Diversity of Life Unit Map Grade 7 Course Goal and Description: Diversity of Life emphasizes the use of knowledge and evidence for students to construct explanations for the structures and functions of living organisms. DIVERSITY OF LIFE - INVESTIGATION 1: What Is Life? study characteristics that all living organisms share in order to develop an operational definition of life. Any free-living thing-plant, animal, or other-is an organism. All living organisms exhibit common characteristics; they grow, consume nutrients, exchange gases, respond to stimuli, reproduce, need water, and eliminate waste. What is life? What common characteristics do all organisms exhibit? Living and nonliving things Characteristics of life The difference between dormancy, death, and nonliving Categorize organisms into living and nonliving groups. Investigate unknown materials by placing them in aquatic environments and observing them for evidence of life. Analyze data. Quick write: Definition of living things Teacher observation: Setting up an investigation Mid-summative exam 1 DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 2: Introduction to the Microscope develop their skills with an important piece of scientific technology; they use a microscope to observe and study microorganisms. An optical microscope is composed of a two-lens optical system with a mechanical system that adjusts the position of the focal plane. Focal plane is a thin plane at a fixed distance from the objective lens where the image is in focus. Optical power is the product of the magnification of the eyepiece and the objective lens. A microscope image appears reversed and inverted. What are the working parts of a microscope? How does a microscope produce an image? How does the focal plane affect the image seen through a microscope? The microscope and how it works Focal plane Field of view and optical power Scale drawings Use the microscope. Draw scale representations of images seen in a microscope to estimate size accurately. Measure the field of view for each objective lens of a microscope. Compute optical power. Record observations of microscopic organisms. Student sheet: Microscopic Images. Student sheet: Focal Plane Teacher observation: Estimating the size of brine shrimp using the microscope Mid-summative exam 2
DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 3: Microscopic Life discover cells and begin to understand their importance as the basic units of life. Elodea and paramecia are studied in depth, and students search for other microorganisms in pond water. The cell is the basic unit of life. Cells have the same needs and perform the same functions as more complex organisms. What makes cells the basic units of life? What are the main life functions carried out by cells? How can some living cells be organisms and some living cells not be organisms? Single-celled microorganisms Structure-function relationships Use the microscope to observe microorganisms Generate and analyze evidence that Paramecia are organisms Compare and contrast living cells that are or are not organisms Student notes and drawings on the observation of microorganisms Response sheet: Microscopic Life Self-assessment: How cells fit into the definition of life Mid-summative exam 3 DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 4: The Cell become familiar with biological structures and functions at different levels of organization: cells, organs, tissues, organ systems, and whole organisms. Cells are the basic units of life. Humans, and all other complex life-forms, are made of cells. Cells have defining structures, such as membranes, cell walls, nuclei, chloroplasts, ribosomes, mitochondria, and cytoplasm. All life is aquatic at the cellular level. What makes cells the basic units of life? What are the structures common to cells? What organisms are made of cells? Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, including bacteria as the only eukaryotic cells Cell structures: membranes, cell walls, nuclei, chloroplasts, ribosomes, mitochondria, cytoplasm Prepare and observe wet mounts of cells. Obtain and organize information from a multimedia presentation. Teacher observation: Making a wet mount Student sheet: Ribbon of Life Student notebook observations and drawings of cells Mid-summative exam 4
DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 5: Seeds of Life recognize that seeds are living organisms in a dormant state. They will observe and describe the first development stages of a plant. Seeds contain the dormant, living embryo of a plant. Germination is the onset of growth and differentiation in plant seeds. Roots develop as seeds germinate, functioning as conduits for water and nutrients. What are the parts of a seed and how do they contribute to the germination of plants? How do roots develop and function in early plant growth? Seed germination The structure and function of cotyledons Root development and structures Environmental factors that affect germinating seeds Observe and record the parts of a seed. Sequence the development of germinating seeds. Collect and record data in investigating the effect of light on germinated seeds. Student sheet: Seed Dissection Teacher observation: Following good lab procedures Student sheet: Roots and Shoots Response sheet: Structure and Function of Roots Self-assessment: Understanding the order of development during germination Mid-summative exam 5 DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 6: Transpiration conduct investigations to understand how the vascular system transports