Semester One
Topic 1 - Introduction, Lab Safety, and The Scientific Method:
1. Students should recognize the tools used in the science lab and know what they are used for.
2. Students should know where all the safety equipment is located and what proper behavior in the science lab looks like.
3. Students should know what science is and what it is used for.
4. Students should recognize the steps of the scientific method and be able to provide examples for each section in a lab report format.
Topic 2 - Cell Characteristics:
1. What are living things made of?
2. What is the history of the cell?
3. How are they organized?
4. What does the Cell Theory say about them?
5. What are the building blocks of organisms?
6. What are the common elements in life?
7. What are the common compounds for life?
8. What is the function of each compound?
9. How are living things organized?
10. How does a multicellular organism become specialized?
Topic 3 - Cell Structure and Function:
1. You should be able to describe the organelles that all eukaryotic cells contain.
2. You should also be able to explain the function of each of these organelles.
3. What do they do to help keep the cell alive?
4. You should be able to describe what makes a plant cell unique?
5. What organelles do a plant cell have that an animal cell does not? What do they do?
6. What makes an animal cell unique?
7. What organelles does an animal cell have that a plant cell does not? What do they do?
1. Students should recognize the tools used in the science lab and know what they are used for.
2. Students should know where all the safety equipment is located and what proper behavior in the science lab looks like.
3. Students should know what science is and what it is used for.
4. Students should recognize the steps of the scientific method and be able to provide examples for each section in a lab report format.
Topic 2 - Cell Characteristics:
1. What are living things made of?
2. What is the history of the cell?
3. How are they organized?
4. What does the Cell Theory say about them?
5. What are the building blocks of organisms?
6. What are the common elements in life?
7. What are the common compounds for life?
8. What is the function of each compound?
9. How are living things organized?
10. How does a multicellular organism become specialized?
Topic 3 - Cell Structure and Function:
1. You should be able to describe the organelles that all eukaryotic cells contain.
2. You should also be able to explain the function of each of these organelles.
3. What do they do to help keep the cell alive?
4. You should be able to describe what makes a plant cell unique?
5. What organelles do a plant cell have that an animal cell does not? What do they do?
6. What makes an animal cell unique?
7. What organelles does an animal cell have that a plant cell does not? What do they do?
Topic 4 - Cell Processes:
Topic 5 - Cell Cycle and Reproduction:
1. Explain what the cell cycle is and describe what happens in each stage.
2. What are the stages of Mitosis and what happens in each stage?
3. What are the stages of Meiosis and what happens in each stage?
4. What types of cells do mitosis and what types of cells do meiosis?
5. What are the different types of reproduction and what are examples of organisms that use each method of reproduction?
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages for each type of reproduction?
Topic 6 - Heredity :
1. How are traits inherited?
2. What is the relationship between genes and traits and DNA?
3. What are alleles and how do they relate to genotype?
4. What is the difference in genotype and phenotype?
5. What are the two types of alleles for a trait?
6. Explain the different types of dominance.
7. What did Gregor Mendel experiment on and what did he contribute to genetics?
- Why do all organisms depend on producers?
- Understand the processes of diffusion, active and passive transport and why osmosis is unique.
- What is the major source of energy for all life?
- Compare and contrast photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Include formulas, organelles, organisms, and all ingredients and products involved in each.
- Which form of energy is released from the process of food being broken down?
- Describe the cell cycle from beginning to end with great detail.
- Describe mitosis and what types of cells go through this process.
Topic 5 - Cell Cycle and Reproduction:
1. Explain what the cell cycle is and describe what happens in each stage.
2. What are the stages of Mitosis and what happens in each stage?
3. What are the stages of Meiosis and what happens in each stage?
4. What types of cells do mitosis and what types of cells do meiosis?
5. What are the different types of reproduction and what are examples of organisms that use each method of reproduction?
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages for each type of reproduction?
