Biological Levels of Organization
Biological Levels of Organization
Objectives
In this lesson, students will observe that biological organization is a hierarchal system of classification in which each successive level is more complex than the lower level, and each successive level has properties that did not exist before. Students will:
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sequence the levels of biological organization in order from least to most complex.
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make a foldable that list and describe the levels of biological organization.
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give examples for each level of organization.
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describe an example of an emergent property at each level of organization.
Essential Questions
Vocabulary
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Abiotic: Nonliving factors in an ecosystem.
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Biotic: Living organisms in an ecosystem.
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Biosphere: All the different ecosystems that make up the planet; the sphere that contains life on Earth.
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Cell: The smallest unit that is capable of carrying out all the processes of living things.
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Community: All the different populations that interact and coexist in a specific area.
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Ecosystem: Contains all the communities that inhabit a specific area, along with the abiotic factors in that environment.
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Emergent Properties: Components can form complex systems that interact in such a way that new properties appear, which did not exist in lower levels
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Homeostasis: The process by which organisms maintain a stable internal environment.
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Organ System: A group of organs that interact to perform a similar function, (e.g., circulatory system, excretory system).
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Organ: A group of different tissues that form a singular unit and perform a similar function, (e.g., kidney, brain, skin).
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Organism: An individual, either unicellular or multicellular, that is capable of carrying out all the processes of living things.
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Population: A group of organisms of the same species in the same area.
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Species:A group of similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring.
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Tissue: A group of cells that perform a similar function.
Duration
45–90 minutes/1–2 class periods
Prerequisite Skills
Materials
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Biological Organization Cards (S-B-3-3_Biological Organization Cards.doc)
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Pyramid Foldable (S-B-3-3_Pyramid Foldable.doc)
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scissors
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan.
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Plants and Their Structures. This site describes the plant organ systems, organs, and tissues.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobookplantanat.html
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Human Organ Systems