J.E.

Richards Middle School Betsy Frye 7th Grade Accelerated Life Science
2013-2014

Course Overview: The seventh grade Science curriculum introduces students to Life Science/Biology. It focuses on six topics: characteristics of science, ecology, cells & systems, evolution, genetics, and classification. As an accelerated class, we are responsible for not only the seventh grade AKS, but mastering a number of the ninth grade Biology standards. Science process skills, such as making and recording observations, using the tools of a scientist, making inferences and interpretation based on data, and conducting experiments are a few of the skills that will be learned throughout the year. See page two for a detailed listing of AKS to be covered. Class Expectations: Students are expected to maintain a positive classroom environment in which all students can learn. They will keep and maintain an interactive spiral notebook. In the notebook, they will keep their Daily Target, notes, activities, vocabulary, and graded assignments. Students will record homework in their student agenda each day. They may use a #2 pencil or black/blue pens ONLY. All students are expected to follow our team management plan and classroom rules. Contact Information: Ms. Fryes website: www.fryerms.com Email: Betsy_Frye@gwinnett.k12.ga.us Telephone: 770-995-7133 J.E. Richards Middle School 3555 Sugarloaf Parkway Lawrenceville, Georgia 30044 http://www.richardsms.org Phone: (770)995-7133 Fax: (770)338-4791

Grading Guidelines: Classroom Assignments (may include but not limited to: quizzes, daily work, homework, etc.) Summative Assessments (may include but not limited to: teacher generated unit tests, major assignments, etc.) Comprehensive Final Exam (teacher generated assessments) Interim Exam ( required district generated assessments provided by the Assessment Office) Total Gwinnett County Grading Policy 90-100 A 80-89 B 74-79 C 70-73 D 0-69 U

40% 45% 10% 5% 100 %

Parent Portal: Come by the school office to set parent portal access for your students current grades. Textbooks: The Holt Science and Technology Life Science book countys new textbook adoption. Every classroom will be equipped with a class set of textbooks. Students can access the on-line textbook from home through their portal page. Each student will also be issued an interactive workbook to use in the classroom. If your students does not have access to the internet, contact the teacher and arrangements will be made.

Tutoring: Tutoring will be available every Friday mornings at 8:15AM. All are welcome and do not need a pass. If additional tutoring is needed, arrangements can be made with the teacher.

Team Management Plan: The following are potential consequences for noncompliant behavior. Verbal Warning Parent Contact/Written Warning (conduct notice sent home) Silent Lunch Detention (conduct notice sent home) Cross-Team (conduct notice sent home) Administrative Referral (phone contact) o Administrative Detention o ISS o OSS

** Please refer to student handbook for additional rules and standards. Make Up Work: When students are absent it is their responsibility to gather their make-up assignments from either www.fryerms.weebly.com, a classmate, or their teacher when they return. Students must make arrangements to make up quizzes and/or tests. Policy states that students have two days for everyday absent to make up their missed assignments.

Academic Recovery: It is preferable and expected for all students to turn in all assignments on time. However, students will be given the opportunity to complete their missing assignments. Each week, students will check their grade report and be allowed to turn in missing work. Times for making up will work will be at home, during lunch (working lunches), or other locations/times that work best for the student. Keeping grades on track and work turned in on time is the responsibility of the student.

Academic Knowledge and Skill (AKS)

(A complete listing of ALL AKS can be found at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us)

ALL YEAR: Characteristics of Science

1. Identify questions and problems that can be answered and solved through scientific inquiry 2. Design and conduct investigations using scientific method 3. Apply standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations 4. Use appropriate scientific tools, techniques and technologies to gather, analyze and interpret data 5. Apply computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data and developing conclusions 6. Think critically and logically about relationships between evidence and explanations 7. Communicate scientific ideas clearly 8. Read scientific materials to establish context for subject matter, develop vocabulary and to be aware of current research 9. Analyze the importance of understanding systems, models and scales when exploring scientific and technological matters 10. Discuss the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science and exhibit these traits in efforts to understand how the world works

