TE804:ClarifyingGoalsforLeadTeachingUnits

Name:JenniferFulton
MentorTeacher:JenniferBara
Classandgradelevel:Biology9th&10th

Partner:
School:EasternHighSchool
Date:1/29/2015

Part1:ContentStorylineConnectingtheUnits
Therearevaryinglevelsoforganizationthroughoutanyorganism.Fromtheorganism
itselfasaunitdowntothesmallestcell,eachorganismdisplaysmultiplelevelsoforganization.
Lifeprocessesarebasedonthemaintenanceofarelativelyconstantinternalenvironment.
Regulatingthisenvironmentdependsonthecontinualvigilanceofmanysystemsthatmonitor
conditionsbothinsideandoutsideanorganismandworktogethertocorrectanysignificant
deviations.Themechanismsinvolvedinmaintaininghomeostasisrequirebothcommunicationin
alertingtheorganismthatchangeshaveoccurredaswellasmeanstoreestablishstable
conditions.Someexamplesoflifeprocessesthatrequireconstantmonitoringincludemany
regulatedbythenervoussystem(e.g.,reactions,reflexes,reproduction,basichousekeeping
functions)workinginconcertwiththeendocrinesystemandallotherorgansystems.These
mechanismsaresimilarinallanimals,althoughthespecificconditionsthatarehomeostatically
regulatedmaybedifferent.Manyoftheregulatoryresponsestochangesinanorganisms
environmentinvolvenegativefeedback.Thesemechanismsworkbysignalingchangesinthe
bodythatallowittoreversethedirectionofchange.Manyotherexamplesmaybeusedto
illustratethesekindsofhomeostaticmechanisms.Anorganismcanreceiveandactonsignals
receivedfromexternalstimulithroughthenervoussystemandthroughthesesignalscanfind
food,shelter,reproduce,andescapefrompredators.Manychronicdiseasesaretheresultofthe
inabilityofthebodytorespondefficientlytochanges.Organismsthatdonotpossess
advantageousadaptationsorabilitiestoresistchangewithintheirenvironmentcandie.
Currentthinkingaboutevolution(includingnaturalselectionandcommondescent)
providescientificexplanationsforlifehistoryonEarth.Evolutionisdepictedinthefossilrecord
andinsimilaritiesevidentwithinthediversityofexistingorganisms.Evolutiongenerallyresults
fromthreeprocesses:randommutationtogeneticmaterial,randomgeneticdrift,andnon
randomnaturalselectionwithinpopulationsandspecies.Thesethreeprocessesresultinmajor
consequences,includingthediversificationofallformsoflifefromsharedancestors,and
observablechangesinthefossilrecordoverlongperiodsoftime.Someexamplesofmodern
evolutionarychangesinpopulationsrelatingtonaturalselectionareevidenttoday(e.g.,
developmentofinsectresistancetopesticides,bacterialresistancetoantibioticsandviral
strains).Therearemanysourcesofsimilaritiesamongalllivingorganisms.Theyaredueto
commonancestryandthemorecloselyrelatedorganismssharemorerecentcommonancestors.
Molecularevidence,shownbyDNAsimilarity,supportstheanatomicalevidenceforevolution
andprovidessubstantialdetailaboutthebranchingofvariouslinesofdescent.(MichiganHSCE
Companiondocument,withappropriateadditionsandedits)

Part2:StudentPracticesacrossUnits
Studentswillbecomemoreproficientataskingscientificquestions,developingmodels,
andplanningandcarryingoutinvestigations.Throughoutthefirstunit,wewillbeconducting
investigationsintohowhomeostasisworkswithinthehumanbodyandinteractionsbetween
humanbodysystems,suchasinteractionsbetweentheskeletalsystemandthemuscularsystem.
Duringtheevolutionunit,studentswillberequiredtomakescientificclaimsandsupport
thoseclaimswithevidencegainedfrominvestigationsandtheaskingofscientificallytestable
questions.Theseskillshavecomefrompreviousunitsdealingwiththescientificmethod.
Studentswillbecomebetteratengaginginargumentfromevidenceandanalyzingand
interpretingdata.
Overall,studentswillbemakingthejourneyfromobservationsanddatatopatternsto
models.Themodelsthatwewillbeworkingwitharehomeostasiswithinthehumanbodyand
interactionsbetweenhumanbodysystemsandevolutionandnaturalselection.

Inquiry:
Developing
Scientific
Knowledge
1. Asking questions
(for science) and
defining problems
(for engineering)
2a. Developing
models
3. Planning and
carrying out
investigations
4. Analyzing and
interpreting data
7. Engaging in
argument from
evidence
General Practices Associated with the Three Arrows
5. Using mathematics and computational thinking
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Application: Using
Scientific Knowledge
2b. Using models
6. Constructing
explanations (for
science) and designing
solutions (for
engineering)

