End of Course Specifications: Benchmarks
SC.912.N.1: The Practice of Science
SC.912.N.1.1: Define a problem based on a specific body of knowledge, for example: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science, and do the following: 1) pose questions about the natural world; 2) conduct systematic observations; 3) examine books and other sources of information to see what is already known; 4) review what is known in light of empirical evidence; 5) plan investigations; 6) use tools to gather, analyze, and represent data (this includes the use of measurement in metric and other systems, and also generation and interpretation of graphical representations of data, including data tables and graphs); 7) pose answers, explanations, or descriptions of events; 8) generate explanations that explicate or describe natural phenomena (inferences); 9) use appropriate evidence and reasoning to justify these explanations to others; 10) communicate results of scientific investigations; and 11) evaluate the merits of the explanations produced by others.
Describing Data Using Statistics
Estimating Population Size
Graphing Skills
Growing Plants
Hearing: Frequency and Volume
Pattern Finder
Photosynthesis Lab
Real-Time Histogram
Reverse the Field
Seed Germination
Sight vs. Sound Reactions
Temperature and Sex Determination - Metric
Time Estimation
Triple Beam Balance
SC.912.N.1.3: Recognize that the strength or usefulness of a scientific claim is evaluated through scientific argumentation, which depends on critical and logical thinking, and the active consideration of alternative scientific explanations to explain the data presented.
DNA Analysis
Effect of Environment on New Life Form
SC.912.N.1.6: Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the content being studied.
Effect of Environment on New Life Form
Greenhouse Effect - Metric
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
SC.912.E.7.1: Analyze the movement of matter and energy through the different biogeochemical cycles, including water and carbon.
Cell Energy Cycle
Energy Conversions
Photosynthesis Lab
Plants and Snails
Rock Cycle
Water Cycle
SC.912.L.14: Organization and Development of Living Organisms
SC.912.L.14.1: Describe the scientific theory of cells (cell theory) and relate the history of its discovery to the process of science.
SC.912.L.14.2: Relate structure to function for the components of plant and animal cells. Explain the role of cell membranes as a highly selective barrier (passive and active transport).
Cell Energy Cycle
Cell Structure
Diffusion
Osmosis
Paramecium Homeostasis
SC.912.L.14.3: Compare and contrast the general structures of plant and animal cells. Compare and contrast the general structures of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
Cell Energy Cycle
Cell Structure
SC.912.L.14.6: Explain the significance of genetic factors, environmental factors, and pathogenic agents to health from the perspectives of both individual and public health
Disease Spread
Human Homeostasis
Human Karyotyping
Virus Lytic Cycle
SC.912.L.14.7: Relate the structure of each of the major plant organs and tissues to physiological processes.
Photosynthesis Lab
Pollination: Flower to Fruit
Seed Germination
SC.912.L.14.36: Describe the factors affecting blood flow through the cardiovascular system.
SC.912.L.14.52: Explain the basic functions of the human immune system, including specific and nonspecific immune response, vaccines, and antibiotics.
SC.912.L.15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms
SC.912.L.15.1: Explain how the scientific theory of evolution is supported by the fossil record, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, biogeography, molecular biology, and observed evolutionary change.
Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
Microevolution
Natural Selection
SC.912.L.15.4: Describe how and why organisms are hierarchically classified and based on evolutionary relationships
Dichotomous Keys
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
SC.912.L.15.5: Explain the reasons for changes in how organisms are classified
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
SC.912.L.15.10: Identify basic trends in hominid evolution from early ancestors six million years ago to modern humans, including brain size, jaw size, language, and manufacture of tools.
Human Evolution - Skull Analysis
SC.912.L.15.13: Describe the conditions required for natural selection, including: overproduction of offspring, inherited variation, and the struggle to survive, which result in differential reproductive success.
Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Microevolution
Natural Selection
SC.912.L.15.15: Describe how mutation and genetic recombination increase genetic variation.
Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
SC.912.L.16: Heredity and Reproduction
SC.912.L.16.1: Use Mendel's laws of segregation and independent assortment to analyze patterns of inheritance.
Chicken Genetics
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)
SC.912.L.16.2: Discuss observed inheritance patterns caused by various modes of inheritance, including dominant, recessive, codominant, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles
Chicken Genetics
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Inheritance
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)
SC.912.L.16.3: Describe the basic process of DNA replication and how it relates to the transmission and conservation of the genetic information.
