LS2A Transfers and Cycles of Matter & Energy I can describe the of carbon through ecosystems (e.g., carbon dioxide in air becomes large carbon-containing molecules in the tissues of plants through photosynthesis, these molecules can be cycled to animals that consume the plants, then returned as carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through cellular respiration, combustion, and decomposition). (MC, CP, SA) Quick Links for Students: This website provides a diagram of the carbon cycle. This website provides an explanation and diagrams of the nitrogen This website provides an animation of the nitrogen cycle. This website provides an explanation of ecosystems. Reflective Questions for Students: How is carbon important to living things? How does the carbon cycle connect the environment to living things? Trace a carbon atom from a rotting log in the forest to a black bear in the forest. What role does nitrogen play in living things? What are nitrogen sources in the environment? How does energy move from the sun through living things? As energy moves through an ecosystem, what transformations can be identified? Where and how can energy be stored in living things? How do carbon and nitrogen cycles bring essential elements from the environment to living things? How does each of these cycles link living things to each other? Can these cycles be interrupted? If so, how? And what happens as a result? I can describe examples of matter cycling that can affect the health of an ecosystem (e.g., composting to improve soil quality, crop rotation, worm bins, fertilizer runoff, bioaccumulation). (MC) I can describe the cycle of nitrogen through ecosystems (e.g., nitrogen in air is taken in by bacteria in soil, then made directly available to plants through the soil, and returned to the soil and atmosphere when the plants decompose). (MC, CP) I can describe the transfers and transformations of matter and/or energy in an ecosystem (e.g., sunlight transforms to chemical energy during photosynthesis, chemical energy and matter are transferred when animals eat plants or other animals, carbon dioxide produced by animals by respiration is used by plants and transformed to glucose during photosynthesis). (MC, CP)
LS3E Relatedness of Organisms I can describe that scientists infer the degree of evolutionary relationship among organisms using physiological traits, genetic information, and/or the ability of two organisms to produce fertile offspring. Quick Links for Students: Geologic Time: Classification of Vertebrates: Evolutionary relationships: Essential Ideas: The time needed for biological evolution is geological time, which shows evidence of life appearing on earth about 4 billion years ago Classify organisms, using similarities and differences in physical and functional characteristics. Similarities and differences exist among closely related organisms because they are descended from a common ancestor (e.g., “Darwin’s finches” had different beaks due to food sources on the islands where they evolved). Cladograms are diagrams that organize species in terms of structural features as they appeared in the evolutionary history Organisms cannot evolve and form new adaptations to habitat or environmental changes within one generation. Change happens very slowly, or not at all. Organisms can become extinct if habitat changes quickly Reflective Questions for Students: What physical or behavioral characteristics reveal how living things are related? How are related organisms organized on a cladogram? How can you tell which organisms are most closely related? More distantly related? I can describe relationship(s) organisms based on similarities and/or differences in physical and/or functional characteristics. I can describe the similarities and/or differences (i.e., embryology, homology, analogous structures, genetic sequences) of given organisms in terms of biological evolution (e.g., Darwin's finches had different beaks due to food sources on the islands where they evolved). I can describe the evolutionary relationship between two organisms and/ or identify the organisms that are most closely related given a diagram representing an evolutionary tree.