Figure1:Connectingscientificpracticeswithscientificknowledge

Part3:ClarifyingGoalsandAssessmentsforEachUnit
Unit1:HumanBodySystems&Homeostasis(approximatelength56weeks)
A.BigIdeas
Celldifferentiationoccursearlyinembryonicdevelopmentandgivesrisetoalltissuetypes
byaseriesofcomplexenvironmentalandbiochemicalinteractions.Agroupofcellswiththe
samespecializationcombinetogethertomaketissues.Multipletissuesworkingtogetherto
performacertainfunctionmakeupanorgan.Multipleorgansworkingtogethertoperforma
majorfunctionoftheorganismmakeuphumanbodysystems.Humansystemsworktogetherto
maintainhomeostasisasconditionsinsideandoutsidethebodychange.Regulatorymechanisms
areresponsibleformanyofthehomeostaticcontrolssystemsinlivingorganisms.Thisprocess
maintainstheshortandlongtermhealthoftheorganism.(fromMarislessonplans,weworked
onthissummarytogetherfromHSCEandNGSSwording)
B.PerformanceExpectationsforStudentLearning
NGSSPerformanceExpectation
NGSSPerformanceExpectation(s)
1. HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that
feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Associated
NGSSPractice
Engagingin
argumentfrom
evidence

Specific Unit Objective(s)

1. B2.3d Identify the general functions of the major systems of the human body
(digestion, respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, protection from disease, and
movement, control, and coordination) and describe ways that these systems interact with
one another. (Michigan HSCE)
2. B2.3e Describe how human body systems maintain relatively constant internal
conditions (temperature, acidity, and blood sugar). (Michigan HSCE)
3. B2.6a Explain that the regulatory and behavioral responses of an organism to external
stimuli occur in order to maintain both short- and long-term equilibrium. (Michigan HSCE)
4. B2.3B Describe how the maintenance of a relatively stable internal environment is
required for the continuation of life. (Michigan HSCE)

Developing&using
models
Developing&using
models
Constructing
explanations
Obtaining,
evaluating,and
communicating
information

C:ExamplesofAssessment
FocusObjective
HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms
maintain homeostasis.

DevelopingAssessmentTasks
1) Studentswillwriteaformallabreportonhowexerciseaffectshomeostasis.(Jens
task)

2) Describetherelationshipbetweenthecirculatorysystemandtherespiratorysystem.
Howdoeachofthesesystems,individuallyandasaunit,affecthomeostasiswithin
thehumanbody?(Jennifersquestionwillbeshortanswer,onaquizortest)
3) (Gailsquestionortaskhere)

Unit2:Evolution&Classification(approximatelength67weeks)
A.BigIdeas
Evolutionisinheritedchangewithinalineage.Thetheoryofevolution,whichissubject
tocontinuedscientifictestingandrevision,providesascientificexplanationforthehistoryof
lifeonEarthasdepictedinthefossilrecordandinthesimilaritiesevidentwithinthediversityof
existingorganisms.Evolutionistheconsequenceofnaturalselection,theinteractionsof(1)the
potentialforapopulationtoincreaseitsnumbers,(2)thegeneticvariabilityofoffspringdueto
mutationandrecombinationofgenes,(3)afinitesupplyoftheresourcesrequiredforlife,and
(4)theensuingselectionfromenvironmentalpressureofthoseorganismsbetterabletosurvive
andleaveoffspring.EvolutionprovidesascientificexplanationforthehistoryoflifeonEarth.
Evolutionistheconsequenceofnaturalselection.Themillionsofdifferentspeciesofplants,
animals,andmicroorganismsthatliveonearthtodayarerelatedbydescentfromcommon
ancestors.(fromtheMichiganHSCECompanionDocument)
B.PerformanceExpectationsforStudentLearning
NGSSPerformanceExpectation
NGSS Performance Expectation(s)
explanation based on evidence for how natural
selection leads to adaptation of populations.
2. HS-LS4-1 Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and
biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.
1. HS-LS4-4 Construct an

Associated
NGSSPractice
Constructing
explanations
Obtaining,
evaluating,and
communicating
information

SpecificUnitObjective(s)
1. B2.4a Explain that living things can be classified based on structural, embryological, and
molecular (relatedness of DNA sequence) evidence. (Michigan HSCE)
2. B5.1A Summarize the major concepts of natural selection (differential survival and
reproduction of chance inherited variants, depending on environmental conditions).
(Michigan HSCE)
3. B5.1B Describe how natural selection provides a mechanism for evolution. (Michigan
HSCE)
4. B5.1c Summarize the relationships between present-day organisms and
those that inhabited the Earth in the past (e.g., use fossil record,
embryonic stages, homologous structures, chemical basis). (Michigan HSCE)

Constructing
explanations
Developing&using
models
Constructing
explanations
Obtaining,
evaluating,and
communicating
information

C:ExamplesofAssessment
FocusObjective
HS-LS4-1 Communicate scientific information that common ancestry and biological
evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.

DevelopingAssessmentTasks
1) Studentswillconductaninvestigationintoprimatelabsamplesandwriteaformal
labreportontheirfindings.(Jenstask)
2) Describetwoorganismsthatshareacommonancestorandsupportyourargument
withatleastthreepiecesofevidence.(Jennifersquestionwillbeshortanswer,ona
quizortest)
3) (Gailsquestionortaskhere)

Attachments
AnymaterialsthatyouwillneedtoreferenceareonDropbox,asusual.Pleaseletme
knowifyoucannotfindsomethingthatyouneedtoclarifythisassignment.

GradingRubric
Summary Comments
Comments on specific sections. Criteria for grading are the bulleted lists in each section.
1. Content Storyline
2. Student Practices across
units
General comments on Clarifying Goals and Assessments (see notes above for comments on
individual units)
A. Big Ideas
B. Performance
expectations
C. Assessments
Final Grade =