Biological Changes
Unit Plan
Biological Changes
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Grade Levels
8th Grade
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Related Academic Standards
- Assessment Anchors
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Eligible Content
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Big Ideas
- A technological world requires that humans develop capabilities to solve technological challenges and improve products for the way we live.
- An object’s motion is the result of all forces acting on it.
- Each area of technology has a set of characteristics that separates it from others; however, many areas overlap in order to meet human needs and wants.
- Matter has observable physical properties and the potential to mix and form new materials.
- Populations of organisms evolve by natural selection.
- Technological design is a creative process that anyone can do which may result in new inventions and innovations.
- Technological literacy is the ability to use, assess and manage technology around us.
- Technology is created, used and modified by humans.
- The cell is the basic unit of structure and function for all living things.
- Aquatic, terrestrial and human-made ecosystems consist of diverse living and non-living components that change over time and among geographic areas.
- The survival of living things is dependent upon their adaptations and ability to respond to natural changes in and human influences on the environment.
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Concepts
- A substance has characteristic properties such as density, boiling point, freezing point, solubility, all of which are independent of the mass or volume of the sample.
- A technological design & problem solving process changes ideas into a final product or system.
- All living things are made up of smaller units called cells.
- All matter is made up of building blocks called atoms. Atoms are characterized by their parts including protons, electrons, and neutrons.
- All matter is made up of particles, which are far too small to see directly through a microscope.
- All multicellular organisms have systems that interact with one another to perform specific functions and enable the organism to function as a whole.
- An object will stay at rest or continue at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external, unbalanced force.
- Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological mater to make or modify products.
- Bio-related technologies are the processes of using biological organisms to make or modify products.
- Cells carry out the many functions needed to sustain life.
- Cells grow and divide thereby producing more cells.
- Cells take in nutrients that they use to provide energy to carry out their life functions.
- Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of populations and entire species.
- Changing a substance’s state of matter may change its density but not its composition.
- Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages through technology.
- Communication is the process of composing, sending, and receiving messages using technological devices.
- Compounds may only be broken down into simpler types of matter (elements) by chemical means.
- Construction is the process of turning materials into useful structures.
- Construction is the process of turning raw materials into useful structures.
- Creating optimal solutions under constraints are a primary component of technological problem solving (e.g., tools/machines, materials, information, people, capital, energy, and time).
- Decisions about the use of products and systems can result in expected and unexpected consequences.
- Decisions about the use of products and systems can result in known and unexpected consequences.
- Different body tissues and organs are made up of different kinds of cells.
- Disease affects the structures and/or functions of an organism.
- Elements are the basic building blocks of matter that cannot be broken down chemically and are made up all of the same type of atoms.
- Energy and power technologies are the processes of converting energy sources into useful power.
- Energy and power technologies use processes to convert energy into power.
- Every organism has a set of genetic instructions that determines its inherited traits.
- Every organism has a set of instructions for specifying its traits.
- Extinction of a species occurs when the environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species are insufficient to allow its survival.
- Friction is an example of an electromagnetic force that opposes motion between two surfaces.
- Genes can randomly change or mutate, causing changes in certain traits of the offspring.
- Hereditary information (set of instructions) is contained in genes, located on chromosomes in cells.
- Human decision making (e.g. Human needs and wants plus cultural considerations) drives the selection and/or use of technologies.
- In a technological world, inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society as a whole.
- Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and have offspring.
- Inherited traits can increase their frequency in successive generations so that descendents are very different from their ancestors.
- Innovation is the process of improving an existing product, process, or system.
- Innovation is the process of modifying an existing product, process, or system to improve it.
- Invention is a process of creating new products, processes, or systems.
- Invention is a process of turning ideas and imagination into new products, processes, or systems.
- Inventions and innovations must be carefully assessed by individuals and society.
- Manufacturing is the process of turning materials into useful products.
- Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials into useful products.
- Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object.
- Materials are characterized by having a specific amount of mass in each unit of volume (density).
- Mechanical advantage, using less force over a greater distance, allows the same work to be performed with less effort.
