K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
Biology
Essential Knowledge 4.A.6: Interactions among living systems
and with their environment result in the movement of matter and
energy.
a. Energy flows, but matter is recycled. [See also 2.A.1]
b. Changes in regional and global climates and in
atmospheric composition influence patterns of primary
productivity.
c. Organisms within food webs and food chains interact.
[See also 2.D.1]
d. Food webs and food chains are dependent on primary
productivity.
e. Models allow the prediction of the impact of change in
biotic and abiotic factors.
Evidence of student learning is a demonstrated
understanding of each of the following:
1. Competition for resources and other factors
limits growth and can be described by the
logistic model.
2. Competition for resources, territoriality,
health, predation, accumulation of wastes
and other factors contribute to densitydependent population regulation.
f.
g.
Human activities impact ecosystems on local, regional
and global scales. [See also 2.D.3]
Evidence of student learning is a demonstrated
understanding of each of the following;
1. As human populations have increased in
numbersm their impact on habitats for other
species have been magnified.
2. In turn, this has often reduced the
population size of the affected species and
resulted in habitat destruction and, in some
cases, the extinction of species.
Many adaptations of organisms are related to obtaining
and using energy and matter in a particular
environment. [See also 2.A.1, 2.A.2]
AP Bio. Enduring Understanding 4A.
Interactions within biological systems lead
to complex properties. Carbon Cycling
Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human
activities (including
population growth,
pollution, global warming,
burning of fossil fuels,
habitat destruction and
introduction of nonnative
species) may impact the
environment.5E/H1ab
Carbon Cycling
Bio.2.1.1 Analyze the flow of energy
and cycling of matter, such as water,
carbon, nitrogen and oxygen,
through ecosystems relating the
significance of each to maintaining
the health and sustainability of an
ecosystem. 5E/H1, 3
NGSS HS-LS1-6: Construct and
revise an explanation based on
evidence for how carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen from sugar molecules may
combine with other elements to form
amino acids and/or other large carbonbased molecules.
Bio.4.2.1 Analyze photosynthesis and cellular respiration in terms
of how energy is stored, released, and transferred within and
between these processes in the cell. 4C/1
NGSS HS-LS1-5 Use a model to illustrate how photosynthesis
transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.
NGSS HS-LS1-7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a
chemical process whereby the bonds of food molecules and oxygen
molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed
resulting in a net transfer of energy.
Bio.4.1.1 Compare the structures and functions of the
major biological molecules (carbohydrates, proteins,
lipids, and nucleic acids) as related to the survival of
living organisms.4E/4
What chemical processes occur in organisms to transfer and transform matter and
energy so they can live and grow?LS1.C pg. 148
The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by
converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen. The sugar
molecules thus formed contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; their hydrocarbon
backbones are used to make amino acids and other carbon-based molecules that can be
assembled into larger molecules (such as proteins or DNA), used for example to form new
cells. As matter and energy flow through different organizational levels of living systems,
chemical elements are recombined in different ways to form different products. As a result
of these chemical reactions, energy is transferred from one system of interacting
molecules to another. For example, aerobic (in the presence of oxygen) cellular respiration
is a chemical process in which the bonds of food molecules and oxygen molecules are
broken and new compounds are formed that can transport energy to muscles. Anaerobic
(without oxygen) cellular respiration follows a different and less efficient chemical
pathway to provide energy in cells. Cellular respiration also releases the energy needed to
maintain body temperature despite ongoing energy loss to the surrounding environment.
Matter and energy are conserved in each change. This is true of all biological systems,
from individual cells to ecosystems.
What limits the interaction of organisms in ecosystems? LS2.A pg. 152
Ecosystems have carrying capacities, which are limits to the numbers and types of
organisms and populations an ecosystem can support. These limits are a result of such
factors as availability of biotic and abiotic resources, and biotic challenges such as
predation, competition, and disease. Organisms have the capacity to produce populations
of great size, but environments and resources are finite. This fundamental tension has
effects on the interactions between organisms.
