| DIVERSITY
OF LIFE COURSE MATRIX |
 |
SYNOPSIS |
SCIENCE
CONCEPTS |
PROCESSES |
|
6. |
Transpiration
(6 sessions)
|
|
Students
conduct investigations to understand how the vascular system
transports water through a plant and how leaves regulate the
rate of water flow through a plant. |
•
Xylem is the system of tubelike connected cells that transports
water from the roots to all
structures of the plant.
• Stomates are openings on leaves that are controlled
by guard cells. |
•
Design an experiment to determine what happens to water in a
celery stalk.
• Collect and analyze data to develop evidence for an
explanation for how water enters a plant’s roots and flows
through the plant during transpiration.
• Relate transpiration to the water cycle. |
|
|
7. |
Plant
Reproduction (2–3 sessions) |
|
Students
investigate the reproductive systems in flowers to understand
the origin of seeds. They explore plant adaptations for seed
dispersal. |
•
Pollen from the anthers on stamens and eggs in the ovules of
the pistil are the male and female cells that combine during
sexual reproduction to develop into a seed.
• Sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils are the major structures
of typical flowers.
|
•
Investigate the structure-function relationships of plant flowers.
• Make observations to develop a general model of how
seeds disperse.
• Explain how seed-dispersal mechanisms contribute to
a plant’s survival. |
|
8. |
Land Snails
(7 sessions) |
|
Students
design and conduct an experiment to determine environmental
preferences of land snails. Students observe structures and
behaviors of a multicellular organism. |
•
Snails are gastropods with a muscular foot, a head with sensory
organs, and a shell for protection.
• Anthropomorphism is attributing human thoughts and feelings
to nonhuman organisms. |
•
Design and conduct an experiment safely and appropriately, using
a living organism.
• Collect data and draw conclusions.
• Determine the difference between scientific observations
and
inferences. |
|
9. |
Roaches
(4–5 sessions) |
|
Students
design and conduct an experiment to determine environmental
preferences of an insect—the Madagascar hissing cockroach.
They observe structures and behaviors of a multicellular organism. |
•
Adaptations are structures or behaviors of organisms that enhance
their chances to survive and reproduce in their habitat. •
Insects have three body parts, six legs, and two antennae. |
•
Design and conduct an experiment safely and appropriately, using
a living organism.
• Collect data and draw conclusions.
• Relate structure to function in an insect.
|
|
10. |
Kingdoms
of Life (5 sessions) |
|
Students
are introduced to the great diversity of microorganisms found
all around us—bacteria and fungi. They are introduced
to the system of five kingdoms of living organisms. |
•
Microbe is the general name for microscopic bacteria and fungi,
especially those that cause disease and promote fermentation.
• Bacteria, fungi, and algae have the characteristics
of living organisms.
• Bacteria have a cell membrane but no internal organelles. |
•
Use lab procedures to inoculate agar plates with bacteria and
fungi from natural sources.
• Make observations and collect data to draw conclusions.
• Compare bacteria and fungi to plants, animals, and protists. |
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page 6
of 8 |
