7^th Grade Science

Curriculum Map

Telluride Middle School 09/11/2006

	ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS	CONTENT	SKILLS and Standards	Vocab	ASSESSMENTS
AUGUST 1 week	What is Science?	Scientific Inquiry: Page 1-15 P.H. Life Science Text Additional curriculum from internet.	Thinking like a scientist, Posing questions, making observations and inferences, developing hypotheses, Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis, Making measurements and collecting data, Interpreting Data, drawing conclusions, communicating in science, scientific theories.	Science, Scientific Inquiry, observations, data, inference, variables, manipulated variable, responding variable, controlled experiment, scientific theory	Lab: Keeping flowers fresh page 10-11.
SEPTEMBER 4 weeks	What is life?	Cells: The building blocks of life. Cells, cell processes and energy, the origins of life, chemical compounds in cells, The cell and its environment, Photosynthesis, Respiration, Cell division	CHAPTER 1 1. List the characteristics all living things share 2. Explain how scientists use controlled experiments to disprove the idea of spontaneous generation. 3. Identify what all living things need to survive. 4. Explain how the invention of the microscope contributed to scientists understanding of living things, and describe how a microscope works. 5. State the three points of cell theory. 6. Identify the cell wall, cell membrane, and nucleus, and describe their functions. 7. Identify other organelles in the cell and describe their functions. 8. Compare bacterial cells with plant and animal cells. 9. Describe the role of specialized cells in many-celled organisms. 10. Compare the atmosphere of early Earth with today’s atmosphere. 11. State how scientists hypothesize that life arose on early Earth. CHAPTER 2 1. Describe the four main kinds of organic molecules in living things. 2. Explain how water is essential to the functioning of cells. 3. Describe the three methods by which materials move into and out of cells. 4. Compare passive and active transport 5. Explain why cells are small. 6. Describe the process of photosynthesis. 7. Explain how the sun supplies all living things with the energy they need. 8. Describe the events that occur during respiration. 9. Describe the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration. 10. Describe alcoholic and lactic-acid fermentation. 11. Identify the events that take place during the three stages of the cell cycle. 12. Describe the structure of DNA and DNA replication.	Organism, cell, unicellular, multicellular, development, stimulus, response, reproduce, spontaneous generation, controlled experiment, variable, autotroph, heterotroph, homeostasis, microscope, compound microscope, cell theory, magnification, convex lens, resolution, organelle, cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus, chromatin, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosome, Golgi body, choloplast, vacuole, lysosome, prokaryote, eukaryote, fossil, element, atom, compound, molecule, organic compound, inorganic compound, protein, amino acid, enzyme, carbohydrate, lipid, nucleic acid, DNA, RNA
OCTOBER 4.5 weeks		Heredity	Mendel’s Work Describe Mendel’s genetics experiments. Identify the factors that control the inheritance of traits in organisms. Explain how geneticists use symbols to represent alleles. Probability and Genetics Describe the principles of probability and how Mendel applied them to inheritance State how geneticists use Punnett squares Explain the meanings of the terms phenotype, genotype, homozygous, heterozygous, and codominance. The Cell and Inheritance Describe chromosomes and their role in inheritance Identify and describe the events that occur during Meiosis. The DNA connection Explain the term “genetic code” Describe the process by which a cell produces proteins. Describe the different types of mutations and how they affect organisms.	Trait, heredity, genetics, purebred, gene, allele, dominant allele, recessive allele, hybrid, probability, Punnett square, phenotype, genotype, homozygous, heterozygous, codominance.	Paper Pet Project Family Pedigree Project DNA synthesis of wheat Germ
NOVEMBER 3 weeks		Modern Genetics	Human Inheritance Explain what multiple alleles are Explain why some human traits show a large variety of phenotypes Explain how environmental factors can alter the effects of a gene Identify what determines sex, and explain why some sex-linked traits are more common in males than females Describe how geneticists use pedigrees. Human Genetic Disorders Describe the causes and symptoms of four human genetic disorders. Explain how genetic disorders are diagnosed. Describe the role of a genetic counselor. Advances in Genetics Describe three ways in which people have developed organisms with desired traits. Identify some uses of DNA fingerprinting. State the Goal of the Human Genome Project	Multiple alleles, carrier, sex-linked gene, pedigree, genetic disorder, amniocentesis, karyotype, selective breeding, inbreeding, hybridization, clone, gene
DECEMBER 3 weeks		Evolution cont…	Darwin’s Voyage State how Darwin explained variations among similar species. Explain how natural selection leads to evolution Describe how new species form The Fossil Record Describe how most fossil form explain how a scientist determines a fossils age explain what fossils reveal. Describe the main events of the Geologic Time Scale Distinguish between gradualism and punctuated equilibria Other evidence for Evolution State evidence from modern-day organism that scientists use to determine evolutionary relationships among groups. Explain what a branching tree diagram is	Species, evolution, natural selection, adaptation, scientific theory, variation, fossil, sedimentary rock, petrified fossil, mold, cast, relative dating, absolute dating, radioactive element, half-life, fossil record, extinct, gradualism, punctuated equilibria	Geologic Time Lines to scale Various natural selection labs
JANUARY 4 weeks		Evolution cont…
FEBRUARY 3.5 weeks		Bones Muscles and Skin. Food and Digestion	Body organization and homeostasis Identify the levels of organization in the body Identify and describe the four basic types of tissue in the body Define homeostasis and its importance Skeleton Identify the functions of the skeleton Describe the structure of bones and why they grow and form Explain the role of movable joints in the body List ways that you can keep bones strong and healthy. Muscles Identify the 3 muscles in the body How do skeletal muscles work in pairs How does one keep their muscles healthy Skin Describe the function of the skin Identify and describe the layer s of the skin List way that individuals can keep skin healthy. Food and Energy List and describe the 6 nutrients needed by the human body Describe how the Food Guide Pyramid and food labels help people make food choices for nutrient and caloric value. Digestion Describe the general functions carried our by the digestive system and the specific functions of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. Final Digestion and Absorption 1. Explain the roles of the small and large intestine in digestion.		Tour of the human body brochures using Microsoft publisher Food logs and improving nutrition lab
MARCH 4.5 weeks		Chapter 22: Populations and Communities Chapter 23 : Ecosystems and Biomes	Energy flow in ecosystems. Describe the energy roles of organisms in an ecosystem Explain food chains and food webs Describe how much energy is available at each level of an energy pyramid Cycles of Matter Describe the processes that make up the water cycle Describe the carbon-oxygen cycle and the nitrogen cycle Biogeography Describe some different means that disperse organisms Identify the factors that limit the distribution of species. Earth’s Biomes List and describe Earth;s major land biomes. List and describe Earth’s major freshwater and ocean biomes Succession 1. Describe the differences between primary and secondary succession.		River Ecosystem field trip lab Experiment: How does crowding affect plant growth of radishes Telluride Institute Field Trips: Miramont e Reservoir, Tabeguache Reserve.
APRIL 2 weeks
MAY 4 weeks		Ecology
JUNE 1 week		Ecology cont…