How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem?LS2.B pg. 154
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration (including anaerobic processes) provide most of
the energy for life processes. Plants or algae form the lowest level of the food web. At
each link upward in a food web, only a small fraction of the matter consumed at the lower
level is transferred upward, to produce growth and release energy in cellular respiration at
the higher level. Given this inefficiency, there are generally fewer organisms at higher
levels of a food web, and there is a limit to the number of organisms that an ecosystem
can sustain. The chemical elements that make up the molecules of organisms pass
through food webs and into and out of the atmosphere and soil and are combined and
recombined in different ways. At each link in an ecosystem, matter and energy are
conserved; some matter reacts to release energy for life functions, some matter is stored in
newly made structures, and much is discarded. Competition among species is ultimately
competition for the matter and energy needed for life. Photosynthesis and cellular
respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged
between the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and geosphere through chemical, physical,
geological, and biological processes.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
6-8
To Biology
To Chemistry
8.P.1.4. Explain how the idea of atoms
and a balanced chemical equation
support the law of conservation of mass.
(4D/M13, M7b) (Plants making food)
8.P.1.1 Classify matter as elements,
compounds, or mixtures based on how
the atoms are packed together in
arrangements.(4D/M1cd) (Plants making
food)
8.L.3.3 Explain how the flow of
energy within food webs is
interconnected with the cycling of
matter (including water, nitrogen,
carbon dioxide and oxygen).
5E/M1,2,3
8.L.5.1 Summarize how food provides
the energy and the molecules required
for building materials, growth and
survival of all organisms (to include
plants). 5E/1
8.L.5.2 Explain the relationship among a
healthy diet, exercise, and the general
health of the body (emphasis on the
relationship between respiration and
digestion). 5E/3 (Energy in living things)
7.L.1.4 Summarize the general functions of the
major systems of the human body (digestion,
respiration, reproduction, circulation, and
excretion) and ways that these systems interact
with each other to sustain life. 5E/M1d; 5C/2a,b,
5C3a,b
8.P.1.4. Explain how the idea of atoms
and a balanced chemical equation
support the law of conservation of mass.
(4D/M13, M7b)
(Plants making food)
6.L.2.1 Summarize how energy derived
from the sun is used by plants to produce
sugars (photosynthesis) and is
transferred within food chains and food
webs (terrestrial and aquatic) from
producers to consumers to decomposers.
5D/M2;5E/M1a-c,3 (Plants making food
& Energy in Living Things)
6.P.2.1 Recognize that all matter is made
up of atoms (4D/M1a) and atoms of the
same element are all alike, but are
different from the atoms of other elements.
4D/M1b* ;4D/M6c (Plants making food)
6.L.1.2 Explain the significance of the
processes of photosynthesis, respiration,
and transpiration to the survival of green
plants and other organisms.
5A/1 (Plants making food)
Grades 6 – 8
What happens inside organisms to enable them to get and use the energy and materials from
food?LS1.C ref. pg.148
For the body to use food for energy and building materials, the food must first be digested into
molecules that are absorbed and transported to cells. In order to release the energy stored in food,
oxygen must be supplied to cells and carbon dioxide removed. Lungs take in oxygen for the
combustion of food, and they eliminate the carbon dioxide produced. The circulatory system
moves all these substances to or from cells where they are needed or produced. The way in which
all cells function is similar in all living organisms. Within cells many of the basic functions of
organisms, such as releasing energy from food and getting rid of waste, are carried out by different
cell elements. In plants and animals, molecules from food react with oxygen to provide energy that
is needed to carry out life functions, build and become incorporated into the body structure, or is
stored for later use. Matter moves within individual organisms through a series of chemical
reactions in which food is broken down and rearranged to form new molecules. Plants use the
energy from light to make sugars (food) from carbon dioxide and water. This process transforms
light energy from the sun into stored chemical energy. Minerals and other nutrients from the soil
are not food (they don’t provide energy), but they are needed for plants to make complex
molecules from the sugar they make.
