Biology
The Biology standards are designed to
provide students with a detailed understanding of living systems. Emphasis
continues to be placed on the skills necessary to examine alternative
scientific explanations, actively conduct controlled experiments, analyze and
communicate information, and gather and use information in scientific
literature. The history of biological thought and the evidence that supports it
are explored, providing the foundation for investigating biochemical life
processes, cellular organization, mechanisms of inheritance, dynamic
relationships among organisms, and the change in organisms through time. The
importance of scientific research that validates or challenges ideas is
emphasized at this level. All students are expected to achieve the content of
the biology standards.
The Biology standards continue to focus on
student growth in understanding the nature of science. This scientific view
defines the idea that explanations of nature are developed and tested using
observation, experimentation, models, evidence, and systematic processes. The
nature of science includes the concepts that scientific explanations are based
on logical thinking; are subject to rules of evidence; are consistent with
observational, inferential, and experimental evidence; are open to rational
critique; and are subject to refinement and change with the addition of new scientific
evidence. The nature of science includes the concept that science can provide
explanations about nature, can predict potential consequences of actions,
but
cannot be used to answer all questions.
BIO.1 The student will plan and conduct
investigations in which
a) observations of
living organisms are recorded in the lab and in the field;
b) hypotheses are
formulated based on direct observations and information from scientific literature;
c) variables are
defined and investigations are designed to test hypotheses;
d) graphing and
arithmetic calculations are used as tools in data analysis;
e) conclusions are
formed based on recorded quantitative and qualitative data;
f) sources of
error inherent in experimental design are identified and discussed;
g) validity of
data is determined;
h) chemicals and
equipment are used in a safe manner;
i)
appropriate technology including computers, graphing calculators, and
probeware, is used for gathering and analyzing data and communicating results;
j) research
utilizes scientific literature;
k) differentiation
is made between a scientific hypothesis and theory;
l) alternative
scientific explanations and models are recognized and analyzed; and
m) a scientific
viewpoint is constructed and defended (the nature of science).
BIO.2 The student will investigate and
understand the history of biological concepts. Key concepts include
a) evidence
supporting the cell theory;
b) scientific
explanations of the development of organisms through time (biological evolution);
c) evidence
supporting the germ theory of infectious disease;
d) development of
the structural model of DNA; and
e) the
collaborative efforts of scientists, past and present.
BIO.3 The student will investigate and
understand the chemical and biochemical principles essential for life. Key
concepts include
a) water chemistry
and its impact on life processes;
b) the structure
and function of macromolecules;
c) the nature of
enzymes; and
d) the capture,
storage, transformation, and flow of energy through the processes of photosynthesis
and respiration.
BIO.4 The student will investigate and
understand relationships between cell structure and function. Key concepts
include
a) characteristics
of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells;
b) exploring the
diversity and variation of eukaryotes;
c) similarities
between the activities of a single cell and a whole organism; and
d) the cell
membrane model (diffusion, osmosis, and active transport).
BIO.5 The student will investigate and
understand life functions of archaebacteria, monerans (eubacteria), protists,
fungi, plants, and animals including humans. Key concepts include
a) how their
structures and functions vary between and within the kingdoms;
b) comparison of
their metabolic activities;
c) analyses of
their responses to the environment;
d) maintenance of
homeostasis;
e) human health
issues, human anatomy, body systems, and life functions; and
f) how viruses
compare with organisms.
BIO.6 The student will investigate and
understand common mechanisms of inheritance and protein synthesis. Key concepts
include
a) cell growth and
division;
b) gamete
formation;
c) cell
specialization;
d) prediction of
inheritance of traits based on the Mendelian laws of heredity;
e) genetic
variation (mutation, recombination, deletions, additions to DNA);
f) the structure,
function, and replication of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA);
g) events involved
in the construction of proteins;
h) use,
limitations, and misuse of genetic information; and
i) exploration of
the impact of DNA technologies.
