7th Grade Life Science

Diversity Of Life

1. One of the most general distinctions among organisms is between plants, which use sunlight to make their own food, and animals, which consume energy-rich foods. Some kinds of organisms, many of them microscopic, cannot be neatly classified as either plants or animals. (AKSci - A.12)

o Group organisms into appropriate categories according to their similarities and differences using a simple classification system.

2. Animals and plants have a great variety of body plans and internal structures that contribute to their being able to make or find food and reproduce. (AKSci - A.12)

o Group organisms into appropriate categories according to their similarities and differences using a simple classification system.

3. All living things are composed of cells, from just one to many millions, whose details usually are visible only through a microscope. Different tissues and organs are made up of different kinds of cells. The cells in similar tissues and organs in other animals are similar to those in human beings but differ somewhat from cells found in plants and from bacterial cells. (AKSci - A.10)

o Conduct laboratory investigations to classify and categorize cells according to shape and function.

4. Cells continually divide to make more cells for growth and repair. Various organs and tissues function to serve the needs of cells for food, air, and waste removal. (AKSci - A.10)

o Use technological tools or other resources to discriminate between single cell organisms and multicellular organisms in terms of structure, function, and life processes.

5. Within cells, many of the basic functions of organisms, such as extracting energy from food and getting rid of waste, are carried out. (AKSci - A.10)

o Use technological tools and other resources to compare the structure and function or specific cell organelles from one cell to another.

Genetics

1. In some kinds of organisms, all the genes come from a single parent (asexual reproduction), whereas in organisms that have sexes, typically half of the genes come from each parent (sexual reproduction). Thus, sexual reproduction results in individuals being produced with new combinations of characteristics. (AKSci - A.11)

o Describe and illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction.

o Recognize and explain how certain traits are passed from parents to offspring.

Ecology

1. Food provides the fuel and the building material for all organisms. Producers (plants) use the energy from light to make sugars from carbon dioxide and water. This food can be used immediately or stored for later use. Consumers (animals) that eat plants break down the plant structures to produce the materials and energy they need to survive. Then they are consumed by other organisms. Decomposers (bacterial and fungi) break down the dead bodies of both plants and animals. (AKSci - A.9, A.14a)

o Construct a generalized food web containing 10 or more Alaskan animals and plants.

2. Over a long time, matter is transferred from one organism to another repeatedly and between organisms and their physical environment. As in all material systems, the total amount of matter remains constant, even though its form and location change. (AKSci - A.9)

o Use building blocks to illustrate that matter is rearranged, not created nor destroyed.

Human Biology

1. Like other animals, human beings have body systems for obtaining and providing energy, defense, reproduction, and the coordination of body functions. (AKSci - A.10)

o Describe the organization and function of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems that support it, given a human life process.

2. Organs and organ systems are composed of cells and help to provide all cells with basic needs. (AKSci - A.10)

o Describe the organization and function of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems that support it, given a human life process.

3. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites may infect the human body and interfere with normal body functions. A person can catch a cold. Many varieties of cold viruses cause similar symptoms. (AKSci - A.9)

o Describe and illustrate how the function of microorganisms relate to the life processes occurring in organisms.

4. The environment may contain dangerous levels of substances that are harmful to human beings. Therefore, the good health of individuals requires monitoring the soil, air, and water and taking steps to keep them safe. (AKSci - A.14, B.1, C.2)

o Construct and interpret graphs from data illustrating the correlation between a population in an ecosystem and biotic and abiotic factors.

5. The development and use of technologies to maintain, create, prolong, sustain, or terminate life raise social, moral, ethical and legal issues. (AKSci - D.2, D.4, D.5)

o Research how technology has affected lifestyles and influenced attitudes.

6. Technologies having to do with food production, sanitation, and disease prevention have dramatically changed how people live and work and have resulted in rapid increases in the human population. (AKSci - D.2)

o Research how technology has affected lifestyles and influenced attitudes.