First Nine Weeks: Ecology

10 - compare and contrast food/energy requirements of different organisms

10a - compare food requirements in autotrophs and heterotrophs 10b - illustrate food and energy requirements in autotrophs and heterotrophs 11 - examine the dependence of all organisms on one another and their environments (GPS) 11a - explain that sunlight is the source of energy for most food webs (GPS) 11b - demonstrate in a food web that matter is transferred from one organism to another and can be recycled between organisms and their environments (GPS) 11b1 - assess the role of producers, consumers and decomposers 11b2 - differentiate between the roles of herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores within a food chain or food web 11c - categorize relationships between organisms that are competitive or mutually beneficial (GPS) 11c1 - define and apply examples of relationships between organisms including predation, mutualism, parasitism, and commensalism 11c2 - examine the role of each partner in a symbiotic relationship 11c3 - evaluate how organisms and communities within a population compete for resources 12 - describe the characteristics of Earth's major terrestrial biomes (tropical rain forest, savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra and mountain) and aquatic communities (freshwater, estuaries and marine) (GPS, ITBS) 12a - give examples of adaptations organisms have which make them suited to life in specific biomes 12a1 - describe the climate and other abiotic and biotic factors of major biomes 13 - describe how changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species and cause them to become endangered or extinct (GPS, ITBS, CE) Bio 11a) investigate the relationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes (GPS) Bio 11b) explain the need for cycling of major nutrients (C,H,O,N,P) and identifying and illustrating the conservation of matter (GPS) Bio 11b1) explain the flow of energy through an ecosystem by arranging the components of a food chain, energy pyramid and biomass pyramid (GPS)

Second Nine Weeks: Cells and Systems

15 - identify the cell as a basic unit and structure of all organisms (GPS, ITBS) 15a - explain the components of the Cell Theory 15b - relate cell structures to basic cell functions of typical plant and animal cells (GPS) 15b1 - identify the structure and function of cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplasts, mitochondria, nuclear membrane, chromosomes, vacuoles, endoplasmic reticulum, cell wall, and ribosomes (GPS) 15b2 - compare and contrast the structures of a typical plant and animal cell 15c - explain that cells are organized into tissues, tissues into organs, organs into organ systems, and systems into organisms (GPS) 15c1 - explain that tissues, organs, and organ systems serve the needs cells have for oxygen, food, and waste removal (GPS) 15d - describe and discuss the movement of materials into and out of the cell for the maintenance of homeostasis (diffusion, osmosis, and active transport) 15e - describe how cells carry on the life processes of movement, reproduction, response, cellular respiration, photosynthesis and metabolism 15f - explain that cells take in nutrients to grow, divide, and make needed materials (GPS) 16 - explain how the human body is composed of organ systems functioning together (GPS, ITBS) 16a - demonstrate understanding of the purpose and interactions of the major organ systems (digestive, respiratory, reproductive, circulatory, excretory, muscular, skeletal, nervous, immune) (GPS) Bio 8a) state the cell theory Bio 8b) describe the cell cycle Bio 8c) identify common cell organelles and describe the function of each (e.g. diagrams and microscopic examinations) Bio 8d) explain the role of cell organelles (including the cell membrane) in maintaining homeostasis and cell reproduction for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells (GPS) Bio 8f) explain the impact of water in life processes (i.e. adhesion, cohesion, capillarity, density, and osmosis) (GPS) Bio 8g) describe processes whereby substances enter and leave the cell (passive and active transport mechanisms) Bio 8h) investigate factors that affect the rate of cellular transport (i.e. molecule size, charge, concentration, temperature)

Third Nine Weeks: Genetics, Evolution

14 - Examine the evolution of living organisms through inherited characteristics that promote survival of organisms and the survival of successive generations of their offspring

