Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.3: Explain how a one-celled organism is able to function despite lacking the levels of organization present in more complex organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.3a: The structures present in some single-celled organisms act in a manner similar to the tissues and systems found in multicellular organisms, thus enabling them to perform all of the life processes needed to maintain homeostasis.

Key Idea 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.1: Explain how the structure and replication of genetic material result in offspring that resemble their parents.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1b: Every organism requires a set of coded instructions for specifying its traits. For offspring to resemble their parents, there must be a reliable way to transfer information from one generation to the next. Heredity is the passage of these instructions from one generation to another.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1c: Hereditary information is contained in genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell. An inherited trait of an individual can be determined by one or by many genes, and a single gene can influence more than one trait. A human cell contains many thousands of different genes in its nucleus.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1d: In asexually reproducing organisms, all the genes come from a single parent. Asexually produced offspring are normally genetically identical to the parent.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1e: In sexually reproducing organisms, the new individual receives half of the genetic information from its mother (via the egg) and half from its father (via the sperm). Sexually produced offspring often resemble, but are not identical to, either of their parents.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1f: In all organisms, the coded instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA, a large molecule formed from subunits arranged in a sequence with bases of four kinds (represented by A, G, C, and T). The chemical and structural properties of DNA are the basis for how the genetic information that underlies heredity is both encoded in genes (as a string of molecular "bases") and replicated by means of a template.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1g: Cells store and use coded information. The genetic information stored in DNA is used to direct the synthesis of the thousands of proteins that each cell requires.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1i: The work of the cell is carried out by the many different types of molecules it assembles, mostly proteins. Protein molecules are long, usually folded chains made from 20 different kinds of amino acids in a specific sequence. This sequence influences the shape of the protein. The shape of the protein, in turn, determines its function.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.1j: Offspring resemble their parents because they inherit similar genes that code for the production of proteins that form similar structures and perform similar functions.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.2: Explain how the technology of genetic engineering allows humans to alter genetic makeup of organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2a: For thousands of years new varieties of cultivated plants and domestic animals have resulted from selective breeding for particular traits.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2b: In recent years new varieties of farm plants and animals have been engineered by manipulating their genetic instructions to produce new characteristics.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2c: Different enzymes can be used to cut, copy, and move segments of DNA. Characteristics produced by the segments of DNA may be expressed when these segments are inserted into new organisms, such as bacteria.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2d: Inserting, deleting, or substituting DNA segments can alter genes. An altered gene may be passed on to every cell that develops from it.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 2.2e: Knowledge of genetics is making possible new fields of health care; for example, finding genes which may have mutations that can cause disease will aid in the development of preventive measures to fight disease. Substances, such as hormones and enzymes, from genetically engineered organisms may reduce the cost and side effects of replacing missing body chemicals.

Key Idea 4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 4.1: Explain how organisms, including humans, reproduce their own kind.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1b: Some organisms reproduce asexually with all the genetic information coming from one parent. Other organisms reproduce sexually with half the genetic information typically contributed by each parent. Cloning is the production of identical genetic copies.

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 6.2: Explain the importance of preserving diversity of species and habitats.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 6.2a: As a result of evolutionary processes, there is a diversity of organisms and roles in ecosystems. This diversity of species increases the chance that at least some will survive in the face of large environmental changes. Biodiversity increases the stability of the ecosystem.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 6.2b: Biodiversity also ensures the availability of a rich variety of genetic material that may lead to future agricultural or medical discoveries with significant value to humankind. As diversity is lost, potential sources of these materials may be lost with it.

Key Idea 7: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environment.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 7.1: Describe the range of interrelationships of humans with the living and nonliving environment.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 7.2: Explain the impact of technological development and growth in the human population on the living and nonliving environment.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 7.2b: When humans alter ecosystems either by adding or removing specific organisms, serious consequences may result. For example, planting large expanses of one crop reduces the biodiversity of the area.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 7.3: Explain how individual choices and societal actions can contribute to improving the environment.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 7.3b: The decisions of one generation both provide and limit the range of possibilities open to the next generation.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 7.1a: The Earth has finite resources; increasing human consumption of resources places stress on the natural processes that renew some resources and deplete those resources that cannot be renewed.

KEY IDEA 1: The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomena in a continuing and creative process

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.2: Hone ideas through reasoning, library research, and discussion with others, including experts

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.3: Work towards reconciling competing explanations; clarify points of agreement and disagreement

KEY IDEA 3: The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conventional and invented methods, provide new insights into natural phenomena.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.1: Use various methods of representing and organizing observations (e.g. diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, equations matrices) and insightfully interpret the organized data

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.3: Assess correspondence between the predicted result contained in the hypothesis and actual result, and reach a conclusion as to whether the explanation on which the prediction was based is supported

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.4: Based on the results of the test and through public discussion, revise the explanation and contemplate additional research

Follows safety rules in the laboratory

Selects and uses correct instruments: Uses graduated cylinders to measure volume

Makes observations of biological processes

Uses chromatography and/or electrophoresis to separate molecules

States an appropriate hypothesis

Collects, organizes, and analyzes data, using a computer and/or other laboratory equipment

Organizes data through the use of data tables and graphs

Analyzes results from observations/expressed data

Formulates an appropriate conclusion or generalization from the results of an experiment

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the text’s explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text.

Reading: Key Ideas and Details

Follow precisely a complex multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks attending to special cases or exceptions defined in the text. 

Reading: Craft and Structure

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claim or a recommendation for solving a scientific or technical problem.

Reading: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Compare and contrast findings presented in a text to those from other sources (including their own experiments), noting when the findings support or contradict previous explanations or accounts.

Reading: Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently

Writing: Range of Writing

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.