What happens to the matter and energy when organisms use food?
In plants and animals, molecules from food a) react with oxygen to provide energy that is
needed to carry out life functions, b) build and become incorporated into the body structure,
or c) are stored for later use. (Also in Matter and Energy) Chemical energy is transferred from
one organism in an ecosystem to another as the organisms interact with each other for food.
Matter is transferred among organisms in an ecosystem when organisms eat, or are eaten by
others for food. Matter is transferred from organisms to the physical environment when molecules
from food react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water in a process called cellular
respiration. The atoms that make up the organisms in an ecosystem are cycled repeatedly
between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
How do matter and energy cycle through an ecosystem? LS2.B pg.153
Food webs are models that demonstrate how matter and energy is transferred between producers
(generally plants and other organisms that engage in photosynthesis), consumers, and decomposers
as the three groups interact—primarily for food—within an ecosystem. Transfers of matter into
and out of the physical environment occur at every level—for example, when molecules from food
react with oxygen captured from the environment, the carbon dioxide and water thus produced are
transferred back to the environment, and ultimately so are waste products, such as fecal material.
Decomposers recycle nutrients from dead plant or animal matter back to the soil in terrestrial
environments or to the water in aquatic environments. The atoms that make up the organisms in an
ecosystem are cycled repeatedly between the living and nonliving parts of the ecosystem.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
3-5
To 6.L.2.1
To 6.L.2.1
To 6.L.1.2
To 8.L.3.3
5.L.2.2 Classify the organisms
within an ecosystem according to
the function they serve: producers,
consumers, or decomposers (biotic
factors). 5E/1
5.L.2.2 5E/1 Supporting
Objective
Over the whole earth,
organisms are growing,
dying, decaying, and new
organisms are being
produced by the old ones.
5E/1 (matter cycle)
5.L.1.2 Compare the major systems
of the human body (digestive,
respiratory, circulatory, muscular,
skeletal, cardiovascular) as it relates
to their functions necessary for life.
6C/E1
4.L.2.2 Explain the role of vitamins,
minerals and exercise in maintaining
a healthy body. 6C/1
“Why do we eat?”
4.L.2.1 Classify substances as food or non-food
items based on their ability to provide energy and
materials for survival, growth and repair of the
body. 5E/2
“Why do we eat?”
3.P.2.1 Recognize that air is a
substance that surrounds us, takes
up space and has mass.
(4B/E4),5E/E2
“Hey, what’s in the air?”
“Plants make food from the air
they breathe.”
3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental
conditions determine how well plants
survive and grow. 5D/E1;5E/E2
“Hey, what’s in the air?”
“Plants make food from the air
they breathe.”
Grades 3 – 5
How do organisms get the matter and energy they need from
what they get from the environment? LS1.C ref. pg. 148
Animals and plants alike generally need to take in air and
water, animals must take in food, and plants need light and
minerals; anaerobic life, such as bacteria in the gut, functions
without air. Food provides animals with the materials they need
for body repair and growth and is digested to release the energy
they need to maintain body warmth and for motion. Plants acquire
their material for growth chiefly from air and water and process
matter they have formed to maintain their internal conditions (e.g.,
at night).
How do different organisms depend on their environment for
food?LS2.A pg.151-152
The food of almost all kinds of animals can be traced back to
plants. Some animals eat plants for food. Other animals eat
animals that eat plants. Some organisms such as fungi and
bacteria operate as decomposers. Decomposition eventually
restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil for plants to
use, and to repeat the food chain cycle. Organisms can survive
only in environments in which their needs are met. A healthy
ecosystem is one in which multiple species of different types are
each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life.
Newly introduced species can damage the balance of an
ecosystem.
Where do organisms get the matter and energy they need?
LS2.B pg. 152
Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants, animals,
and microbes as these organisms live and die. Organisms obtain
gases, water, and minerals from the environment and release
waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the environment.
Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay alive
and grow. From food, people and other animals obtain fuel (i.e.,
energy) and materials for body repair, growth, and reproduction.