14a - explain how physical characteristics of organisms have changed over time (e.g., Darwins finches and peppered moths of Manchester) 14b - describe ways in which species on Earth have evolved due to natural selection 14c - Extension: analyze the evidence of evolution 14c1 - trace evidence that the fossil record found in sedimentary rock provides evidence for the long history of changing life forms 14c2 - Extension: explore genetic evidence supporting evolutionary relationships Bio 12c) explain how fossil and biochemical evidence support the theory (GPS) Bio 12d) relate natural selection to changes in species populations over time (GPS)

17 - Explain how biological traits are passed to successive generations 17a - apply the work of Gregor Mendel to the study of modern genetics and interpret the effect of dominant and recessive alleles 17b - explain the role of genes and chromosomes (genotypes) in the process of inheriting a specific trait (phenotype) 17c - use a Punnett Square to predict the traits of offspring and the probability of getting a particular trait in a cross 17d - compare and contrast the outcome of meiosis and mitosis 17e - recognize that selective breeding can produce plants or animals with desired traits 17f - compare and contrast that organisms reproduce sexually and asexually (bacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals) 17g - understand the correlation between mode of reproduction and genetic diversity 17h - Extension: examine how multiple alleles combine to create various genotypes and phenotypes (e.g., skin color, eye color, blood type) 17i - Extension: investigate common genetic disorders and how they are inherited Bio 8c) identify common cell organelles and describe the function of each (e.g. diagrams and microscopic examinations) Bio 9d) describe the relationship between changes in DNA and potential appearance of new traits including alterations during replication, insertions, deletions, and substitutions and mutagenic factors that can alter DNA (high energy radiation and chemical) (GPS) Bio 9e) compare the advantages of sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in different situations (GPS) Bio 9f) examine the use of DNA technology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture (GPS) Bio 9g) apply the principles of Mendelian genetics to predict probabilities of offspring

Fourth Nine Weeks: Classification and Kingdoms

18 - Use external and internal features to classify and compare organisms (simple to complex) 18a - explain the history of the current method used to classify organisms investigate the diversity of living organisms and how they can be compared scientifically 19 - Investigate the diversity of living organisms and how they can be compared scientifically 19a - differentiate and describe the major characteristics of the six-kingdoms (archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants, and animals) 19a1 - compare various characteristics and life processes of organisms (i.e., cellular organization, chemical composition, growth and development, response to stimuli, reproduction, photosynthesis, respiration, methods of obtaining food, and behavior) 19b - classify organisms using a dichotomous key based on the six-kingdom system 19c - demonstrate the process for the development of a dichotomous key 19d - order the levels of classification 19e - Extension: explore characteristics used to classify organisms into lower taxonomic levels (i.e., phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) 20 - Compare and contrast mechanisms by which organisms reproduce 20a - distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction (archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals Bio 10a) relate the complexity and organization of organisms to their ability for obtaining, transforming, transporting, releasing and eliminating the matter and energy used to sustain the organism (GPS) Bio 10b) examine the evolutionary basis of modern classification systems (six-kingdom system) (GPS) Bio 10c) use the Linnean system of binomial nomenclature Bio 10f) compare how structures and function vary between the six kingdoms (archaebacteria, eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals) (GPS) Bio 10g) compare and contrast the presence, complexity, and organization of organisms to their structure and movement, their ability to reproduce, respond to stimuli, and survive.

If you have any questions, please contact me Sincerely,

Ms. Betsy Frye betsy_frye@gwinnett.k12.ga.us

Please detach and return the following to Ms. Frye I have reviewed the 2013-2014 Accelerated Life Science syllabus: Student name:____________________________________ Science Class Period _____________________

Student signature:__________________________________________________ Parent name:_______________________________________________________ Parent signature:_________________________________________________________ Just in case we do not have your email and phone number correct in our computer, please give it to us be sure we have the correct contact information. Grades will be available through the parent portal. Also, by signing this form, you are indicating that you give permission for the school to contact you regarding your child via the email provided below. Phone number(s):_____________________________________ Email(s):_____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________