SC.912.L.16.4: Explain how mutations in the DNA sequence may or may not result in phenotypic change. Explain how mutations in gametes may result in phenotypic changes in offspring.
Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Human Karyotyping
SC.912.L.16.5: Explain the basic processes of transcription and translation, and how they result in the expression of genes.
SC.912.L.16.8: Explain the relationship between mutation, cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth potentially resulting in cancer.
SC.912.L.16.9: Explain how and why the genetic code is universal and is common to almost all organisms.
Building DNA
RNA and Protein Synthesis
SC.912.L.16.10: Evaluate the impact of biotechnology on the individual, society and the environment, including medical and ethical issues.
DNA Analysis
Human Karyotyping
SC.912.L.16.14: Describe the cell cycle, including the process of mitosis. Explain the role of mitosis in the formation of new cells and its importance in maintaining chromosome number during asexual reproduction.
SC.912.L.17: Interdependence
SC.912.L.17.2: Explain the general distribution of life in aquatic systems as a function of chemistry, geography, light, depth, salinity, and temperature.
SC.912.L.17.4: Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession.
Rabbit Population by Season
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric
Temperature and Sex Determination - Metric
SC.912.L.17.5: Analyze how population size is determined by births, deaths, immigration, emigration, and limiting factors (biotic and abiotic) that determine carrying capacity.
Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Prairie Ecosystem
Rabbit Population by Season
SC.912.L.17.8: Recognize the consequences of the losses of biodiversity due to catastrophic events, climate changes, human activity, and the introduction of invasive, non-native species.
Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Prairie Ecosystem
Rabbit Population by Season
Water Pollution
SC.912.L.17.9: Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers. Explain the pathway of energy transfer through trophic levels and the reduction of available energy at successive trophic levels.
Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem
Prairie Ecosystem
SC.912.L.17.11: Evaluate the costs and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests.
Energy Conversions
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem
Rabbit Population by Season
Water Cycle
Water Pollution
SC.912.L.17.13: Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policy decisions.
Greenhouse Effect - Metric
Pond Ecosystem
Water Pollution
SC.912.L.17.20: Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.
Greenhouse Effect - Metric
Household Energy Usage
Pond Ecosystem
Rabbit Population by Season
Road Trip (Problem Solving)
Water Pollution
SC.912.L.18: Matter and Energy Transformations
SC.912.L.18.1: Describe the basic molecular structures and primary functions of the four major categories of biological macromolecules.
Dehydration Synthesis
Identifying Nutrients
SC.912.L.18.7: Identify the reactants, products, and basic functions of photosynthesis.
Cell Energy Cycle
Photosynthesis Lab
SC.912.L.18.8: Identify the reactants, products, and basic functions of aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration.
SC.912.L.18.9: Explain the interrelated nature of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Cell Energy Cycle
Plants and Snails
SC.912.L.18.10: Connect the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to energy transfers within a cell.
SC.912.L.18.11: Explain the role of enzymes as catalysts that lower the activation energy of biochemical reactions. Identify factors, such as pH and temperature, and their effect on enzyme activity.
HE.912.C.1: Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health
HE.912.C.1.3: Evaluate how environment and personal health are interrelated.
Disease Spread
Human Homeostasis
Virus Lytic Cycle
Water Pollution
HE.912.C.1.4: Analyze how heredity and family history can impact personal health.
Human Karyotyping
Microevolution
HE.912.C.1.8: Analyze strategies for prevention, detection, and treatment of communicable and chronic diseases.
Disease Spread
Drug Dosage
Virus Lytic Cycle
MA.912.S.1: Formulating Questions
MA.912.S.1.2: Determine appropriate and consistent standards of measurement for the data to be collected in a survey or experiment.
Growing Plants
Hearing: Frequency and Volume
Real-Time Histogram
Reverse the Field
Sight vs. Sound Reactions
Time Estimation
MA.912.S.3: Summarizing Data (Descriptive Statistics)
MA.912.S.3.2: Collect, organize, and analyze data sets, determine the best format for the data, and present visual summaries from the following: bar graphs; line graphs; stem and leaf plots; circle graphs; histograms; box and whisker plots; scatter plots; and cumulative frequency (ogive) graphs.
Box-and-Whisker Plots
Describing Data Using Statistics
Distance-Time Graphs - Metric
Graphing Skills
Histograms
Mean, Median, and Mode
Reaction Time 1 (Graphs and Statistics)
Trends in Scatter Plots
Correlation last revised: 9/16/2020