1. All
living organisms are composed of cells, from one to many trillion, whose
details are visible only through a microscope. As a basis for understanding
this concept, students know:
a. cells function similarly in all living organisms.
b. cell parts (e.g. cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticullum, ribosomes, vacuole, chloroplasts, cell wall) and their functions
c. the characteristics that distinguish plant cells from animal cells.
the nucleus contains the genetic information, chromosomes in plant and animal cells.
d. mitochondria release energy and chloroplasts capture sunlight for photosynthesis.
e. cells divide through the process of mitosis, which results in two daughter cells with identical sets of chromosomes,
f. as multicellular organisms develop, their cells differentiate.
2. The anatomy and physiology of plants and animals
illustrate the complementary nature of structure and function. As a basis for
understanding this concept, students know:
a. plants and animals have levels of organization for structure and function, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and the whole organism.
b. organ systems function because of the contributions of individual organs, tissues, and cells. The failure of any part can affect the entire system.
c. the primary purposes of the human body systems: digestive, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, nervous, reproductive, excretory and endocrine.
d. the structures and processes by which plants reproduce, transport materials, and generate energy through photosynthesis.
3. Organisms
are classified based on evolutionary characteristics. As a basis for
understanding this concept, students know:
a. the
seven levels of classification.
b. the
kingdoms and the key characteristics of each kingdom.
c. that
viruses are not classified in any of the kingdoms due to their characteristics.
Genetics
4. A typical
cell of any organism contains genetic instructions that specify its traits. As
a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
a. the
differences between the life cycles and reproduction of sexual and asexual
organisms.
b. meiosis
is the process by which sex cells containing half the number of chromosomes are
produced.
c. sexual
reproduction produces offspring that inherit half their genes from each parent.
d. an
inherited trait can be determined by one or more genes.
e. plant
and animal cells contain many thousands of different genes, and typically have
two copies of every gene. The two copies (or alleles) of the gene may or many
not be identical. The alleles may be dominant or recessive, which determines
the phenotype and genotype.
f. DNA
is the genetic material of living organisms and is located in the chromosomes
of each cell.
Evolution
5. Biological
evolution accounts for the diversity of species developed through gradual
processes over many generations. As a basis for understanding this concept,
students know:
a . both genetic
variation and environmental factors are causes of evolution and diversity of
organisms.
b. the reasoning
used by Darwin in making his conclusion that natural selection is the mechanism
of evolution.
c. how evidence
from geology, fossils, and comparative anatomy provide a basis for the theory
of evolution.
d. how to
construct a simple branching diagram to classify living groups of organisms by
shared derived characteristics.
e. extinction of
a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics
of a species are insufficient for its survival.
Earth and Life History
6. Evidence
from rocks allows us to understand the evolution of life on Earth. As the basis
for understanding this concept, students know:
a. Earth
processes today are similar to those that occurred in the past; and slow
geologic processes have large cumulative effects over long periods of time.
b. the
history of life on Earth has been disrupted by major catastrophic events (e.g.,
major volcanic eruptions, the impact of an asteroid).
c. the
rock cycle includes the formation of new sediment and rocks. Rocks are often
found in layers with the oldest generally on the bottom.
d. evidence
from geologic layers and radioactive dating indicate the Earth is approximately
4.6 billion years old and that life has existed for more than 3 billion ears.
e. fossils
provide evidence of how life and environmental conditions have changed over
time.
f. how
movements of the EarthÕs continental and oceanic plates through time have
affected the past and present distribution of organisms.
g. how
to explain significant developments and extinctions of plant and animal life on
the geologic time scale.
Physical Principles in Living Systems
7. Physical
principles underlie biological structures and functions. As a basis for
understanding this concept, students know:
a. visible
light is a small band within a very broad electromagnetic spectrum.
b. for
an object to be seen, light reflected from it must enter the eye.
c. light
travels in straight lines except when the medium it travels through changes (e.g.,
light traveling through air, water, and glass)/..
d. how
simple lenses are used in a magnifying glass, the eye, camera, telescope and
microscope.
e. white
light is a mixture of many wavelengths (colors) and tat retinal cells react
differently to various wavelengths.
f. light
interacts with matter by transmission, absorption, or scattering. Matter may be
transparent, translucent, or opaque.
g. the
angle of reflection of a light beam is equal to the angle of incidence.
h. the
properties of sound waves (e.g., frequency, pitch)
i. how
the ear processes sound waves and transmits that information to the brain.
Scientific Method: Investigation and Experimentation
8. Scientific
progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful
investigations. As a basis for
understanding this concept, students should develop their own questions and
perform investigations. Students will:
a. make
observations, develop a testable question and form a hypothesis.
b. develop
and conduct a controlled experiment with a single independent variable.
c. select
and use appropriate tools and technology (e.g., balances, spring scales,
microscopes, binoculars, calculators and computers) to perform tests.
d. collect
and record data using the metric system
e. communicate
the logical connection among science concepts, hypothesis, tests conducted,
data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence.
f. construct
scale models, maps and appropriately labeled diagrams to communicate scientific
knowledge (e.g., motion of EarthÕs plates, cell structure)
g. communicate
the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and verbal
presentations.
h. utilize
a variety of print and electronic resources (e.g., the World Wide Web) to
collect information as evidence as part of a research project.