PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.2: Describe and explain the structures and functions of the human body at different organizational levels (e.g., systems, tissues, cells, organelles).

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.2a: Important levels of organization for structure and function include organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and whole organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.2b: Humans are complex organisms. They require multiple systems for digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, movement, coordination, and immunity. The systems interact to perform the life functions.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 1.2j: Receptor molecules play an important role in the interactions between cells. Two primary agents of cellular communication are hormones and chemicals produced by nerve cells. If nerve or hormone signals are blocked, cellular communication is disrupted and the organism’s stability is affected.

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 2.1d: 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 2.1k: The many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another, even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. This is because different parts of these instructions are used in different types of cells, and are influenced by the cell’s environment and past history.

Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 3.1: Explain the mechanisms and patterns of evolution.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1a: The basic theory of biological evolution states that the Earth’s present-day species developed from earlier, distinctly different species.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1b: New inheritable characteristics can result from new combinations of existing genes or from mutations of genes in reproductive cells.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1e: Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life-forms, as well as for the molecular and structural similarities observed among the diverse species of living organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1f: Species evolve over time. Evolution is the consequence of the interactions of (1) the potential for a species to increase its numbers, (2) the genetic variability of offspring due to mutation and recombination of genes, (3) a finite supply of the resources required for life, and (4) the ensuing selection by the environment of those offspring better able to survive and leave offspring.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1g: Some characteristics give individuals an advantage over others in surviving and reproducing, and the advantaged offspring, in turn, are more likely than others to survive and reproduce. The proportion of individuals that have advantageous characteristics will increase.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1h: The variation of organisms within a species increases the likelihood that at least some members of the species will survive under changed environmental conditions.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1j: Billions of years ago, life on Earth is thought by many scientists to have begun as simple, single-celled organisms. About a billion years ago, increasingly complex multicellular organisms began to evolve.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1k: Evolution does not necessitate long-term progress in some set direction. Evolutionary changes appear to be like the growth of a bush: Some branches survive from the beginning with little or no change, many die out altogether, and others branch repeatedly, sometimes giving rise to more complex organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 3.1l: Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival. Fossils indicate that many organisms that lived long ago are extinct. Extinction of species is common; most of the species that have lived on Earth no longer exist.

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 4.1a: Reproduction and development are necessary for the continuation of any species.

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.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1c: The processes of meiosis and fertilization are key to sexual reproduction in a wide variety of organisms. The process of meiosis results in the production of eggs and sperm which each contain half of the genetic information. During fertilization, gametes unite to form a zygote, which contains the complete genetic information for the offspring.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1d: The zygote may divide by mitosis and differentiate to form the specialized cells, tissues, and organs of multicellular organisms.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1e: Human reproduction and development are influenced by factors such as gene expression, hormones, and the environment. The reproductive cycle in both males and females is regulated by hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1f: The structures and functions of the human female reproductive system, as in almost all other mammals, are designed to produce gametes in ovaries, allow for internal fertilization, support the internal development of the embryo and fetus in the uterus, and provide essential materials through the placenta, and nutrition through milk for the newborn.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1g: The structures and functions of the human male reproductive system, as in other mammals, are designed to produce gametes in testes and make possible the delivery of these gametes for fertilization.

MAJOR UNDERSTANDING 4.1h: In humans, the embryonic development of essential organs occurs in early stages of pregnancy. The embryo may encounter risks from faults in its genes and from its mother’s exposure to environmental factors such as inadequate diet, use of alcohol/drugs/tobacco, other toxins, or infections throughout her pregnancy.

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

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.1: Elaborate on basic scientific and personal explanations of natural phenomena, and develop extended visual models and mathematical formulations to represent one's thinking.

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

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 1.4: Coordinate explanations at different levels of scale, points of focus, and degrees of complexity and specificity, and recognize the need for such alternative representations of the natural world.

KEY IDEA 2: Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of proposed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usually requiring considerable ingenuity

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.1: Devise ways of making observations to test proposed explanations

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.3: Develop and present proposals including formal hypotheses to test explanations; i.e., predict what should be observed under specific conditions if the explanation is true.

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR 2.4: Carry out a research plan for testing explanations, including selecting and developing techniques, acquiring and building apparatus, and recording observations as necessary.

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 3.2: Apply statistical anaysis techniques when appropriate to test if chance alone explains the results

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

Follows safety rules in the laboratory

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

Selects and uses correct instruments: Uses thermometer to measure temperature

Uses a compound microscope/stereoscope effectively to see specimens clearly, using different magnifications: Identifies and compares parts of a variety of cells

Makes observations of biological processes

Dissects plant and/or animal specimens to expose and identify internal structures

Designs and carries out a controlled, scientific experiment based on biological processes

States an appropriate hypothesis

Differentiates between independent and dependent variables

Identifies the control group and/or controlled variables

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

Recognizes assumptions and limitations of the 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

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: Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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.