Seventh Grade 2020 Science Standards

Cells:

• All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive.

• Sustaining life requires substantial energy and matter inputs.

• Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain.

Heredity:

• Organisms reproduce, whether sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their offspring.

• Heredity explains why offspring resemble but are not identical to their parents and is a unifying biological principle.

• Heredity refers to specific mechanisms by which characteristics or traits are passed from one generation to the next via genes.

Natural Selection:

• Fossils are mineral replacements, preserved remains, or traces of organisms that lived in the past.

• Genetic variations among individuals in a population give some individuals an advantage in surviving and reproducing in their environment

• Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions.

• Biodiversity is a wide range of existing life forms that have adapted to the variety of conditions on Earth, from terrestrial to marine ecosystems.

Ecology:

• Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with non-living things.

• Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment.

• Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component can affect an ecosystem.