A major goal of this unit is to provide a sound foundation for rigorous, evidence-based decision making about health issues, such as the use of medication, human nutritional requirements, and risk factors for heart disease. Students investigate the heart and circulatory system in depth, with an emphasis on the relationship between structure and function. They develop skills in using the microscope in parallel with an exploration of its critical role as a scientific tool. Through numerous laboratory activities and simulations, students also explore the function of the immune system and the problem of antibiotic resistance. Unit 4 Genetics Students tackle fundamental principles of Mendelian genetics in the human context, assisted by analogies to other systems, from imaginary creatures to germinating seeds and pea plants.
Students also explore the use of DNA technologies to solve real-world problems.
The question of whether to be tested for a hereditary condition provides a central issue for the unit. A research project on problems of introduced species provides a focus on tensions between human economic development and the environment. Students also observe cultured worms, model ecological relationships, and investigate local ecosystems. They learn to distinguish the roles of observation and inference in analyzing fossil evidence, and use simulations to understand how natural selection provides an explanation for population change. Diversity of life is discovered to be a result of natural selection acting upon the raw material provided by genetic mutation.