Explain the precise need for oxygen in this set of reactions, and name the product produced.
Compare/contrast cellular respiration and photosynthesis as to purpose, energy source and yield, reactants, products, wastes,
chemical intermediates, location, and use of proton gradients.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: Enzymes and
Enzyme Activity
 Laws of
thermodynamics
 Endergonic and
exergonic reactions
 Using ATP to drive
reactions- coupled
reactions
 Enzymes as organic
catalysts
 How enzymes workactive sites and
induced fit
 How enzymes are
regulated
Assessment Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Topic 2: Photosynthesis
 Design of chloroplasts
 Light energy and photon absorption
by chlorophyll
 The light dependent reactions
 The light independent reactions
 Production of glucose and other
organic molecules
 The C4 pathway
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media
Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Films and
DVD’s
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
Next Gen
HS-LS1-2
HS-LS1-5
HS-LS1-7
HS-LS2-3
Topic 3: Cellular Respiration
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Glycolysis
Anaerobic respiration in yeasts and
mammals
Mitochondrial design and functional
compartments
Pyruvate oxidation
The citric acid cycle
The electron transport chain
ATP synthase and oxidative
phosphorylation
Comparing/contrasting cellular
respiration and photosynthesis
`
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will create flowcharts for the different processes of respiration and photosynthesis. In a class setting, students
will be given a piece of paper and instructed on how to draw their flowchart.
21st Century Skills
Respiration in Yeast Lab – Students will test the respiration rate of yeast at different temperatures. To make this lab work,
each lab group is assigned a different temperature. This means that all lab groups must complete the lab correctly in order
for the whole class to do the lab. Students will collect the carbon dioxide given off by the yeast at varying temperatures to
find out which temperature yields the best results.
Unit 5: The Continuity of Life: Cellular Reproduction, Genetics, and Gene Expression
Essential Question: How is the genetic information stored in DNA passed on to new cells and offspring, and how does the
information in the DNA lead to the expression of inherited characteristics?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 Describe the Griffith transformation experiments in detail, and to explain how those experiments helped scientists figure out
the nature of genes.
 Describe in detail the classic experiments of Avery and of Hershey & Chase that proved that DNA is the genetic material.
 Explain the basic structure of the DNA molecule.
 Describe how Watson and Crick arrived at their model of DNA design.
 Discuss the base-pairing pattern of DNA explain the role of base-pairing in DNA structure and DNA replication.
 Explain in detail the process of DNA replication. Include in the discussion the particular role of DNA helicase, DNA
polymerase, and DNA ligase.
 Explain that genes are a code. Describe the Beadle & Tatum experiment that showed that genes code for enzymes.
 Contrast DNA with RNA.
 Describe in detail the process of transcription. Locate the compartment of the eukaryotic cell in which transcription occurs.
 Define a gene’s promoter, and explain its importance in transcription. Name the molecular complex that performs
transcription.
 Explain the need for genes to be regulated, and describe how genes can be regulated by inhibition, using examples such as the
Lac operon.
 Recognize that genes are also positively regulated, using activation systems such as hormones.
 Explain in detail the process of translation. Predict, given a sequence of mRNA and the universal genetic code, the sequence
of a protein.
 Explain the role of ribosomes and tRNA in the translation process.
 Define mutation as a change in the nucleotide sequence of the DNA. Contrast substitution, deletion, and insertion mutations.
 Demonstrate, using the genetic code, how a change in the DNA sequence can lead to a change in the protein coded for by a
gene. Predict the effects of mutations in regulatory regions of a gene’s promoter.
 List some important reasons eukaryotic cells need to undergo mitosis, including growth and development, healing,
maintenance, and asexual reproduction.
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Explain the design of eukaryotic chromosomes. Describe the role of histones in this design.
Explain why most eukaryotic cells are diploid. Define homologous chromosomes, and explain why chromosomes tend to
come in these similar-but-not-identical pairs.
Discuss the cell cycle, including the role of mitosis in that cycle. Recognize that understanding the gene regulation of the cell
cycle could lead to many medical advances, including treatments for cancer, birth defects, and injuries to nervous tissues.
Describe the major events of each phase of mitosis. Discuss how the process of mitosis produces daughter cells that are exact
genetic copies of the parent cell.
