Unit 1: Scientific Inquiry
1) Describe the scientific method
2) Determine the appropriate design of a controlled experiment
3) Use information in tables and graphs to analyze experimental results
4) Create your own experiment using the scientific method
2) Determine the appropriate design of a controlled experiment
3) Use information in tables and graphs to analyze experimental results
4) Create your own experiment using the scientific method
Unit 2: Characteristics of Life
1) Describe the six characteristics of living things
2) Describe how organisms maintain stable internal conditions (homeostasis).
3) Explain the how asexual reproduction differs from sexual reproduction
4) Explain why organisms need food, water, air, and living space
5) Describe the 4 building blocks of life
6) Describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers
2) Describe how organisms maintain stable internal conditions (homeostasis).
3) Explain the how asexual reproduction differs from sexual reproduction
4) Explain why organisms need food, water, air, and living space
5) Describe the 4 building blocks of life
6) Describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers
Unit 3: Interactions of Living Things
1) Distinguish between the biotic and abiotic parts of the environment
2) Explain how populations and communities are related
3) Describe how the abiotic parts of the environment affect ecosystems
4) Describe the functions of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem
5) Distinguish between a food chain and a food web
6) Explain how energy flows through a food web
7) Describe how the removal of one species affects the entire food web
8) Describe the usefulness of adaptations that predators and prey use to survive in their niche
9) Explain the relationship between carrying capacity and limiting factors
10) Describe the two types of competition
11) Distinguish between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism
12) Give an example of co-evolution
2) Explain how populations and communities are related
3) Describe how the abiotic parts of the environment affect ecosystems
4) Describe the functions of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem
5) Distinguish between a food chain and a food web
6) Explain how energy flows through a food web
7) Describe how the removal of one species affects the entire food web
8) Describe the usefulness of adaptations that predators and prey use to survive in their niche
9) Explain the relationship between carrying capacity and limiting factors
10) Describe the two types of competition
11) Distinguish between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism
12) Give an example of co-evolution
Unit 4: Cycles of Nature
Carbon and Nitrogen Cycle
1) Diagram the Carbon Cycle and explain its importance to living things
2) Explain the role of photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion in the carbon cycle
3) Diagram the Nitrogen Cycle and explain its importance to living things
4) Explain the role of nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification in the nitrogen cycle
Ecological Succession
5) Describe the process of succession
6) Contrast primary and secondary succession
7) Explain how mature communities develop
8) Explain why biodiversity is important to a community of organisms
1) Diagram the Carbon Cycle and explain its importance to living things
2) Explain the role of photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion in the carbon cycle
3) Diagram the Nitrogen Cycle and explain its importance to living things
4) Explain the role of nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification in the nitrogen cycle
Ecological Succession
5) Describe the process of succession
6) Contrast primary and secondary succession
7) Explain how mature communities develop
8) Explain why biodiversity is important to a community of organisms
Unit 5 - Biomes
1) Distinguish between abiotic factors and biotic factors in biomes
2) Identify seven land biomes on Earth
3) Describe how biomes affect biodiversity
2) Identify seven land biomes on Earth
3) Describe how biomes affect biodiversity
Unit 6 - Environmental Problems and Solutions
Environmental Problems
1) List five kinds of pollutants
2) Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources
3) Describe the impact of exotic species
4) Explain why human population growth has increased
5) Describe how habitat destruction affects biodiversity
6) Give two examples of how pollution affects humans
Environmental Solutions
1) Explain the importance of conservation
2) Describe the three R's
3) Explain how biodiversity can be maintained
4) List five environmental strategies
1) List five kinds of pollutants
2) Distinguish between renewable and nonrenewable resources
3) Describe the impact of exotic species
4) Explain why human population growth has increased
5) Describe how habitat destruction affects biodiversity
6) Give two examples of how pollution affects humans
Environmental Solutions
1) Explain the importance of conservation
2) Describe the three R's
3) Explain how biodiversity can be maintained
4) List five environmental strategies
Unit 7 - Diversiy of Cells
1) State the parts of the cell theory
2) Explain why cells are so small
3) Describe the parts of a cell
4) Describe how eubacteria are different from archaebacteria
5) Explain the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells
2) Explain why cells are so small
3) Describe the parts of a cell
4) Describe how eubacteria are different from archaebacteria
5) Explain the difference between prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic cells
Unit 8 - Eukaryotic Cells
1) Identify the different parts of a eukaryotic cell
2) Explain the function of each part of a eukaryotic cell
3) Describe the structure and function of the cell membrane
4) Describe the differences between an animal cell and a plant cell
2) Explain the function of each part of a eukaryotic cell
3) Describe the structure and function of the cell membrane
4) Describe the differences between an animal cell and a plant cell
Unit 9 - The Microscope
1) Identify the parts of a microscope
2) Understand the function of a microscopes parts
3) Understand the proper way to use a microscope
4) Calculate the magnifying power of a simple microscope
2) Understand the function of a microscopes parts
3) Understand the proper way to use a microscope
4) Calculate the magnifying power of a simple microscope
Unit 10 - The Organization of Living Things
1) List three advantages of being multicellular
2) Describe the seven levels of organization
3) Explain the relationship between the structure and function of a part of an organism
2) Describe the seven levels of organization
3) Explain the relationship between the structure and function of a part of an organism
Unit 11 - Cellular Transport
1) Explain the process of diffusion
2) Describe how osmosis occurs
3) Compare passive transport with active transport
4) Explain how large partcles get into and out of cells
5) Describe isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic solutions
2) Describe how osmosis occurs
3) Compare passive transport with active transport
4) Explain how large partcles get into and out of cells
5) Describe isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic solutions
Unit 12 - Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
1) Describe photosynthesis and cellular respiration
2) Compare cellular respiration with fermentation
3) Understand how to read a chemical equation
2) Compare cellular respiration with fermentation
3) Understand how to read a chemical equation
Unit 13 - Mitosis
1) Explain how cells produce more cells
2) Describe the process of mitosis
3) Explain how cell division differs in animal and plant cells
4) Explain how cell division differs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
2) Describe the process of mitosis
3) Explain how cell division differs in animal and plant cells
4) Explain how cell division differs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Unit 14 - Genetics
1) Explain the relationship between traits and heredity
2) Describe the experiments of Gregor Mendel
3) Explain the difference between dominant traits and recessive traits
4) Explain how genes and alleles are related to genotype and phenotype
5) Use the information in a Punnett square
6) Explain how probability can be used to predict possible genotypes in offspring
7) Describe three exceptions to Mendel’s observations
2) Describe the experiments of Gregor Mendel
3) Explain the difference between dominant traits and recessive traits
4) Explain how genes and alleles are related to genotype and phenotype
5) Use the information in a Punnett square
6) Explain how probability can be used to predict possible genotypes in offspring
7) Describe three exceptions to Mendel’s observations