Organisms are related in food webs, with plants, animals that eat
those plants, and animals that eat those animals. Some organisms
(i.e., bacteria and fungi) break down waste and dead organisms,
and return materials to the soil.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
K-2
To 4.L.2.1
Grades K – 2
`
2.P.2.1 Give examples of matter that change
from a solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a
solid by heating and cooling. (4B/P2) (Matter
Cycle)
To 4.L.2.1
1.L.2.2 Summarize the basic needs of
a variety of different animals
(including air, water, and food) for
energy and growth. 5D/P1
1.L.1.1 Recognize that plants and animals need
air, water, light (plants only), space, food and
shelter and that these may be found in their
environment.5C/P2,5E/P1 (Matter Cycle)
K.L.1.2 Compare characteristics of living and
nonliving things in terms of their: Structure.
Growth. Changes. Movement. Basic needs.
5D/P1;5C/P2;NGSS LS1.C
Energy in Living
Things
Plants
Making Food
K.E.1.1 Infer that change is something that
happens to many things in the environment
based on observations using one or more of
their senses. 4C/P2
Food webs
Matter Cycle
How do living things get and use what they need to
live and grow? LS1.C ref. pg. 147
All animals need food in order to live and grow.
They obtain their food from plants or from other
animals. Plants need water and light to live and
grow.
All living things grow, reproduce, and respond to
their environment. Animals and plants meet their
needs for survival in different ways. Plants and
animals both need to take in water, and animals need
to take in food. In addition, plants need light and
minerals.
Where do animals get food?LS.2.A pg. 151
Animals depend on plants and other animals for
food. When animals and plants (or plant parts) die,
they are fed upon by tiny organisms that break them
apart. Plants depend on air, water and light to grow.
Where do organisms get what they need to
live?LS2.B pg 153
Organisms obtain the materials they need to grow
and survive from the environment. Many of these
materials come from organisms and are used again
by other organisms.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
“Focus on the Learning”
Using Core Concepts to Build Learning Progressions
Creating twenty-first century critical thinking classrooms in North Carolina starts with the establishment of core concepts and essential standards that are focused, prioritized and enduring. The
2009 Science Essential Standards are anchored in the premise that one of the best ways for students to learn these core concepts is to learn successively more sophisticated ways of thinking about
these ideas over multiple years. If mastery of the core concepts is the ultimate destination, efforts of reform must be to redirect the focus from the “content” to the “learning”. Dr. Lorin W.
Anderson, Carolina Distinguished Professor of Education, says content exists outside the student. When content gets inside the student, it becomes knowledge. This transformation of content to
knowledge takes place through the cognitive processes used by the student. In other words, he says, “you must tinker with their thinking”. The following learning progression demonstrates how
students’ thinking about carbon cycling becomes more sophisticated over time.
Flow of Energy & Cycling of Matter
AP Bio. Enduring Understanding 4A
Interactions within biological systems lead to
complex properties.
The energy flow in ecosystems is based on the
primary productivity of autotrophs.
(a) Discuss the energy flow through an
ecosystem and the relative efficiency
with which it occurs.
(b) Discuss the impact of the following on
energy flow on a global scale.
a. Deforestation
b. Global climate change
AP Bio. Enduring Understanding 4A
Interactions within biological systems lead to
complex properties.
AP Bio. Enduring Understanding 4A
Interactions within biological systems lead to
complex properties.
Bio.4.2 Analyze the relationships between
biochemical processes and energy use in the
cell.
In many ways, all organisms in a food web can be
said to be solar-powered. The producer level of
the food web is responsible for the transformation
of the solar energy into a form that can be used by
other organisms.
(a) Discuss the role of green plants in
transforming the Sun’s energy into a
form that can be ultimately used by
heterotrophs.
(b) Discuss the flow of energy from
producers through top carnivores in a
food web in terms of the laws of
thermodynamics.