Describe cytokinesis, and contrast cytokinesis in plant vs. animal cells.
Explain the primary advantage of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction.
Define meiosis. Explain why meiosis must produce haploid cells to form gametes.
Describe the major events of meiosis. Include in that discussion the two major sources of variety produced by meiosis.
Recognize when cells become haploid during meiosis.
Discuss the role of homologous chromosomes in generating variety during meiosis.
Describe Gregor Mendel’s experiments, and discuss how his results led to our modern understanding of inheritance.
Predict the outcome of simple crosses involving one trait having dominant and recessive alleles.
Relate the behavior of alleles during genetic crosses to the behavior of homologous chromosomes carrying these alleles during
meiosis.
Explain Mendel’s law of independent assortment, and predict the outcome of crosses involving two different traits (e.g.,
dihybrid crosses.)
Recognize and predict the results of crosses involving other patterns of inheritance, including incomplete dominance,
codominance, and multiple alleles.
Explain how sex is determined in mammals. Recognize and predict the results of crosses involving sex linkage (X-linkage.)
Describe some of the more common chromosome abnormalities and their effects. Explain how nondisjunction during meiosis
can lead to these types of abnormalities.
Explain the value of restriction enzymes in obtaining specific pieces of DNA.
Describe how scientists produce recombinant DNA using restriction enzymes, plasmids, and ligase.
List some ways recombinant DNA is currently being used in medicine and industry, and discuss ways this technology might be
valuable in the future.
Discuss how RFLP analysis is performed, and explain how this technology is used for identification, including forensics and
criminology.
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Explain how PCR can produce large amounts of DNA from a very small sample.
Explain how gene therapy might be performed, and discuss its potential value and risks.
Explain how an animal is cloned.
Discuss ethical and moral questions related to biotechnology and its potential uses or misuses.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: DNA as the
Instrument of Heredity
 Griffith discovers
transformation
 Avery shows DNA
transforms, so genes
are DNA
 Hershey-Chase
convince scientists
that DNA makes up
genes
 Watson and Crick
figure out the
structure of DNA
 The design of the
DNA molecule
determines how it
functions
 DNA replication is
semiconservative,
utilizing the basepairing rules
Assessment Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion Next Gen:
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media
Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Films and
DVD’s
Overheads
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
PowerPoint
presentations
Student presentations
Interactive computer
activities
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS1-1
HS-LS1-4
HS-LS3-1
HS-LS3-2
HS-LS3-3
Topic 2: Transcription and Translation
 Contrasting DNA and RNA
 Genes code for enzymes- Beadle and Tatum
 The process of transcription- making mRNA
 Promoters and gene regulation
 Translation- Making proteins using the ribosomes
 The genetic code
 Mutations
Topic 3: Cell Reproduction
 Chromosome design
 Diploid vs. haploid cells
 Mitosis- new cells for growth, repair, asexual
reproduction
 Meiosis- production of gametes
 The variety that drives evolution is spread by
meiosis
Topic 4: Mendelian Genetics
 Mendel’s crosses, and the discovery of dominant
and recessive genes
 Performing single-trait crosses
 Mendel’s law of independent assortment
 Performing crosses involving two traits
 Incomplete dominance- blending of alleles
 Codominance- blood groups
 Sex-linkage
 Chromosomal abnormalities
Topic 5: Biotechnology
 Restriction enzymes and their uses
 Recombinant DNA- the mechanics of
production
 Current and future applications of
recombinant DNA
 RFLP analysis- DNA fingerprinting
 PCR- DNA amplification
 Gene therapy
 Cloning Dolly and other animals
 Ethical concerns raised by
biotechnology
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will take a short quiz on different human phenotypes and which phenotypes they have. Then students will pick one
phenotype they do show and create a pedigree for their family. They will need to talk to as many family members as they can to create
the most accurate and detailed pedigree.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
Cloning – Students will view the documentary, “National Geographic: Clone”. Then, in small groups, students will discuss some of
the major concepts covered in the film including Reproductive Cloning and Therapeutic Cloning. After the small discussions, students
will return to the large class and continue the discussion as a large group about the ethical questions of cloning.
