Dates

Content Topics

Essential Questions/Concepts

Activities/Assessments

Supplies

August/
September

The cell

• Basic chemistry of living things
• Cell structure & function

• Vocabulary
• Water reports

September

Cell processes

Genetics

• Metabolism
• Photosynthesis
• Cellular respiration

• Cell division
• Mendelian genetics

• Photosynthesis lab

• Onion root microscope mitosis lab
• Genetic crosses

October

Genetics cont.

• Molecular genetics
• Controlling gene expression
• Human genetics
• DNA technology
• Genetic drift

• Electrophoresis lab
• Genetics project

November

Populations

Human Impact on the environment

• Population growth
• Carrying capacity
• Mortality patterns
• Age distribution

• Topics of student choice

• Population research

• Population website activities incorporating math and graphing
• Environmental research project

December

Microbes

• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Protists
• Fungi

• Sam Rhine Genetics Conference

January/
February

Classification

Invertebrate Animals

• Various classification systems

• Habitat, importance, digestion, respiration, circulation, reproduction, support, locomotion, responses of major invertebrate phylum

• Invertebrate book
• Invertebrate interactive lab
• Dissections
  • earthworm
  • jellyfish
  • starfish
  • clam
  • squid

February/
March

Vertebrate animals

Animal behavior

• Habitat, importance, digestion, respiration, circulation, reproduction, support, locomotion, responses of major vertebrate phylum

• Nature vs. Nurture
• Learning
• Behavioral adaptations

• Dissections
  • shark
  • white rat

• Animal behavior clips

April

 Animal behavior cont.

Plants

• Communication
• Sociobiology

• Nonvascular plants
• Characteristics
• Classification
• Life cycles
• Importances

• Animal behavior research project
• Field trip to St. Louis Zoo, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Butterfly house

May

Plants cont.

• Vascular plants
• Characteristics
• Classification
• Life cycles
• Importances
• Structures
• Nutrition & transport
• Growth & development

• Leaf collections
• Plant research and experiment
• Essential nutrient lab
• Tropism lab
• Plant hormone lab