Topic 6 - Heredity :
1. How are traits inherited?
2. What is the relationship between genes and traits and DNA?
3. What are alleles and how do they relate to genotype?
4. What is the difference in genotype and phenotype?
5. What are the two types of alleles for a trait?
6. Explain the different types of dominance.
7. What did Gregor Mendel experiment on and what did he contribute to genetics?
Semester 2
Topic 7 - DNA:
You should be able to explain these concepts in depth. How does it work, why does it happen, what is it similar to and how is it different?
1. What do genes look like?
2. How is DNA put together?
3. How does DNA replicate?
4. How is genetic material organized from smallest to largest?
5. How are proteins related to DNA?
6. How are proteins made?
7. What do ribosomes do?
8. How do mutations happen? Mutagens?
9. Give some examples of genetic engineering.
Topic 8 - Species Adaptation and Natural Selection:
Topic 9 - Taxonomy and Classification:
You should be able to explain these concepts in depth. How does it work, why does it happen, what is it similar to and how is it different?
1. What do genes look like?
2. How is DNA put together?
3. How does DNA replicate?
4. How is genetic material organized from smallest to largest?
5. How are proteins related to DNA?
6. How are proteins made?
7. What do ribosomes do?
8. How do mutations happen? Mutagens?
9. Give some examples of genetic engineering.
Topic 8 - Species Adaptation and Natural Selection:
- What does the word “evolution” mean? How would you explain the vast amount of differences in organisms on our planet? Are the organisms on our planet changing? Do they ever stop?
- What evidence is there to support the scientific theory of evolution? Do the different sets of evidence align with each other?
- Who is Charles Darwin and what did he do? What evidence did he have to come up withfor his two hypotheses of natural selection and evolution?
- What is natural selection? Give some examples of it in action and how it works.
- How do natural selection and evolution relate to each other?
Topic 9 - Taxonomy and Classification:
- Why should we classify anything? Why classify living things? How do we do it? What are the different levels of classification used in taxonomy? Put them in order from largest to smallest.
- What kinds of tools exist to help classify living things? How do they work?
- How do we name living things? What language and how many parts exist in a scientific name?
- What are the six kingdoms? What are the defining characteristics of each kingdom? Where does each kingdom fit on the evolutionary timeline?
- What are the three domains? What are the defining characteristics of the three domains?
- What are bacteria? How would you describe it? How is it classified? What different types are there? How are they different?
- How are Archaea able to survive such extreme conditions? Where can they be found?
- How do bacteria reproduce?
- What are the different shapes of bacteria? Give sketches of each?
- How are bacteria good for the environment? How is it good for people? How is it bad for people?
- What are viruses? Are they alive? Why or why not?
- How big are viruses? What shapes are they?
- Describe the lytic cycle and the lysogenic cycle? What is the difference?
- What are the defining characteristics of protists? What makes something a part of the kingdom protista? How are they organized?
- Describe the funguslike protists. What are they? Give some examples. Why are they not considered fungi?
- Describe the plantlike protists. What are they? How are they categorized? Give examples. Why are they not considered plants?
- Describe the animal-like protists. What are they? How are they categorized? Give examples. Why are they not considered animals?
- What are the defining characteristics of fungi? What makes something a part of the kingdom fungi? How are they organized? Describe the parts or anatomy of a fungus. How are they made?
- Describe Zygote fungi. What are some examples? What makes them unique?
- Describe Sac fungi. What are some examples? What makes them unique?
- Describe Club fungi. What are some examples? What makes them unique?
- Describe Lichens. What are they? How do they work?
Topic 12 - Invertebrates:
1. What are the defining characteristics of Fish?
2. What is the big change that happened between invertebrates and fish?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of fish and what are some examples from each class?
5. What are the defining characteristics of amphibians?
6. What is the big change that happened between fish and amphibians?
7. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
8. What are the different classes of amphibians and what are some examples from each class?
9. What are the defining characteristics of reptiles?
10. What is the big change that happened between amphibians and reptiles?
11. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
12. What are the different classes of reptiles and what are some examples from each class?
Topic 14 - Birds and Mammals:
1. What are the defining characteristics of Birds?
2. What is the big change that happened between reptiles and birds?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of birds and what are some examples from each class?