Bacteria play central biological roles.
a) Bacteria may act as
 producers
 parasites
 mutualistic symbionts
 decomposers
Bio.4.2.1 Mr. Green Gene cherished his lovely
Clydesdale horse which he used to plough his
garden and work his farm. When the horse died,
Mr. Green Gene buried him under the big oak tree
in the south pasture where he keeps his cows.
Describe below the path of a carbon atom from the
horse’s remains, to inside Mr. Green Gene’s leg
muscle. NOTE: Mr. Green Gene does not eat his
horse; however, he does eat his cows. Describe as
many biochemical pathways as you can relate.
Select THREE of the ecological roles above. For
each one you choose, describe how bacteria carry
out the role and discuss its ecological importance.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
Flow of Energy & Cycling of Matter
Bio. 2.1 Analyze the interdependent relationships
of living organisms within their environments.
Bio.4.1 Understand how biological molecules are
essential to the survival of living organisms.
8.L.3 Understand how organisms interact with and
respond to the biotic and abiotic components of their
environment.
8.L.5 Understand the composition of various
substances as it relates to their ability to serve as a
source of energy and building materials for growth
and repair of organisms.
7.L.1 Understand the processes, structures and functions
of living organisms that enable them to survive,
reproduce and carry out the basic functions of life.
Bio.2.1.1 When you are using a gasoline powered
lawnmower to cut your lawn, eventually the
gasoline tank becomes empty.
(a) What do you think happens to the gas? What
happens to the matter the gasoline is made of?
(b) Can using gasoline in car affect global warming?
How?
Bio.4.1.1 During science class, Mr. Johnson made
three groups A, B, and C, like the following:
A. Sugar, meat, bread
B. Water, limestone, sand
C. Coal, gasoline, wood
He asked his students to make careful observations
of each group and answer the following:
(a) What makes each group go together?
(b) Why would water go with limestone and sand
rather than sugar and meat
(c) Do you think groups A and C have anything in
common? Explain your reasoning.
8.L.3.3 Mr. Green Gene has a large farm with
plenty of oak trees. Sometimes a tree falls and no
one is around to remove it. After many years, the
tree will appear as a long, soft lump barely
distinguishable from the surrounding grounds.
a. The mass of the lump on the ground is less than
the mass of the original tree. Where would you
find the mass that is no longer in the lump? In
what form?
b. What caused the changes in the wood? How did
those changes happen?
8.L.3.3 Which gas(es) do the living oak trees take
in from their environments? (you may circle more
than one)
oxygen
carbon dioxide nitrogen water vapor
Explain what happens to the gases once they are
inside the plant.
8.L.5.1 A small acorn grows into a large oak tree.
(a) Which of the following is FOOD for plants
(circle ALL correct answers)?
Soil
Air
Sunlight
Fertilizer
Water
Minerals in soil Sugar that plants
make
(b) Where do you think the plant’s increase in
weight comes from?
8.L.5.2 After the holidays, Paul set a goal to lose
weight by eating a low calorie diet. Two weeks
later, he was halfway to reaching his goal. Where
did the mass of his fat go (how was it lost)?
7.L.1.4 Six friends were talking about the function of the
digestive system. This is what they said:
Mina: “I think the main function is to release energy from
food.”
Manny: “I think the main function is to help us breathe.”
Sasha: “I think the main function is to break food down
into molecules that can be absorbed by cells.
Harriet: “I think the main function is to break food down in
the stomach into small pieces of food that can be used by the
body.”
Todd: “I think the main function is to carry bits of food and
nutrients to all the different parts of our body.”
Curtis: “I think the main function is to store food so that we
can get energy when we need it.”
Which student do you most agree with? Explain your
thinking. Describe your ideas about the main function of the
digestive system.
Respiration: Put an X next to the organisms on the list that
use the process of respiration. Explain your thinking about
your choices and respiration.
____human ____ grass ____ duck ____ frog eggs
Bio. 2.1.1 A tree falls in the forest. After many
years, the tree will appear as a long, soft lump
barely distinguishable from the surrounding forest
floor.
Describe the path of a carbon atom from the air to
the fallen tree back into the air.
