S7L: Life Science

S7L1: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate the diversity of living organisms and how they can be compared scientifically.

S7L1.a: Develop and defend a model that categorizes organisms based on common characteristics.

Dichotomous Keys

S7L2: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to describe how cell structures, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems interact to maintain the basic needs of organisms.

S7L2.a: Develop a model and construct an explanation of how cell structures (specifically the nucleus, cytoplasm, cell membrane, cell wall, chloroplasts, lysosome, and mitochondria) contribute to the function of the cell as a system in obtaining nutrients in order to grow, reproduce, make needed materials, and process waste.

Cell Energy Cycle
Cell Structure
Cell Types
RNA and Protein Synthesis

S7L2.b: Develop and use a conceptual model of how cells are organized into tissues, tissues into organs, organs into systems, and systems into organisms.

Circulatory System
Digestive System
Paramecium Homeostasis

S7L2.c: Construct an argument that systems of the body (Cardiovascular, Excretory, Digestive, Respiratory, Muscular, Nervous, and Immune) interact with one another to carry out life processes.

Circulatory System
Digestive System

S7L3: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain how organisms reproduce either sexually or asexually and transfer genetic information to determine the traits of their offspring.

S7L3.a: Construct an explanation supported with scientific evidence of the role of genes and chromosomes in the process of inheriting a specific trait.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Human Karyotyping
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

S7L3.b: Develop and use a model to describe how asexual reproduction can result in offspring with identical genetic information while sexual reproduction results in genetic variation.

Fast Plants^® 2 - Mystery Parent

S7L4: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to examine the interdependence of organisms with one another and their environments.

S7L4.a: Construct an explanation for the patterns of interactions observed in different ecosystems in terms of the relationships among and between organisms and abiotic components of the ecosystem.

Forest Ecosystem

S7L4.b: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem.

Carbon Cycle
Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem
Pond Ecosystem

S7L4.c: Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for how resource availability, disease, climate, and human activity affect individual organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems.

Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors
Disease Spread
Natural Selection
Pond Ecosystem
Rabbit Population by Season
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric

S7L4.d: Ask questions to gather and synthesize information from multiple sources to differentiate between Earth’s major terrestrial biomes (i.e., tropical rain forest, savanna, temperate forest, desert, grassland, taiga, and tundra) and aquatic ecosystems (i.e., freshwater, estuaries, and marine).

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors
Pond Ecosystem

S7L5: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information from multiple sources to explain the theory of evolution of living organisms through inherited characteristics.

S7L5.a: Use mathematical representations to evaluate explanations of how natural selection leads to changes in specific traits of populations over successive generations.

Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection

S7L5.b: Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variation and environmental factors influence the probability of survival and reproduction of a species.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric