Biology

Essential Learning Goals: 

(20%) ELG #1 - LS1 - Molecules to Organisms 

Guiding Question: How do organisms live and grow? 

Students will understand the structures and processes of living things that are essential functions of life, allowing for growth, development, differentiation, structural organization, and the ability to obtain and use energy. 

(20%) ELG #2 - LS2 - Ecosystems (Environment)

Guiding Question: How do organisms interact with their environment, and what are the effects of these interactions? 

Students will understand the interactions, energy, and dynamics of ecosystems by exploring interdependent relationships, cycles of matter, energy transfer, social interactions, biodiversity, and resiliency. 

(20%) ELG #3 - LS3 - Heredity (Genetics)

Guiding Questions: How are characteristics of one generation passed to the next? How can individuals of the same species and even siblings have different characteristics?

Students will understand mechanisms of genetic inheritance, variation of traits to explain genetic variation in a population, and describe the environmental or genetic causes of mutation. 

(20%) ELG #4 - LS4 - Evolution

Guiding Question: What evidence shows that different species are related? 

Students will understand evidence of common ancestry and diversity through the processes of natural selection, adaptation, and evolution by evaluating the evidence for new species and extinction. 

(10%) ELG #5 - Inquiry

Guiding Question: What do scientists do?

Students will investigate and perform the procedures scientists use to understand, organize, investigate, and research the world around them. 

Asking Questions

Planning and carrying out investigations

(10%) ELG #6 - Scientific Communication

Guiding Question:  How do scientists report their findings to others? 

Students will develop written communications using claim, evidence, and reasoning to explain concepts, phenomena, patterns, and data.

Constructing Explanations

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Engaging in argument from evidence

Unit 1 - Introduction to Biology

What is Biology?

How to write like a scientist

Organization of Life from atoms to biosphere

Scientific Method - thinking like a scientist

Characteristics of Life (p.7) - Living, nonliving, and dead

Cellular

Respond

Homeostasis

Metabolism

Growth

Reproduction

Evolve

Guiding Questions: 

Why do we have to learn Biology? 

How do scientists write, read, and think? What does “good” science look like? 

Why do scientists use the scientific method?

What does it mean to be alive? 

Standards Addressed: LS1 and SP

HS-LS1-2 --- Organization of Life and Characteristics of Life

HS-LS1-3 --- Homeostasis

SP - science practices 

Unit 2 - Being Cellular 

Parts of a cell

Specialized cells (cell diversity p. 72)

Types of cells - prokaryote, eukaryote, bacteria, plant, animal 

Unicellular and Multicellular examples and organization of life

Guiding Questions: 

Why do we need cells? 

What diseases are cellular? 

What do cell biologists do? 

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS1-1 --- Specialized cells and essential functions of life

HS-LS1-2 --- Cells as part of the organization of life

Unit 3 - Growth

Cell Cycle

Mitosis

Stem cells and differentiation

Guiding Questions: 

How do organisms grow and develop? 

How do cells recover from injury?

What is cancer and how does it metastasize? 

Standards Addressed: 

 HS-LS1-4 --- Mitosis

Unit 4 - Reproduce (Genetics)

Meiosis

Structure and function of DNA

Structure and function of Chromosomes

Structure and function of Genes

Expression of genes - Punnett squares, pedigrees, alleles

Genetic Mutations and Environmental Factors

Guiding Questions: 

What does my DNA look like and what does it do? 

Why do I look similar, yet different than my parents?

What is sexual reproduction compared to asexual reproduction? 

How does Meiosis preserve the immortality of a germ line? 

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS3-1 --- DNA

HS-LS3-2 --- Genetic Variation

HS-LS3-3 --- Expressed traits

Unit 5 - Evolve

Natural Selection, Adaption, and Traits

Scientific Evidence for Evolution (TIME)

Speciation and Extinction

Guiding Questions: 

How do organisms change over time? 

What are the evolutionary relationships among organisms?

What is the evolutionary tree of life? 

Why do we have to learn evolution? 

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS4-1 --- Common Ancestry

HS-LS4-2 --- Evidence for Evolution

HS-LS4-3 --- Support for Advantageous heritable traits

HS-LS4-4 --- Natural Selection

Unit 6 - Metabolism

Photosynthesis

Inputs and Outputs of matter and energy (ATP p.54)

Light energy and chemical energy

Cellular Respiration

Inputs and output of matter and energy

Chemical energy - ATP

Guiding Questions:

How does matter and energy flow through different organizational levels in an organism?

What are hydrocarbons and how do they assemble into larger molecules?

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS1-5 --- Photosynthesis

HS-LS1-7 ---Cellular respiration

SP - diagrams, chemical equations, and models

Unit 7 - Homeostasis

Osmosis and Diffusion

Macromolecules (p.55-60)

Guiding Questions:

How do macromolecules recombine to form new molecules used in an organism?

What are hydrocarbons and how do they assemble into larger molecules?

How do the foods and drinks we consume perform the functions of life? 

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS1-3 --- Homeostasis

HS-LS1-6 --- Macromolecules

Unit 8 - Respond

Biodiversity

Carrying Capacity

Cycles of Matter

Trophic Levels and Food Webs

Disturbances of Ecosystems and Possible Solutions

Guiding Questions: 

How do organisms respond to a physical or chemical change in their environment?

Does Earth have a carrying capacity? 

What are the limiting factors of an ecosystem and how do they affect survival? 

How do humans impact biodiversity? 

Standards Addressed: 

HS-LS2-1 --- Carrying capacity and limiting factors

HS-LS2-2 --- Population Ecology and Species Interactions

HS-LS2-3 --- Carbon cycling (and Nitrogen)

HS-LS2-4 --- Trophic levels and food webs

HS-LS2-5 --- Photosynthesis and cellular respiration effect on the Carbon cycle

HS-LS2-6 --- Changes to Ecosystems - Succession and equilibrium

HS-LS2-7 --- Human impacts on Biodiversity and sustainability

HS-LS2-8 --- Group Behavior

HS-LS4-5 --- Environmental disruptions on evolution

HS-LS4-6 --- Human impact on Biodiversity