Bio 2.2.1 Mr. Green Gene buried his horse under a
tree that was planted from a seed by his father when
Mr. Green Gene was born. Where did increase in
the tree’s mass come from?(Grade 8)
Mr. Green Gene’s neighbors are always asking him
to cut down some of his trees. Although he lives in
North Carolina, Mr. Green Gene says he’s trying to
save the Amazon.
How can this happen and how could human actions
influence trees to grow in the Amazon?
How could cutting down trees affect our climate?
____ mushroom ____ tomato plant ____fish
____chick inside an egg ____ human body cell ____ worm
____ single-celled pond organism ____germinating seed
____ horse ____ apple tree ____ bacteria
____butterfly larvae inside a chrysalis
____ honeybee
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
Flow of Energy & Cycling of Matter
6.L.2 Understand the flow of energy through
ecosystems and the responses of populations to
the biotic and abiotic factors in their
environment.
6.L.2.1 Summarize how energy derived from the sun is
used by plants to produce sugars (photosynthesis) and is
transferred within food chains and food webs (terrestrial
and aquatic) from producers to consumers to
decomposers.
6.L.1 Understand the structures, processes and
behaviors of plants that enable them to survive
and reproduce.
6.L.1.2.Explain the significance of the processes of
photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration to the
survival of green plants and other
organisms.5A/M1,5A/M2
5.L.2 Understand the interdependence of plants
and animals with their ecosystem.
5.L.2.2 Classify the organisms within an ecosystem
according to the function they serve: producers,
consumers, or decomposers (biotic factors). 5D/E3a
5.L.1 Understand how structures and systems of
organisms (to include the human body) perform
functions necessary for life.
5.L.1.2 Compare the major systems of the human body (digestive,
respiratory, circulatory, muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular) as it
relates to their functions necessary for life. 6C/E1,2
Performance Expectation 5-PS3-1
Use models to describe that that energy in animals’
food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to
maintain body warmth) was once energy from the
sun. [Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include
diagrams, and flow charts.]
Performance Expectation 5-LS1-1
Support an argument that plants get the materials
they need for growth chiefly from air and water.
[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that plant matter
comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.]
Performance Expectation 5-LS2-1
Develop a model to describe the movement of matter
among plants, animals, decomposers, and the
environment.
[Clarifcation Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that matter that
is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed
by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could
include organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment does not include molecular explanations.]
6.L.2.1Explain how are the following living things
connected with each other:
(a) Grass.
(b) Cows.
(c) Human beings.
(d) Decomposing bacteria
6.L.1.2 A small acorn grows into a large oak tree.
(a) Which of the following is FOOD for plants
(circle ALL correct answers)?
Soil
Sunlight
Air
Fertilizer
Water
Minerals in soil
Sugar that plants make
6.L.2.1 Which gas(es) do plants take in from their
environments?
(you may circle more than one)
(b) Where do you think the plant’s increase in
weight comes from?
Respiration: Put an X next to the organisms on the
Rotting Apple
5.L.2.2 Four friends argued about why an apple
on the ground eventually rots away and disappears.
This is what they said:
Anna: “ I think it is just something that happens
over time.”
Selma: “I think small organisms use it for
energy and building material.”
Felicia: “ I think the atoms and molecules in the
apple just break down.”
Logan: “I think the wind and water soften it, and it
5.L.1.2 An infant grows to become a big adult.
(a) What causes the infant to grow?
(b) Explain how an infant gains weight as she grows.
(c) How does the digestive system compare to the
circulatory system as it relates to the role each system plays
in assisting the child to gain weight as she grows?
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
oxygen carbon dioxide
other
Describe which gas is most important to the flow of
energy through an ecosystem.
6.P.2 Understand the structure, classifications
and physical properties of matter.
6.P.2.1 Recognize that all matter is made up of atoms
(4D/M1a) and atoms of the same element are all alike,
but are different from the atoms of other elements.