water through a plant and how leaves regulate the rate of water flow through a plant. Big Idea / Enduring Understanding Water in the form of water vapor continually leaves a plant through openings on the leaves. Water is transported from the roots to all sections of a plant through a series of specialized structures. How does water enter and flow through a plant during transpiration? How is transpiration a component of the water cycle? The process of transpiration Plant structures that facilitate transpiration: roots, xylem, stomates, guard cells Designing experiments Observe and draw stomates. Collect evidence of transpiration. Design an experiment, collect and analyze data, and interpret results in a study of what happens to water over time in a celery stalk. Student sheets: Celery Investigation Plan and Celery Investigation Results Student sheet: Leaf and Stem Observations Student writing: Writing a metaphorical story Mid-summative exam 6
DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 7: Plant Reproduction investigate the reproductive systems in flowers to understand the origin of seeds and explore plant adaptations for seed dispersal. Sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils are the major structures of typical flowers. Pollen and eggs in the flowers are the male and female cells that combine during sexual reproduction to develop into the seed of a new plant. What sequence of events occurs in the pollination of flowers? How are seeds produced through sexual reproduction in plants? How do seed dispersal mechanisms contribute to the survival of plants? Structures of flowers: sepals, petals, stamens, pistils Sexual reproduction in flowers Seed dispersal mechanisms Observe, draw, and label the structures of a simple flower. Analyze a variety of seeds to discover and list dispersal mechanisms. Response sheet: Understanding Sexual Reproduction in Plants Self-assessment: Explaining plant reproduction Mid-summative exam 7 DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 8: Snails design and conduct an experiment to determine environmental preferences of land snails. Students observe structures and behaviors of a multicellular organism. Big Idea / Enduring Understanding Organisms are adapted to survive in their living environment. Anthropomorphism is attributing human thoughts and feelings to nonhuman organisms. The habitat of an organism is the supportive environment in which it lives. How are organisms adapted to survive in their habitat? How can a habitat be described in terms of the needs and preferences of an organism? Characteristics of gastropods: a muscular foot, a head with sensory organs, and a shell for protection Anthropomorphism Habitat Design and conduct an experiment safely using a living organism. Collect data and draw conclusions. Determine the difference between scientific observations and inferences. Use Venn diagrams to compare distantly related organisms. Student notes observing and drawing the land snail Student sheets: Snail Investigation Plans and Snail Investigation Results Student sheet: Venn Diagram Mid-summative exam 8
DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 9: Roaches design and conduct an experiment to determine environmental preferences of an insect-the Madagascar hissing cockroach. Students observe structures and behaviors of a multicellular organism. Adaptations are structures or behaviors of organisms that enhance their chances to survive and reproduce in their habitat. Insects have three body parts, six legs, and two antennae. How do physical and behavioral adaptations help an organism survive? How can the adaptations of organisms be used to make inferences about the natural habitats of the organisms? Adaptations in hissing cockroaches The classification of insects Habitats inferred based on the adaptations of organisms Observe and record animal behavior to identify behavioral and physical adaptations. Plan, conduct, and report an investigation. Collect data and draw conclusions. Relate structure to function in an insect. Student notes and diagrams of cockroach adaptations Teacher observation: Planning, conducting, and reporting an investigation Student sheets: Cockroach Investigation Plan and Cockroach Investigation Results Student Sheet: Insect Mysteries Mid-summative exam 9 DIVERSITY OF LIFE INVESTIGATION 10: Kingdoms of Life explore the Monera, Protista, and Fungi kingdoms to understand their roles in the scheme of life. Microbe is the general name for microscopic bacteria and fungi, especially those that cause disease and Promote fermentation. Bacteria, fungi, and algae have the characteristics of living organisms. Bacteria have a cell membrane but no internal organelles. How do life forms from the Monera, Protista, and Fungi kingdoms carry out the functions of living organisms? How do microorganisms facilitate transforming foods and recycling nutrients through decomposition? Microbes Characteristics of the Monera, Protista, and Fungi kingdoms The ubiquitous distribution of microorganisms Decomposition and microorganisms Calculate the reproductive potential of bacteria. Use lab procedures to inoculate agar plates and observe the growth of bacteria and fungi. Make observations and collect data to draw conclusions. Compare bacteria and fungi to plants, animals, and protists. Teacher observation: Following good lab procedures Student sheets: Observing Bacteria and Observing Fungi Notebook observations of exponential growth of organisms Student sheet: The Unknown World Mid-summative exam 10 Final summative exam