Unit Title & UFDs Time Frame Description of What Students will Focus on Transfer Goals Subject Area TEKS Academic Vocabulary Unit 1: Living Systems 22-24 days 1 st 9 Weeks The students can identify levels of organization in living organisms and compare the structure and function of animal and plant cell organelles. They will also know how the function of the cell relates to the function of the organism. 7.12(C) recognize levels of organization in plants and animals, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms 7.12(D)* differentiate between structure and function in plant and animal cell organelles, including cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole 7.12(F)* recognize that according to cell theory all organisms are composed of cells and cells carry on similar functions such as extracting energy from food to sustain life cell membrane cell theory cell wall chloroplast cytoplasm endoplasmic reticulum golgi body homeostasis lysosome mitochondria nuclear membrane organic organelle organ organ system osmosis ribosome tissue vacuole chemical energy circulatory digestive endocrine excretory external stimulus homeostasis immune integumentary internal stimulus Unit 2: Internal Processes 28-30 days 1st and 2nd 9 Weeks The students can identify the main functions and interactions of body systems. 7.6(A) distinguish between physical and chemical changes in matter in the digestive system 7.7(A) illustrate the transformation of energy within an organism such as the transfer from chemical energy to thermal energy 7.7(B) demonstrate and illustrate forces that affect motion in organisms such as emergence of seedlings, turgor pressure, geotropism, and circulation of blood Updated May 23, 2018 MB Page 1 of 5
7.12(B)* identify the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, and endocrine systems 7.12(E) compare the functions of a cell to the functions of an organ system muscular nervous reproductive respiratory skeletal 7.13(A) investigate how organisms respond to external stimuli found in the environment such as phototropism and 7.13(B) describe and relate responses in organisms that may result from internal stimuli such as wilting in plants and fever or vomiting in animals that allow them to maintain balance Unit 3: Foundations of Genetics 16-18 days 2nd 9 Weeks The students can define heredity, compare sexual and asexual reproduction, and recognize that inherited traits of individuals are governed in the genetic material found in genes. Demonstrate professionalism through functioning like a scientist: exhibiting attentiveness, adhering to safety standards, collaborating with others, and growing from feedback 7.14(A ) define heredity as the passage of genetic instructions from one generation to the next generation 7.14(B)* compare the results of uniform or diverse offspring from sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction 7.14(C)* recognize that inherited traits of individuals are governed in the genetic material found in the genes within chromosomes in the nucleus allele asexual reproduction chromosomes co-dominant diverse offspring dominant genes genetic material genotype heredity heterozygous homozygous hybrid incomplete dominance pedigree charts phenotype purebred recessive Updated May 23, 2018 MB Page 2 of 5
sexual reproduction trait uniform offspring biome dichotomous key external structural geotropism hydrotropism instinctive behavior internal structural natural selection phototropism physiological selective breeding species thigmotropism turgor pressure variations Unit 4: Adaptations 28-30 days 2nd & 3rd 9 Weeks The students can identify and explain variation within a population or species, as well as identifying some changes in genetic traits that can have occurred over several generations through natural selection and selective breeding. The student understands how organisms become adapted to their environment. Evaluate scientific claims and analyze issues to verify the credibility of the source, data, and/or methodology 7.7 (B) demonstrate and illustrate forces that affect motion in organisms such as emergence of seedlings, turgor pressure, geotropism, and circulation of blood 7.10(A)* observe and describe how different environments, including microhabitats in schoolyards and biomes, support different varieties of organisms 7.11(A)* examine organisms or their structures such as insects or leaves and use dichotomous keys for identification 7.11(B) explain variation within a population or species by comparing external features, behaviors, or physiology of organisms that enhance their survival such as migration, hibernation, or storage of food in a bulb 7.11(C)* 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 ( Geospiza fortis ) or domestic animals 7.12(A) investigate and explain how internal structures of organisms have adaptations that allow specific functions such as gills in fish, hollow bones in birds, or xylem in plants 7.13(A) investigate how organisms respond to external stimuli found in the environment such as phototropism and 7.13(B ) describe and relate responses in organisms that may result from internal stimuli such as wilting in plants and fever or vomiting in animals that allow them to maintain balance Updated May 23, 2018 MB Page 3 of 5
Unit 5: Energy of Ecosystems 18-20 days 3rd 9 Weeks The students understands how matter flows within living systems by explaining and illustrating food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids. The students understands how a variety of organisms help sustain an ecosystem. Design and conduct a sound investigation to test a hypothesis and draw a conclusion based on the data 7.5(A) recognize that radiant energy from the Sun is transformed into chemical energy through the process of photosynthesis 7.5(B)* diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids 7.10 (A)* observe and describe how different environments, including microhabitats in schoolyards and biomes, support different varieties of organisms abiotic autotroph biomass biotic biodiversity energy pyramid heterotroph omnivore photosynthesis radiant energy scavenger secondary consumer sustainability tertiary consumer Unit 6: Environmental Interactions 18-20 days 4 th 9 Weeks The students can analyze the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on different areas of Texas and the impact of catastrophic events on the ecosystems. The students can describe the role of succession in rebuilding an ecosystem. 7.8(A) predict and describe how different types of catastrophic events impact ecosystems such as floods, hurricanes, or tornadoes 7.8(B) analyze the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition on the environment in ecoregions of Texas 7.8(C)* model the effects of human activity on groundwater and surface water in a watershed 7.10(B)* describe how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem 7.10(C)* observe, record, and describe the role of ecological succession such as in a microhabitat of a garden with weeds biodiversity catastrophic event climax community deposition ecoregions groundwater microhabitat pioneer species primary succession secondary succession surface water sustainability watershed Updated May 23, 2018 MB Page 4 of 5
Unit 7: Solar Systems 11-14 days 4th 9 Weeks The students can analyze the characteristics that support life in the solar system and the accommodations required for human space travel. Evaluate scientific claims and analyze issues to verify the credibility of the source, data, and/or methodology 7.9(A) analyze the characteristics of objects in our solar system that allow life to exist such as the proximity of the Sun, presence of water, and composition of the atmosphere 7.9(B) identify the accommodations, considering the characteristics of our solar system, that enabled manned space exploration atmosphere habitability proximity survivability Updated May 23, 2018 MB Page 5 of 5