BIO.7 The student will investigate and
understand bases for modern classification systems. Key concepts include
a) structural
similarities among organisms;
b) fossil record
interpretation;
c) comparison of
developmental stages in different organisms;
d) examination of
biochemical similarities and differences among organisms; and
e) systems of
classification that are adaptable to new scientific discoveries.
BIO.8 The student will investigate and
understand how populations change through time. Key concepts include
a) evidence found
in fossil records;
b) how genetic
variation, reproductive strategies, and environmental pressures impact the survival
of populations;
c) how natural
selection leads to adaptations;
d) emergence of
new species; and
e) scientific
explanations for biological evolution.
BIO.9 The student will investigate and
understand dynamic equilibria within populations, communities, and ecosystems.
Key concepts include
a) interactions
within and among populations including carrying capacities, limiting factors,
and growth curves;
b) nutrient
cycling with energy flow through ecosystems;
c) succession
patterns in ecosystems;
d) the effects of
natural events and human activities on ecosystems; and
e) analysis of the flora, fauna, and
microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems including the Chesapeake Bay and its
tributaries.
The Earth Science standards
connect the study of the Earth?s composition, structure, processes, and
history; its atmosphere, fresh water, and oceans; and its environment in space.
The standards emphasize historical contributions in the development of
scientific thought about the Earth and space. The standards stress the
interpretation of maps, charts, tables, and profiles; the use
of technology to collect, analyze, and report data; and the utilization
of science skills in systematic investigation. Problem solving and decision
making are an integral part of the standards, especially as they relate to the
costs and benefits of utilizing the Earth?s resources. Major topics of study
include plate tectonics, the rock cycle, Earth history, the oceans, the
atmosphere, weather and climate, and the solar system and universe.
The Earth Science standards
continue to focus on student growth in understanding the nature of science.
This scientific view defines the idea that explanations of nature are developed
and tested using observation, experimentation, models, evidence, and systematic
processes. The nature of science includes the concepts that scientific
explanations are based on logical thinking; are subject to rules of evidence;
are consistent with observational, inferential, and experimental evidence; are
open to rational critique; and are subject to refinement and change with the
addition of new scientific evidence. The nature of science includes the concept
that science can provide explanations about nature, can predict potential
consequences of actions, but cannot be used to answer all questions.
ES.1 The student will plan and conduct
investigations in which
a) volume, area, mass, elapsed time, direction,
temperature, pressure, distance, density, and changes in elevation/depth are
calculated utilizing the most appropriate tools;
b) technologies including computers, probeware, and
global positioning systems (GPS), are used to collect, analyze, and report data
and to demonstrate concepts and simulate experimental conditions;
c) scales, diagrams, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and
profiles are constructed and interpreted;
d) variables are manipulated with repeated trials; and
e) a scientific viewpoint is constructed and defended (the
nature of science).
ES.2 The student will demonstrate scientific
reasoning and logic by
a) analyzing how science explains and predicts the
interactions and dynamics of complex Earth systems;
b) recognizing that evidence is required to evaluate
hypotheses and explanations;
c) comparing different scientific explanations for a set
of observations about the Earth;
d) explaining that observation and logic are essential
for reaching a conclusion; and
e) evaluating evidence for scientific theories.
ES.3 The student will investigate and understand
how to read and interpret maps, globes, models, charts, and imagery. Key
concepts include
a) maps (bathymetric, geologic, topographic, and weather)
and star charts;
b) imagery (aerial photography and satellite images);
c) direction and measurements of distance on any map or
globe; and
d) location by latitude and longitude and topographic profiles.
ES.4 The student will investigate
and understand the characteristics of the Earth and the solar system. Key
concepts include
a) position of the Earth in the solar system;
b) sun-Earth-moon relationships (seasons, tides, and
eclipses);
c) characteristics of the sun, planets and their moons,
comets, meteors, and asteroids; and
d) the history and contributions of the space program.
