Course: Eighth Grade Designated Six Weeks: Fifth Six Weeks Unit: Life Science/STAAR Boot Camp Days to Teach: Life Science -16 Days STAAR Boot Camp 10 Days TEKS Guiding Questions/ Specificity Assessment Vocabulary Instructional Strategies Resources/ Weblinks Unit Subtopic: Adaptation Days to Teach: 4 Days 8.11 (C) explore how short- and long-term environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations EOC READINESS Guiding Question: Why do organisms of the same species have many traits and characteristics in common? Specificity: Adaptation will increase a species/populations ability to survive changes due to natural events, competition or loss of habitat and food, and human impact. However, individual organisms will live or die (no individual adaptation): natural selection, Darwin’s finches. Teacher Note: Emphasis should be on the difference between inherited traits that arise over time as a result of environmental interactions and characteristics of individual organisms. Plan to review 7.11C, identify some changes in genetic traits that have occurred over several generations through natural selection and selective breeding such as the Galapagos Medium Ground Finch or domestic animal Some scientists studying aquatic plants notice that flooding often leads to a decrease in the rate of photosynthesis among aquatic plants. Flooding causes more sediment to be suspended in the water. The increased sediment concentration decreases the amount of light that reaches the plants. Why does the decreased rate of photosynthesis lead to a decrease in a plant population? Less water is available for absorption Less tissue is available for plant growth c. Less energy is available for reproduction d. Less soil is available for leaf development dominant trait recessive trait genotype phenotype variations hybridization natural selection homozygous dominant homozygous recessive heterozygous biodiversity Biosphere Favorable Variations Adaptation Exemplar Lesson: “Environmental Changes.doc” TEKS 8.11C Evolution by Natural Selection Peppered Moth Activity Helping Natural Selection: Shared Folder The Right Tool for the Job: Exemplar Lesson TEKS: 8.11C “Environmental Changes” APPS: Jog Nog Science Glossary Click and Learn Science 360 Khan Academy WWF Together Pangea Safari Stemscopes
Course: Eighth Grade Designated Six Weeks: Fifth Six Weeks Unit: Life Science/STAAR Boot Camp Days to Teach: Life Science -16 Days STAAR Boot Camp 10 Days TEKS Guiding Questions/ Specificity Assessment Vocabulary Instructional Strategies Resources/ Weblinks Unit Subtopic: Food Webs Days to Teach: 4 Days 8.11 (A) describe producer/consume r, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs within marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems EOC READINESS Guiding Question: What does a food web in a freshwater ecosystem look like? Plan to Review: 7.5C: diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids Baleen whales eat zooplankton by taking a large amount of water into their mouth. These whales use special structures in their mouth to separate zooplankton from the water. Because baleen whales eat zooplankton, they are classified as- A. Producers B. Predators Parasites Host Predator Prey Consumer Producer Parasite Host Food web Ecosystem Symbiosis Mutualism Commensalism Parasitism Energy pyramid 10% rule Primary Consumer Marine Freshwater Terrestrial Zooplankton Phytoplankton Exemplar Lesson: Ex. Lesson 8.11A “Ecosystem Relationships” Texas Wetlands Food web Endangered Ecosystems Aquatic Ecosystem Food Web Stemscopes c.com/activities/explor er/ecosystems/ nstate.edu/CIOSS/Doc uments/Outreach/Aug 08/2The_Life_Aquatic .pdf c.com/activities/explor er/ecosystems/be_an_e xplorer/map/form_wil dcats.htm#
Course: Eighth Grade Designated Six Weeks: Fifth Six Weeks Unit: Life Science/STAAR Boot Camp Days to Teach: Life Science -16 Days STAAR Boot Camp 10 Days TEKS Guiding Questions/ Specificity Assessment Vocabulary Instructional Strategies Resources/ Weblinks Exemplar Lesson Science Spot Unit Subtopic: Biotic and Abiotic Factors Days to Teach: 4 Days 8.11(B) investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or soil composition EOC READINESS Guiding Question: Identify limiting factors in an ecosystem. What are some limiting factors influenced by people? Which organisms in the food web shown above compete for the same food source in this environment? Grasshoppers and snakes Hawks and Frogs Frogs and Snakes Decomposers and grasses Organism Population Biotic Abiotic Limiting factor Community Exemplar Lesson “Organisms and Environment” TEKS 8.11B Exemplar Lesson “Interdependence” TEKS 8.11B Population Lab Specificity: ELPS Student Expectations: 1E: Learning Logs Word Knowledge 4F: Graphic Organizers 2D: Cornell Notes Unit Subtopic: STAAR Boot Camp Days to Teach: 10 Days All Readiness and Supporting TEKS Category Quizzes