AndyHeusinkvelt

YearLongCurriculumPlan

AreaofScience:Biology

NebraskaStateScienceStandardsAddressed:

Abilitytodoscientificinquiry
:

SC12.1.1Studentswilldesignandconduct
investigationsthatleadtotheuseoflogicandevidenceintheformulationofscientific
explanationsandmodels.
InBiology,mystudentswillbegintounderstandthescientificmethodand
howtobeginthinkingcritically.Studentswillbeabletothinkaccordingtoscientific
principlesandprocesses.

NatureofScience
:SC12.1.2Studentswillapplythenatureofscientificknowledgeto
theirowninvestigationsandintheevaluationofscientificexplanations.
Studentswillbegintodevelopcriticalthinkingskillsandapplyingthemto
experimentsandobservations.

Technology
:SC12.1.3Studentswillsolveacomplexdesignproblem.
Studentswillbegintodiscoverhowtechnologyadvancesscientificresearch.

StructureandFunctionoflivingsystems
:SC12.3.1Studentswillinvestigateand
describethechemicalbasisofthegrowth,development,andmaintenanceofcells.
Inbiologystudentswillunderstandthebasicunitsoflife,andhowthey
interactandfunction.

Heredity
:SC12.3.2Studentswilldescribethemolecularbasisofreproductionand
heredity.
Studentswilllearnaboutgenesandthepassingdownoftraitsfromparents
tooffspring.

FlowofMatterandEnergyinEcosystems
:SC12.3.3Studentswilldescribe,ona
molecularlevel,thecyclingofmatterandtheflowofenergybetweenorganismsand
theirenvironment.
Studentsinmyclasswilllearnenergyrecyclingandtherelationshipbetween
theearthandthoselivingonit.

Biodiversity
:

SC12.3.4Studentswilldescribethetheoryofbiologicalevolution.
Mystudentswilllearngeneticchange,survivalofthefittest,andbeneficial
geneticmutationsthroughoutthehistoryoflife.

NextGenerationScienceStandardsaddressed:

HSLS1FromMoleculestoOrganisms:StructuresandProcesses
Studentswillbeabletoidentifycellsanddescribehowthesebuildingblocks
interactwitheachotherandtheprocessesthathappenwithinthecells.Theywill
understandthefunctionsofcertaincells,andthelifecyclethattheygothrough.The
studentswillunderstandtheprocessofcellreproductionandcelldivision.The
studentswillalsounderstandtheprocessofenergyflow,andhowenergyis
transferredfromstatetostate.

HSLS2Ecosystems:Interactions,Energy,andDynamics
InBiology,studentswillunderstandtheinterdependentrelationshipsin
ecosystems.Theywillknowaboutphotosynthesis,andthecycleofmatterand
energytransfer.Studentswillunderstandthepatternsofsocialinteractionsof
organisms,andhowtheybehave.Theywillalsorecognizebiodiversity,andhow
humansplayapartinthechangesintheworld.

HSLS3Heredity:InheritanceandVariationofTraits
Studentswillunderstandthefunctionofcellsinrelationtotheirgenetic
information.TheywillknowhowDNAisbuilt,copiedandtransferredtoothercells.
Studentswillunderstandtheideaofinheritance,heredity,andgenetransfer.They
willalsounderstandgeneticvariation,mutations,andwhatcausesthosechanges.

HSLS4BiologicalEvolution:UnityandDiversity
Studentswillknowaboutgenediversityandevidenceofacommonancestor
inmanyorganisms.Studentswillunderstandtheprocessofnaturalselectionand
survivalofthefittest.Theywillknowtheprocessofadaptionandhow,overtime,
thegenepoolchangesinorganismswithmorefavorabletraits.

th
Course:10
GradeBiology

CourseUnderstandings Courseessential
CourseSkills
Studentswillunderstand questions.Overarching Studentswillbeableto:
that:
coursequestion:
Howdo
livingorganismsinteract
toshapelifeasweknow
it?
OrganismsonEarthhave Howdoesscienceprove
Gatherdataandinterpret
developedanddiversified evolution?
theirfindings.
fromearlierforms
throughoutEarths
history.