- Models (graphs) of an object’s velocity versus time can be used to infer the presence of absence of unbalanced forces.
- Moving electric charges produce magnetic forces and moving magnets produce electric forces.
- Organisms reproduce and pass their genes to the next generation (their offspring).
- Particles are always in motion with the smallest motion in solids progressing to the largest motion in gases.
- People select, create, and use technology.
- Safety is a preeminent concern for all technological development and use.
- Safety is one of the most important concerns for all technological development and use.
- Science and technology are interconnected.
- Science is the study of the natural world and technology is the study of the human designed world but both are inextricably connected.
- Simple machines help accomplish a task with less effort by either changing the direction of motion or increasing the mechanical advantage.
- Some organisms are made up of only one cell.
- Specialized cells perform specialized functions in multicellular organisms.
- Technological design & problem solving follows many steps.
- Technological design & problem solving includes both formative and summative analysis.
- Technological design & problem solving includes clearly communicated solutions.
- Technological design & problem solving includes frequent checking.
- Technological design & problem solving requires hands-on applications.
- Technological design & problem solving requires the ability to clearly communicate engineered solutions.
- Technological design & problem solving requires the application of hands-on abilities such as sketching, prototyping, and fabricating.
- Technological design & problem solving transforms an idea into a final product or system.
- Technological design & problem solving utilizes a series of steps that take place in a well-defined sequence.
- Technological literacy is necessary for a productive workforce.
- Technological literacy is necessary for all citizens.
- Technological literacy is the ability to understand, use, assess, design, and create technology.
- Technological literacy requires lifelong learning.
- Technology and society impact each other.
- The abilities required in a technological world include diagnosing, troubleshooting, analyzing and maintaining systems.
- The abilities required in a technological world include understanding, fixing, and maintaining systems.
- The gene is the basic unit of inheritance.
- The goal of technology is to meet human needs and wants.
- The gravitational force is a universal force that depends on how much mass the objects have and how far apart they are.
- The magnitude of the gravitational force is weight (oz, lb, newtons).
- The study of the impacts of technological systems enables us to plan and direct technological developments.
- The use of technology involves weighing the trade-offs of the positive and negative effects.
- There are defining structures of cells for both plants and animals.
- There are over one hundred known elements each with characteristic properties from which all other matter is made.
- There are structural and functional similarities and differences that characterize diverse living things.
- There is a relationship between structure and function at all biological levels of organization.
- Transportation is the process of safely and efficiently moving people and products.
- Two of the fundamental forces that exist in the universe are gravity and electromagnetism.
- Unbalanced forces acting on an object cause changes in its velocity.
- Understanding technological systems help us plan and control technological developments.
- When two or more substances are combined, they may form a mixture and maintain their original properties or they may react chemically to form a new substance with new properties.
- While science is the study of the natural world, technology is the study of the human designed world.
- Adaptations develop over time and are passed from one generation to the next.
- Animal populations change over time.
- Climate and soil conditions affect the diversity of plants and animals in an ecosystem.
- Cycles exist in an ecosystem.
- Landforms determine the boundaries of a watershed.
- Laws exist to protect plant and animal species.
- Living components in the ecosystem are dependent upon the non-living components.
- Natural and human factors affect water quality and flow through a watershed.
- One species may adapt to environmental change while another may not, making it more susceptible to becoming endangered.
- Pennsylvania contains several major ecosystems.
- Pest management has long-term effects on an ecosystem.
- Plants and animals are uniquely adapted to their environment.
- Several types of wetlands exist.
- Species can be classified as threatened, endangered, and extinct.
- Watersheds are an integral component of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
- Wetlands contain animals, plants and soils with specific characteristics.
- Wetlands perform unique functions within an ecosystem.
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Competencies
- Clearly communicate technological solutions.
- Demonstrate how technological progress promotes the advancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
- Describe and demonstrate how to use technological design & problem solving.
- Describe how technology impacts society.
- Describe the complementary roles of scientific knowledge and technological application.
