Grade Level: 8 Title of Unit: Natural Selection and Adaptations Stage 1 - Desired Results Understandings: Students will understand that… the role of variation in natural selection and how this leads 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 among 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 today 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. (MS-LS4-3) natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others. adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time 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. apply 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 based 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
* Be given an outline of a lesson * Use visual presentations of verbal material, such as word webs and visual organizers * Be given a written list of instructions Response accommodations allow a student to: * Give responses in a form (oral or written) that’s easier for him * Dictate answers to a scribe * Capture responses on an audio recorder * Use a spelling dictionary or electronic spell-checker * Use a word processor to type notes or give responses in class * Use a calculator or table of “math facts” Setting accommodations allow a student to: * Work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions * Sit where he learns best (for example, near the teacher) * Use special lighting or acoustics * Take a test in small group setting * Use sensory tools such as an exercise band that can be looped around a chair’s legs (so fidgety kids can kick it and quietly get their energy out) Timing accommodations allow a student to: * Take more time to complete a task or a test * Have extra time to process oral information and directions * Take frequent breaks, such as after completing a task Scheduling accommodations allow a student to: * Take more time to complete a project * Take a test in several timed sessions or over several days * Take sections of a test in a different order * Take a test at a specific time of day Organization skills accommodations allow a student to: * Use an alarm to help with time management * Mark texts with a highlighter * Have help coordinating assignments in a book or planner * Receive study skills instruction 2015 Ocean County Science Curriculum Grade 8 Unit: Human Impacts How can natural hazards be predicted?