Understandings: Students will understand that…….. the environment and genetic factors determine the growth of an individual organism. the genetic implications for sexual and asexual reproduction. there are structures and behaviors that increase the likelihood of successful reproduction by organisms. the ways humans can select for specific traits, the role of technology, genetic modification, and the nature of ethical responsibilities related to selective breeding (Please note that students are only beginning to understand this concept.) how selected structures, functions, and behaviors of organisms change in predictable ways as they progress from birth to old age. Essential Questions: How do organisms grow, develop, and reproduce? Knowledge: Students will know…… animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction. (MS-LS1-4) genetic factors as well as local conditions affect the growth of the adult plant. construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms. (MS-LS3-1) genes are located in the chromosomes of cells, with each chromosome pair containing two variants of each of many distinct genes. Each distinct gene chiefly controls the production of specific proteins, which in turn affects the traits of the individual. Changes (mutations) to genes can result in changes to proteins, which can affect the structures and functions of the organism and thereby change traits. (MS-LS3-1) Skills: Students will be able to….. use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. construct a scientific explanation on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms. develop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism. develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation. gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
Understandings: Students will understand that…….. the role of variation in natural selection and how this to speciation. the use of the practices (grade appropriate) of analyzing graphical displays; using mathematical models; and gathering, reading, and communicating information. the crosscutting concept of cause and effect is central to this topic. Essential Questions: How does genetic variation organisms in a species affect survival and reproduction? How does the environment influence genetic traits in populations over multiple generations? Knowledge: Students will know…… the collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth. (MS-LS4-1) anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent. (MS-LS4-2) comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy. natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. (MS-LS4-4) adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become Skills: Students will be able to….. analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past. scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships. analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy. construct an explanation on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment. use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time. analyze data from the fossil record to describe evidence of the history of life on Earth and construct explanations for similarities in organisms.