• Biology
    Biology is a required, inquiry-based course focused on providing all high school students with foundational life science content about the patterns, processes, and interactions among living organisms. The emphasis is on increased sophistication and rigor of a limited number of core ideas rather than on memorizing a breadth of factual content. Students use prior and new knowledge to build conceptual understandings based on evidence from their own and others’ investigations. They use their own learning and experiences to support claims and engage in argument from evidence. The standards provide a depth of conceptual understanding to adequately prepare them for college, career, and citizenship with an appropriate level of scientific literacy. Resources specific to the local area as well as external resources, including evidenced-based literature found within scientific journals, should be used to extend and increase the complexity of the core ideas.
    Content standards within this course are organized according to the disciplinary core ideas for the Life Science domain.

    The first core idea, From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes, concentrates on the structure of cells and how their functions are necessary for supporting life, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

    The second core idea, Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics, investigates the positive and negative interactions between living organisms and other biotic and abiotic factors.

    The third core idea, Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits, centers on the formation of proteins that affect the trait expression, also known as the central dogma of molecular biology; the passing of distinguishing genetic information throughout generations; and how environmental factors and genetic errors can cause gene mutations.

    The fourth core idea, Unity and Diversity, examines the variation of traits within a population over a long period of time that results in diversity among organisms.

    Integrated within the disciplinary core ideas of Biology are the Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science (ETS) core ideas, which are denoted with an asterisk (*). The ETS core ideas require students to use tools and materials to solve simple problems and to use representations to convey design solutions to a problem and determine which is most appropriate.

     

    Students WILL:

    From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

    1. Use models to compare and contrast how the structural characteristics of carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids define their function in organisms.

    2. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe the function and diversity of organelles and structures in various types of cells (e.g., muscle cells having a large amount of mitochondria, plasmids in bacteria, chloroplasts in plant cells).

    3. Formulate an evidence-based explanation regarding how the composition of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) determines the structural organization of proteins.
        a. Obtain and evaluate experiments of major scientists and communicate their contributions to the development of the structure of DNA          
            and to the development of the central dogma of molecular biology.
         b. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information that explains how advancements in genetic technology (e.g., Human Genome Project,  
              Encyclopedia of DNA Elements [ENCODE] project, 1000 Genomes Project) have contributed to the understanding as to how a genetic     
              change at the DNA level may affect proteins and, in turn, influence the appearance of traits.
          c. Obtain information to identify errors that occur during DNA replication (e.g., deletion, insertion, translocation, substitution, inversion,  
              Frame-shift, point mutations).

     

     

    Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

    4. Develop and use models to explain the role of the cell cycle during growth and maintenance in multicellular organisms (e.g., normal growth and/or uncontrolled growth resulting in tumors).

    5. Plan and carry out investigations to explain feedback mechanisms (e.g., sweating and shivering) and cellular processes (e.g., active and passive transport) that maintain homeostasis.
    a. Plan and carry out investigations to explain how the unique properties of water
    (e.g., polarity, cohesion, adhesion) are vital to maintaining homeostasis in organisms.

    6. Analyze and interpret data from investigations to explain the role of products and reactants of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of matter and the flow of energy.
    a. Plan and carry out investigations to explain the interactions among pigments, absorption of light, and reflection of light.

    7. Develop and use models to illustrate examples of ecological hierarchy levels, including biosphere, biome, ecosystem, community, population, and organism.

    8. Develop and use models to describe the cycling of matter (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, water) and flow of energy (e.g., food chains, food webs, biomass pyramids, ten percent law) between abiotic and biotic factors in ecosystems.

    9. Use mathematical comparisons and visual representations to support or refute explanations of factors that affect population growth (e.g., exponential, linear, logistic).

    10. Construct an explanation and design a real-world solution to address changing conditions and ecological succession caused by density-dependent and/or density-independent factors.*

    11. Analyze and interpret data collected from probability calculations to explain the variation of expressed traits within a population.
    a. Use mathematics and computation to predict phenotypic and genotypic ratios and percentages by constructing Punnett squares, including using both homozygous and heterozygous allele pairs.
    b. Develop and use models to demonstrate codominance, incomplete dominance, and Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment.
    c. Analyze and interpret data (e.g., pedigree charts, family and population studies) regarding Mendelian and complex genetic disorders (e.g., sickle-cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, type 2 diabetes) to determine patterns of genetic inheritance and disease risks from both genetic and environmental factors.

    12. Develop and use a model to analyze the structure of chromosomes and how new genetic combinations occur through the process of meiosis.
    a. Analyze data to draw conclusions about genetic disorders caused by errors in meiosis (e.g., Down syndrome, Turner syndrome).
    Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics


     

    Unity and Diversity

    13. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain how organisms are classified by physical characteristics, organized into levels of taxonomy, and identified by binomial nomenclature (e.g., taxonomic classification, dichotomous keys).
    a. Engage in argument to justify the grouping of viruses in a category separate from living things.

    14. Analyze and interpret data to evaluate adaptations resulting from natural and artificial selection that may cause changes in populations over time (e.g., antibiotic-resistant bacteria, beak types, peppered moths, pest-resistant crops).

    15. Engage in argument from evidence (e.g., mathematical models such as distribution graphs) to explain how the diversity of organisms is affected by overpopulation of species, variation due to genetic mutations, and competition for limited resources.

    16. Analyze scientific evidence (e.g., DNA, fossil records, cladograms, biogeography) to support hypotheses of common ancestry and biological evolution.