- Describe the nature of technology and the consequences of technological activity which impact society and the world.
- Describe the nature of technology.
- Design and develop the ability to create and send messages using technological devices.
- Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to build structures.
- Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to convert energy into power.
- Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to create bio-related products and systems using technology.
- Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to create vehicles that transport people and products.
- Design and develop the ability to safely and effectively use tools and materials to manufacture products.
- Design, implement, record, explain, and justify safe and effective laboratory procedures to determine the relationship between two variables, controlling for other factors that might also affect the relationship.
- Develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
- Differentiate between the study of science and technology.
- Explain how making informed decisions about the development and use of technology may have known and unexpected consequences.
- Explain how making informed decisions using technology may have expected and unexpected consequences.
- Explain how people select, create and use technology.
- Explain how technology has and can change the human condition throughout time.
- Explain how technology has and can change the world.
- Explain the importance of carefully assessing technological inventions and innovations.
- Identify examples of the relationship(s) between structure and function in the living world.
- Improve an existing product, process, or system.
- Recognize technological literacy requires lifetime learning.
- Recognize the importance of using technological knowledge in society.
- Use appropriate technologies to make precise quantitative measurements and observations and to organize and analyze the data.
- Use design and problem solving skills to solve technological challenges.
- Verify that engineering design is influenced by personal characteristics, such as creativity, resourcefulness and the ability to visualize and think abstractly.
- Compare and contrast organisms with very specific needs with those organisms that have more general requirements.
- Compare and contrast two different ecosystems in Pennsylvania including their living and non-living components.
- Discuss how a change of one component in an ecosystem may affect the entire ecosystem.
- Discuss how one species may adapt to environmental change while another may not.
- Explain how an ecosystem can change over time, e.g. succession.
- Identify PA plants and animals that are threatened and endangered, and describe ways to protect them.
- Use evidence to explain factors that affect changes in populations. (e.g., deforestation, disease, land use).
- Use evidence to explain how diversity affects the ecological integrity of natural systems.
Objectives
In this unit, students learn that natural selection is based on the principle of survival of the fittest. Students develop a clear understanding of selective breeding in terms of domestication and selective breeding in dogs. Students also learn about how mutations can affect organisms and how they relate to natural selection. Students will:
- explain the basic concepts of natural selection.
- read and discuss an article about selective breeding in domestic dogs.
- write an essay about the role humans should play in dog evolution.
- understand how mutations can alter genes and may be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral.
- understand that an altered gene may be passed on to every cell that develops from it, causing an altered phenotype in an organism.
understand how sometimes entire chromosomes can be added or deleted, resulting in a genetic disorder (e.g., Down syndrome, Turner syndrome).
Essential Questions
Related Unit and Lesson Plans
Related Materials & Resources
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Materials haven't been entered into the unit plan.Formative Assessment
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Multiple-Choice Items:
1. Which description best describes selective breeding?
A
a process by which a breeder chooses to breed only those forms having certain desirable inheritable characteristics
B
the process whereby new species arise from earlier species by accumulated changes
C
the ability of a living thing to survive and reproduce in its environment
D
the competition of living things for limited resources in the environment
2. Which statement best describes a difference between selective breeding and natural selection?
A
Selective breeding refers to individual organisms and natural selection refers to an entire species.
B
Selective breeding is done on purpose by humans and natural selection happens without human influence.
C
Selective breeding can lead to new species but natural selection cannot lead to new species.
D
Selective breeding produces offspring with the exact same traits as the parents but natural selection produces offspring with different traits than the parents.
3. Which is a basic concept of natural selection?
A
Mutations in DNA sequences can cause genetic variation in species.
B
Living things that are best suited to their environment are most likely to survive and reproduce.
C
Food and shelter are examples of resources in the environment.
D
Humans can create new kinds of crops and animal breeds by selecting them for their traits.
4. Which statement is true about chromosomal mutations?
A
They produce changes in a single gene.
B
They produce changes in whole chromosomes.
C
They always produce helpful changes in living things.
D
They always produce harmful changes in living things.