1. What are the defining characteristics of mammals?
2. What is the big change that happened between reptiles and mammals?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of mammals and what are some examples from each class?
Topic 15 - Human Body:
1. What are the different organ systems that contribute to maintaining homeostasis?
2.What are the functions of the skeletal system?
3. What are the functions of bone, cartilage, and ligaments?
4. What are the functions of the muscular system?
5. Compare the functions of muscle to tendons.
6. What are the functions of the circulatory system?
7. What are the different parts of blood and what do they do?
8. What are the different types of blood vessels and what do they do?
9. Explain the path blood takes in the two types of circulation.
10. What are the different chambers of the heart and how do they work together?
11. What are the functions of the respiratory system?
12. Explain the path that oxygen takes from your nose to the circulatory system.
13. What are the functions of the digestive system?
14. Explain the path nutrients take from the mouth to the circulatory system.
15. What organs belong to the digestive tract and what organs only belong to the digestive system?
16. How do the digestive and respiratory systems function similarly?
17. What are the functions of the nervous system?
18. Explain the difference between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
19. Describe the structure of a neuron and how signals can travel from one to another.
20. What are the functions of the excretory system, endocrine system, reproductive system, and the immune system?
- Describe the concept of symmetry. What are the different types of symmetry? Which types of invertebrates are each type of symmetry?
- What are the defining characteristics of sponges? List any unique facts about sponges? Where do they live? What do they eat? Are they simple or complex? Why?
- What are the defining characteristics of cnidarians? Where do they live? What do they eat? Are they simple or complex? Why? Give examples of different types of cnidarians.
- What are the defining characteristics of flat worms? Where do they live? What do they eat? Are they simple or complex? Why? Give examples of different types of flatworms.
- What are the defining characteristics of roundworms? Where do they live? What do they eat? Are they simple or complex? Why? Give examples of different types of roundworms.
1. What are the defining characteristics of Fish?
2. What is the big change that happened between invertebrates and fish?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of fish and what are some examples from each class?
5. What are the defining characteristics of amphibians?
6. What is the big change that happened between fish and amphibians?
7. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
8. What are the different classes of amphibians and what are some examples from each class?
9. What are the defining characteristics of reptiles?
10. What is the big change that happened between amphibians and reptiles?
11. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
12. What are the different classes of reptiles and what are some examples from each class?
Topic 14 - Birds and Mammals:
1. What are the defining characteristics of Birds?
2. What is the big change that happened between reptiles and birds?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of birds and what are some examples from each class?
1. What are the defining characteristics of mammals?
2. What is the big change that happened between reptiles and mammals?
3. What was the driving force for the majority of adaptations?
4. What are the different classes of mammals and what are some examples from each class?
Topic 15 - Human Body:
1. What are the different organ systems that contribute to maintaining homeostasis?
2.What are the functions of the skeletal system?
3. What are the functions of bone, cartilage, and ligaments?
4. What are the functions of the muscular system?
5. Compare the functions of muscle to tendons.
6. What are the functions of the circulatory system?
7. What are the different parts of blood and what do they do?
8. What are the different types of blood vessels and what do they do?
9. Explain the path blood takes in the two types of circulation.
10. What are the different chambers of the heart and how do they work together?
11. What are the functions of the respiratory system?
12. Explain the path that oxygen takes from your nose to the circulatory system.
13. What are the functions of the digestive system?
14. Explain the path nutrients take from the mouth to the circulatory system.
15. What organs belong to the digestive tract and what organs only belong to the digestive system?
16. How do the digestive and respiratory systems function similarly?
17. What are the functions of the nervous system?
18. Explain the difference between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
19. Describe the structure of a neuron and how signals can travel from one to another.
20. What are the functions of the excretory system, endocrine system, reproductive system, and the immune system?