ES.5 The student will investigate and understand
how to identify major rock-forming and ore minerals based on physical and
chemical properties. Key concepts include
a) hardness, color and streak, luster, cleavage,
fracture, and unique properties; and
b) uses of minerals.
ES.6 The student will investigate and understand
the rock cycle as it relates to the origin and transformation of rock types and
how to identify common rock types based on mineral composition and textures.
Key concepts include
a) igneous (intrusive and extrusive) rocks;
b) sedimentary (clastic and chemical) rocks; and
c) metamorphic (foliated and unfoliated) rocks.
ES.7 The student will investigate and understand
the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Key concepts
include
a) fossil fuels, minerals, rocks, water, and vegetation;
b) advantages and disadvantages of various energy
sources;
c) resources found in
d) making informed judgments related to resource use and
its effects on Earth systems; and
e) environmental costs and benefits.
ES.8 The student will investigate and understand
geologic processes including plate tectonics. Key concepts include
a) how geologic processes are evidenced in the
physiographic provinces of
b) processes (faulting, folding, volcanism, metamorphism,
weathering, erosion, deposition, and sedimentation) and their resulting
features; and
c) tectonic processes (subduction, rifting and sea floor
spreading, and continental collision).
ES.9 The student will investigate and understand
how freshwater resources are influenced by geologic processes and the
activities of humans. Key concepts include
a) processes of soil development;
b) development of karst topography;
c) identification of groundwater zones including the
water table, zone of saturation, and zone of aeration;
d) identification of other sources of fresh water
including rivers, springs, and aquifers, with reference to the hydrologic
cycle;
e) dependence on freshwater resources and the effects of
human usage on water quality; and
f) identification of the major watershed systems in
ES.10 The student will investigate
and understand that many aspects of the history and evolution of the Earth and
life can be inferred by studying rocks and fossils. Key concepts include
a) traces and remains of ancient, often extinct, life are
preserved by various means in many sedimentary rocks;
b) superposition, cross-cutting relationships, index
fossils, and radioactive decay are methods of dating bodies of rock;
c) absolute and relative dating have different
applications but can be used together to determine the age of rocks and
structures; and
d) rocks and fossils from many different geologic periods and
epochs are found in
ES.11 The student will investigate and understand
that oceans are complex, interactive physical, chemical, and biological systems
and are subject to long- and short-term variations. Key concepts include
a) physical and chemical changes (tides, waves, currents,
sea level and ice cap variations, upwelling, and salinity variations);
b) importance of environmental and geologic implications;
c) systems interactions (density differences, energy
transfer, weather, and climate);
d) features of the sea floor (continental margins,
trenches, mid-ocean ridges, and abyssal plains) as reflections of tectonic
processes; and
e) economic and public policy issues concerning the oceans and
the coastal zone including the
ES.12 The student will investigate and understand the
origin and evolution of the atmosphere and the interrelationship of geologic
processes, biologic processes, and human activities on its composition and
dynamics. Key concepts include
a) scientific evidence for atmospheric changes over
geologic time;
b) current theories related to the effects of early life
on the chemical makeup of the atmosphere;
c) comparison of the Earth?s atmosphere to that of other
planets;
d) atmospheric regulation mechanisms including the
effects of density differences and energy transfer; and
e) potential atmospheric compositional changes due to human,
biologic, and geologic activity.
ES.13 The student will investigate and understand
that energy transfer between the sun and the Earth and its atmosphere drives
weather and climate on Earth. Key concepts include
a) observation and collection of weather data;
b) prediction of weather patterns;
c) severe weather occurrences, such as tornadoes,
hurricanes, and major storms; and
d) weather phenomena and the factors that affect climate
including radiation and convection.
ES.14 The student will investigate and understand
scientific concepts related to the origin and evolution of the universe. Key
concepts include
a) nebulae;
b) the origin of stars and star systems;
c) stellar evolution;
d) galaxies; and
e) cosmology including the big bang theory.