21st Century Skills
RNA Puzzle Lab – Students will be given paper puzzle pieces that represent different nucleotides in RNA as well as amino acids.
Once they are given the correct DNA code, they need to recreate the order of RNA bases to discover the correct sequence of amino
acids in the protein.
Unit 6: Evolution and the History of Life on Earth
Essential Question: How do organisms evolve, and how did evolution product the incredible variety of organisms present on earth
today?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 Explain some major events in the history of evolutionary thought.
 Contrast catastrophism and uniformitarianism.
 Explain how Darwin arrived at his theory of evolution by natural selection.
 Describe in detail the major bodies of evidence for evolution: the fossil record, comparative anatomy, embryology,
biochemistry, and artificial selection.
 Define gene pool, and explain how selective pressure can cause the gene frequencies within a population to change.
 Explain the statement “individuals do not evolve; populations do.”
 Discuss how mutations are the source of the genetic changes that are selected for during evolution, and explain the importance
of sexual reproduction and meiosis for dispersing those genetic changes.
 Discuss how factors such as gene flow, population bottlenecks, and sexual selection might affect evolution of a population.
 Explain some factors that might lead to the formation of new species, including separation and adaptive radiation.
 Explain some factors that might lead to the extinction of species, both prehistorically and in the modern era.
 Name some major events in the evolution of humans.
Topic/Content Skills
Assessment
Topic 1: The Theory of
Tests,
Evolution by Natural Selection Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
 A history of
Classwork
evolutionary thought
Homework
before Darwin
 Darwin’s ideas sprang Lab Reports
from his observations
 Evidence for evolutionthe fossil record
 Evidence- comparative
anatomy and
embryology
 Evidence- biochemical
comparisons
 Artificial selection
 Basic tenets of
evolution by natural
selectionoverproduction,
variety, selective
advantage leads to
survival and
reproduction
Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion Next Gen:
Text;
Lecture
Text CDrom Class Discussion
iBooks and Group Work
probes
Laboratory Work
Lab manuals Individual Research
Media
Demonstrations
Center
Student presentations
Lab
PowerPoint
Supplies
presentations
Laserdisk
Interactive computer
Overheads
activities
Films and
DVD’s
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS2-6
HS-LS2-8
HS-LS4-1
HS-LS4-2
HS-LS4-3
HS-LS4-4
HS-LS4-5
HS-LS4-6
Topic 2: How Organisms Evolve
 Gene pools are affected by natural
selection
 Mutations provide the raw materials for
evolution
 Factors that affect gene pools- gene
flow, genetic bottlenecks, sexual
selection
 Speciation
 Extinction
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students may have a better understanding of fossils after doing this simple simulation. Have them place a small seashell at the bottom
of a beaker that is about half full of water and then add a couple handfuls of soil to the beaker. Tell them to observe as the soil
gradually settles to the bottom and covers the shell. Relate this to how dead organisms sink to the bottom of the ocean and become
buried with sediments. Explain that the pressure of the water and additional sediments very slowly turns the dead organisms into
fossils.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
“What Darwin Never Knew” – Show the class the video, “What Darwin Never Knew”. Discuss how the discovery of genetics
changed our understanding of evolution. How can new discoveries change our current understanding of science?
21st Century Skills
In a small lab group, students are given the “Butterfly Lab”. Using different colored paperclips to simulate an organism, students take
a brightly colored cloth and lay it out in front of them. They spread the different paperclips on the cloth and then pretend to be the
predators who “eat” them. They will grab the colors more noticeable. After each generation, the “surviving” paperclips reproduce.
This lab shows students how natural selection works.
Lab on Allelic Frequency – Using two different types of beans, students will simulate natural selection and allelic frequency. Students
must work in small groups and use their knowledge of math and evolution to perform this lab.
Unit 7: Ecology
Essential Question: How do living things interact, and how do these interactions make ecosystems work?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 Define population, and explain how populations grow.
 Discuss factors that limit the growth of a population in a given ecosystem, including interspecific and intraspecific
competition, predation, and disease.
 Define an ecological community.
 Define an ecological niche. Explain how natural selection would lead to an organism occupying a very specific niche. Discuss
how such specificity reduces competition.