Weeachhavecertain
traitsthatwepassonto
ouroffspring.

Whatdeterminesthe
traitsoffspringreceive
fromtheirparents?

Theworldisdrivenbya
setofprocessesand
chemicalreactionsthat
sustainlife.

Howdoesenergyflow
sustainlifeonEarth?

Alllifeisconstructed
fromthesamebasic
buildingblocks.
AlllifeonEarthis
interconnectedinunique
ways.

Howdocellsandtheir
functionworktocreate
life?
Inwhatwaysdo
organismsinteractwith
eachother?

ConstructPunnett
squaresanddetermine
thelikelihoodofatrait
beingpassedon.
Knowtheprocessof
photosynthesis,
respirationandotherlife
sustainingchemical
reactions.
Identifydifferenttypesof
cellsandexplaintheir
functions.
Recognizethe
relationshipsbetween
livingandnonliving
thingsonEarth.
Classifyorganismsbased
ontheirphysical
attributes,andidentify
them.
Distinguishbetween
virusesandbacteriaand
knowthedifferencein
theirbehavior.

Eachorganismis
Howareorganisms
classifiedintospecific
classified?
groups,basedonits
characteristics.
Microscopicorganisms
Whatarethediffering
existineverypartoflife;
characteristicsbetween
somearebeneficial,while virusesandbacteria?
otherscauseharm.

BeginningofSchoolSeptemberOctober Evolution
OctoberDecember
GeneticsandHeredity
DecemberJanuary
Biochemistry
JanuaryMarch
Microbiology
MarchApril
Ecosystems
AprilMay
Classification/taxonomy
MayJune
VirusesandBacteria

Idecidedtoarrangemyunitsinthiswaybecauseitflowsinalogical

sequence.Evolutionistheoverarchingtheoryofbiology,encompassingourhistory,
andexplaininghowgenesarepassedonfromancientgenerationstothepresent.

Fromthetopicofevolution,geneticsandhereditycanbediscussedintheirown
unit.Thisunitfocusesonmorerecentgeneticvariation,includingchangesin
populationsinarelativelyshortgenerationtimeline,i.e.howtraitspassfrom
parentstooffspring.Thenextunitinmyyearlongplanisbiochemistry.Thisunit
focusesonthenatureofmatter.Wewilldiscusspropertiesofwaterandorganic
compounds.Thisunitwillbegintotouchonchemicalreactionsandcompoundsthat
shapetheworldaroundus.
Microbiologywillfollowthebiochemistryunit.Thisunitlogicallyflowsfrom
biochemistrybecausewebegintolookmoreindepthatthebuildingblocksoflife:
cells.Inthisunitwewilllookatthefunctionsofcertaincells.Wewillexplorethe
organellesinsidethecellandstudythefunctionofeachorganelle.Thisunitwillalso
exploretheinteractionsbetweencells,howtheycommunicate,andhowtheypass
informationfromonetoanother.Thisunitwilllogicallyflowintothestudyof
ecosystems.Sinceecosystemsaretheinteractionsbetweenlivingandnonliving
organisms,thisisessentiallycellcommunicationandinteractionsonamuchlarger
scale.
Afterstudyingecosystems,wewillspendthenextmonthstudyingthe
taxonomyoflivingcreatures.Thistransitionswellfromecosystemsbecausewewill
befocusinginononeaspectofecosystems:livingorganisms.Wewillstudythe
scientificclassificationoforganisms.Wewillalsodissectseveralorganismstolook
atspecializedtissuesandorganellesineachorganism.Studyinglivingorganismsis
amajorareainvirusandbacteriaresearch.Thiswillleadintoourlastunitofthe

yeartalkingaboutbacteriaandviruses.Wewillstudythedifferencesbetweenthe
twoandhowtheyaffectdifferentorganisms.