5. Most modern-day dog breeds are descended from coyotes.
A
True
B
False
6. There are about 40 species of dogs in the family Canidae.
A
True
B
False
7. When are mutations neutral?
A
never
B
rarely
C
usually
D
always
8. What is a possible effect of exposure to radiation?
A
competition
B
selective breeding
C
reproduction
D
mutation
9. Which characteristic increased the chances of survival for peppered moths during the Industrial Revolution?
A
darker coloration
B
lighter coloration
C
longer wings
D
shorter wings
Multiple-Choice Answer Key:
1. A
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. B
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. A
Short-Answer Items:
10. What is selective breeding? Give an example of how selective breeding can be used to breed dogs.
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11. What are mutations? Explain how mutations can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.
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Short-Answer Key and Scoring Rubrics:
10. What is selective breeding? Give an example of how selective breeding can be used to breed dogs.
Selective breeding is a process by which a breeder chooses to breed only those plants or animals having certain desirable inheritable characteristics. Dog breeders select certain characteristics and ensure that those characteristics make the next generation. That’s how different dog breeds are made. If a breeder wanted a dog with a curly coat, s/he would allow curly-coated dogs to breed and not allow them to breed with straight-coated dogs.
Points
Description
3
The student:
- provides a correct definition for selective breeding.
- explains the link between selective breeding and dog breeding.
- provides an example of how selective breeding is used in dog breeding.
2
The student does not meet one of the following requirements:
- provides a correct definition for selective breeding.
- explains the link between selective breeding and dog breeding.
- provides an example of how selective breeding is used in dog breeding.
1
The student:
- provides definitions for selective breeding, but does not provide examples for how it is used to breed dogs or the link between the two.
- provides examples of how selective breeding is used to breed dogs and the link between the two, but does not provide a definition of selective breeding.
0
The student:
- does not provide definitions for selective breeding.
- does not provide an explanation of the link between selective breeding and dog breeding.
- does not provide examples of how selective breeding is used to breed dogs.
11. What are mutations? Explain how mutations can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.
Mutations happen when a DNA gene is damaged or changed. Most mutations cause no real change, or are neutral. Some mutations can be good, because they can help organisms to better survive their environments. Other mutations can be harmful and result in certain diseases such as Down syndrome, Huntington’s disease, Williams syndrome, Turner syndrome, or sickle cell anemia.
Points
Description
2
The student:
- provides a clear definition of mutations that displays his/her understanding of the content.
- gives an example of how mutations can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.
1
The student:
- provides a definition, but does not provide an explanation of how mutations can be good, bad, or neutral.
- provides an explanation of how mutations can be helpful, harmful, or neutral, but does not provide a definition.
0
The student:
- does not provide a definition of mutations.
- does not provide an explanation of how mutations can be helpful, harmful, or neutral.
Performance Assessment:
Have students create a board game or multimedia game on the concepts from this unit. Students need to include step-by-step directions on how to play, as well as any game pieces needed in order to play. The game should include the following vocabulary terms:
- Adaptation
- Selective breeding
- Competition
- Inheritance
- Mutation
- Natural selection
- Species
- Variation
Performance Assessment Rubric:
Points
Description
4
- Use of vocabulary terms shows a thorough understanding of all concepts.
- Game design clearly shows connections between the concepts.
- Directions clearly explain how the game is played.
3
- Use of vocabulary terms shows a thorough understanding of most concepts.
- Game design shows connections between most of the concepts, or there are a few errors in connections.
- Directions are included but the player is left with at least two questions on how to play the game.
2
- Use of vocabulary terms shows a basic understanding of several of the concepts.
- Game design shows connections between a few concepts, or most connections are incorrect.
- Directions are included but the player is left with three or more questions on how to play the game.
1
- Use of vocabulary terms shows an understanding of few or none of the concepts.
- Game design does not show connections between the concepts, or connections are incorrect.
- Directions are not included or do not explain how the game is played.
0
The student demonstrates lack of understanding or does not attempt to complete the assessment.
DRAFT 05/16/2011