 Give examples of how predator/prey interactions drive evolutionary adaptations and form an essential part of community
interactions.
 Describe symbiotic interactions including mutualism, commensalisms, and parasitism.
 Explain what is meant by a keystone species in an ecosystem, and discuss what happens when that keystone species is
removed.
 Describe the process of primary succession. Outline the pattern primary succession would follow here in Northern New
Jersey.
 Describe the process of secondary succession.
 Explain how energy flows through an ecosystem, discussing the role of producers, primary consumers, secondary and higher
order consumers, and scavengers and decomposers.
 Discuss what happens to the amount of available energy as it moves through the trophic levels of an ecosystem.
 Produce a food web diagramming the predator/prey interactions, trophic levels, and energy flow within a given ecosystem.
 Discuss in detail the carbon cycle, the role of living things within that cycle, and the various ways that human activity has
altered the balance of the carbon cycle.
 Discuss in detail the nitrogen cycle, its importance to living things, and in particular the role of various types of bacteria in the
nitrogen cycle.
 Discuss the hydrologic cycle. Explain the importance of wetlands and aquifers to the cycle.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: Populations,
Communities, and
Ecosystems
 Populations and
population growth
 Factors that limit
populations
 Ecological
communities
 Ecosystems
 Niches and
competition
 Predator/prey
relations
 Mutualism and
commensalism
 Parasites
 Keystone species
 Succession
Assessment
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion Next Gen:
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Films and
DVD’s
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS2-1
HS-LS2-2
HS-LS2-3
HS-LS2-4
HS-LS2-5
HS-LS2-6
HS-LS2-7
HS-LS2-8
Topic 2: Energy and
Nutrients in Ecosystems
 Producers and their role
 Consumers and trophic levels
 Decomposers and nutrient cycling
 Food webs
 The hydrologic cycle
 The carbon cycle
 The nitrogen cycle
 The phosphorus cycle
 Biomes and their features
Topic 3: Population Ecology
 Growth Rate
 S-curve and J-curve growth
 Boom and Bust cycles
 Human Population Growth
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will create a food web with at least 20 different organisms. This food web should include a variety of producers, herbivores,
omnivores, carnivores, and decomposers. For more proficient students, they should include detritivores and scavengers.
Sustainability
The World in Balance: After showing the video (Nova: The World in Balance), students are split into lab groups to research about
human population growth in different countries. Each group is assigned a different country and asked to research the economical and
environmental impacts that country’s population growth is having on the Earth. They also need to look into reasonable ideas on how
to address the problem.
Unit 8: Animals and Animal Anatomy and Physiology
Essential Question: How do animals maintain homeostasis?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 Define homeostasis, and explain how negative feedback mechanisms are used to maintain homeostasis.
 Describe and give examples of positive feedback.
 Describe the interaction of cells to form tissues, tissues to form organs, organs to form systems, and systems to form an
organism.
 Explain the function of the circulatory system in animals.
 Contrast open and closed circulatory systems, and give an example of organisms with each.
 Name the chambers, valves and major vessels of the cardiopulmonary circuit in humans, and describe the flow of blood
through this circuit.
 Explain how blood carries oxygen and nutrients.
 Contrast the design and function of arteries, capillaries, and veins.
 Describe how organisms facilitate gas exchange.
 Discuss in detail how organisms with gills exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
 Discuss in detail how gas exchange occurs in the alveoli of human lungs.
 Explain how peristalsis moves food within the digestive tract.
 Describe what happens to food in the stomach.
 Recognize that the majority of digestion occurs in the small intestine. Name the digestive enzymes that act on all major food
groups, and the monomers they produce as food is digested.
 Describe the design of a neuron and explain how electrical signals are generated in the membrane of a neuron.
 Discuss how signals are conducted across a synapse using neurotransmitters.
 Contrast the peripheral nervous system and the central nervous system.
 Describe how sound waves are captured by the ear and converted to electrical signals in the cochlea.
 Discuss the sliding filament mechanism of muscle action.
 Explain how muscles and bone work together to generate movement.
