Embedded Files
This is a launch point to explore lessons and units that are purposefully designed to support Biology Performance Expectations of the Nevada Academic Content Standards for Science (NVACSS) based upon the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
These resources are compiled in no particular order. As new resources become available, they will be included here.
The NGSS Pathfinder provides numerous technology-supported activities, where students can engage in doing real science as they plan and carry out investigations, use models, analyze data and design solutions. Students also gain wide experience with crosscutting concepts—from scales in space and time to energy and systems—across domains in science, math and engineering.
Begin by selecting Core Idea: Life Sciences, then a Practice and Crosscutting Concept to access aligned technology-supported activities.
Check out these Biology simulations that can be used to support face-to-face and online/virtual learning. Create a free account and gain access to lessons developed and used by teachers to engage students in manipulating variables, examining relationships, and testing a variety of different setups as they engage in the practices of science and engineering.
The inquiryHub (iHub) biology curriculum is a full-year high school biology course anchored in phenomena and aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. The units are organized around coherent storylines, in which students ask and investigate questions related to an anchoring phenomenon or design challenge.
PAGES (Progressing through the Ages: Global change, Evolution, and Societal well-being) is an ambitious NGSS-aligned curriculum development and K–12 teacher education program. PAGES is a part of Impact on Science Education, a group of projects based at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Click here for Current Units and Brief Descriptions
Evolution
In this unit on evolution, students initially investigate the case of a young girl with a life-threatening infection of pan-resistant bacteria. This case sparks questions that lead them to investigate the growing prevalence of such cases and the discrepancies between antibiotic use in their communities and CDC recommendations. They expand their investigations to look at population changes occurring in a population of birds (juncos) which exhibit noticeable differences in physical and behavioral traits from the past 60 years.
Genetics & Heredity
In this high school unit on genetics and heredity, students ask questions about a group of boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Students investigate the role of proteins, DNA, and inheritance in the disorder. Students figure out how heritable traits and disorders are related to the structure and function of proteins. Students then ask questions about how we can use genetic engineering technologies to cure genetic disorders and explore the ethical implications of need technologies such as, CRISPR-Cas9.
Ecosystems
In this high school unit on ecosystems, students investigate the case of the rapid increase and decline of the buffalo population in the Serengeti. It motivates students to ask questions and develop initial hypotheses for what could have changed in the ecosystem to create such drastic population changes. Students analyze data from many populations of organisms in the Serengeti to figure out how disease eradication in the 1960s led to the major changes we see in the Serengeti today. In Bend 2, students evaluate the claim that trees store carbon and can reduce the impact of climate change. Students figure out how photosynthesis and cellular respiration are key mechanisms to explaining the role of trees in climate mitigation. Finally, students explore and compare climate change mitigation solutions.
Click here for Current Units and Brief Descriptions
Lyme
This high school unit focuses on the mystery of why an increasing number of kids in New England suddenly became sick with what appeared to be arthritis and why this illness is still occurring today. The answer to this drives students to uncover and develop ideas related to Lyme disease, parasites, and the ecological factors that affect the populations of organisms within an ecosystem. Students assume the role of medical professionals to examine case studies to investigate the potential causes of the mystery disease. They then take on the role of epidemiologists to create and revise models (based on new evidence) to predict how changes (including human caused changes) in ecosystems and landscapes influence the probability of contracting the disease. HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS2-7, HS-LS4-6
Why so showy?
Elaborate male traits (e.g. peacock tails) have long fascinated humans. In this storyline, students form hypotheses and analyze real data to probe fundamental questions concerning evolution. Students play ‘The Communication Game’ and the analyze data from the scientific literature to determine whether male traits are associated with different fitness components (i.e., survival, female preference, male competition). Students then consider what happens when the relationship between fitness and male traits varies depending on the environment. The unit also emphasizes graphical representation and interpretation of data. HS-LS2-8, HS-LS3-3, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4
Page updated
Report abuse