Topic/Content Skills
Topic 1: Homeostatic
Mechanisms
 Homeostasis
 Negative and positive
feedback mechanisms
 Organizational
hierarchy
Assessment Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion Next Gen:
Tests,
Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Topic 2: A Survey of Major
Films and
Systems
 Circulatory systems- open and closed DVD’s
types
 The cardiopulmonary circuit- parts of
the human heart
 Blood and the transport of oxygen,
nutrients, and wastes
 Immunity
 Gas exchange using gills
 Gas exchange in the lungs
 Digestion
 Neurons and nerve signals
 Synaptic transmission and neural
regulation
 Central nervous system
 Special senses- Hearing
 Special senses- Vision
 Muscles and movement
 Hormonal control
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
Dissections
Lab Practical
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS1-2
HS-LS1-3
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will dissect a frog in small lab groups. Working in a team of 3 or 4, students will explore and discover the different body
parts of a frog. They will compare these parts to the parts found on a human. Each group will be required to prepare a lab report of
their findings.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
Discuss the impact of smoking on the human body and lungs. Talk about why people start smoking in the first place even when they
are aware of the dangers. Why hasn’t smoking been made illegal the same as drug usage? What type of consequences does smoking
have on someone’s body and their life?
Unit 9: Systematics and the Diversity of Life
Essential Question: How is the diversity of life organized, and how are groups of living things related?
Objectives – Students shall be able to:
 Explain the importance of taxonomy in scientific studies.
 List the major taxonomic classification groupings, from kingdom to species.
 Describe the characteristics that distinguish the 5 kingdoms and 3 domains.
 Describe some common characteristics of bacteria. Name several ways bacteria are beneficial to us.
 Explain the importance of cyanobacteria to the history of life on earth.
 Discuss the kingdom Protista, and explain why this kingdom will likely be changed by taxonomists.
 Name some distinctive features of the plant-like protests, animal-like protests, slime molds, and algae.
 Identify some of the primary features of fungi.
 Explain the importance of fungi in ecosystems, especially in the nutrient cycles.
 Identify the primary features of plants.
 Explain the adaptations necessary for plants to have moved from water to land.
 Discuss the major features of bryophytes, mosses and liverworts.
 Discuss alternation of generations, and explain how this alternation applies to the life cycle of mosses and of ferns.
 Describe the major evolutionary advancement of tracheophytes.
 Contrast gymnosperms and angiosperms.
 List some important features and adaptations of the major animal phyla: sponges, cnidaria, flatworms, roundworms, annelidia,
arthropods, mollusks, echinoderms, and vertebrates.
Topic/Content Skills
Assessment
Topic 1: The Science of
Taxonomy
 The purpose of
classification
 Current classification
dynamics
 Major taxonomic
divisions
 Three domains and
five kingdoms
Tests, Quizzes,
Lab Quizzes
Classwork
Homework
Lab Reports
Topic 2:Major Groups of Organisms
 Bacteria
 Protists
 Fungi
 Features of plants
 Bryophytes- mosses and liverworts
 Gymnosperms
 Angiosperms
 Features of Animals
 Sponges
 Worms
 Arthropods
 Mollusks
 Echinoderms
 Vertebrates
Resources Instructional Methods Tech Infusion Next Gen:
Text;
Text CDrom
iBooks and
probes
Lab manuals
Media Center
Lab Supplies
Laserdisk
Overheads
Films and
DVD’s
Lecture
Class Discussion
Group Work
Laboratory Work
Individual Research
Demonstrations
Student presentations
PowerPoint
presentations
Interactive computer
activities
Dissections
Lab Practical
iBooks and
probes
Laserdisk
player
PowerPoint
projector
Overhead
projector
VCR
CD rom
Internet
SmartBoard
technology
HS-LS4-3
HS-LS4-4
Differentiated Learning Activities
Students will use a dichotomous key to identify unknown organisms. In addition to testing a student’s ability to use a dichotomous
key, it will also reinforce the ability to correctly write scientific species’ names.
Ethical Decision Making/Character Education
Discuss how classification can also reveal evolutionary relationships between species. Can this be another piece of evidence
supporting evolution?
21st Century Skills
What arguments can you make for preserving biological diversity in poor and developing countries, such as those in many areas of the
Tropics? In a small group, discuss and research some of the implications of this question. Be sure to look up examples and specific
species. Then in a large group setting, present what you have discovered.