4D/M1b*
list that use the process of respiration. Explain your
thinking about your choices and respiration.
____human ____ grass ____ duck ____ frog eggs
____ mushroom ____ tomato plant ____fish
____chick inside an egg ____ human body cell
____ worm
____ single-celled pond organism
____germinating seed
____ horse ____ apple tree ____ bacteria
____butterfly larvae inside a chrysalis
____ honeybee
Explain: Tell why respiration is important to the
survival of each organism on your list.
Where did most of the matter that makes up the
wood and leaves of these huge tress originally
come from?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Sunlight
Water
Soil
Carbon dioxide
Minerals
Chlorophyll
Explain your thinking.
How did you decide where most of the matter
dissolves into the soil.”
Eli: “I think water and air rot it, then small animals
come and eat the rest.”
Jack: “I think it gets old and breaks apart into
pieces too small to see.”
Which student do you most agree with?
Explain your answer.
Almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to
plants. 5E/1 Insects and various other organisms
depend on dead plants and animal material for food.
5D/1
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
that makes up the wood and leaves of these
huge trees come from?
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
Flow of Energy & Cycling of Matter
4.L.2 Understand food and the benefits of
vitamins, minerals and exercise.
Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to
stay alive and grow. 5E/2
4.L.2.2 Explain the role of vitamins, minerals and
exercise in maintaining a healthy body.
Performance Expectation
4.L.2 Understand food and the benefits of
vitamins, minerals and exercise.
3.L.2 Understand how plants survive in their
environments.
3.P.2 Understand the structure and properties of matter
before and after they undergo a change.
Some source of energy is needed for all organisms to stay
alive and grow. 5E/2
4.L.2.1 Classify substances as food or non-food items based
on their ability to provide energy and materials for survival,
growth and repair of the body.
Performance Expectation
3.L.2.2 Explain how environmental conditions determine
how well plants survive and grow.
3.P.2.1 Recognize that air is a substance that surrounds us, takes
up space and has mass.
Performance Expectation3-LS4-3
Construct an argument with evidence that in a
particular habitat some organisms can survive well,
some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
Performance Expectation
[Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence could include needs
and characteristics of the organisms and habitats involved. The
organisms and their habitat make up a system in which the parts
depend on each other.]
4.L.2.2 An infant grows to become a big adult.
(a) Why is food essential for an infant as she
grows into an adult?
(b) Explain how vitamins minerals and exercise
enable an infant to gain weight as she grows.
(c)
4.L.2.1The Grocery List: Johnny’s dad gave him a
grocery list and told him to only buy items that are
food. At the store, Johnny recalled the scientific
definition of food and proceeded to shop. Based on
the scientific definition of food, which items should
Johnny omit from his list. Explain your thinking.
What definition or “rule” did you use to decide what
Johnny should omit.
____lettuce ____ sugar ____ salt ____cookies
____bread ____ butter ____ milk ____ vitamins
____ water ____ french fries ____ candy bar
____ minerals ____ pancake syrup ____ banana
____ ketchup ____ diet soda ____ flour
Performance Expectation3-LS4-4
Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a
problem caused when the environment changes and
the types of plants and animals that live there may
change.* [Clarification Statement: Examples of environmental
changes could include changes in land characteristics, water
distribution, temperature, food, and other organisms.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment is limited to a single environmental change.
Assessment does not include the greenhouse effect or climate
change.]
3.P.2.1 The picture below shows two balls that have the
same weight.
Ball A
Ball B
Mr. Green has two identical balls (same size and weight).
He puts 15 pumps of air into Ball B but he does not touch
Ball A. If he weighs the two balls, what would he find out
about the weight of the two balls?
a. Ball A is heavier than Ball B because air is light.
b. Ball A is lighter than Ball B because air adds weight.
c. Balls A and B are the same because air is nothing.
d. Balls A and B are the same because they are the same
size.
Explain how you know.
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER & ENERGY
2.P.2 Understand properties of solids and
liquids and the changes they undergo.
1.L.2 Summarize the needs of living organisms for
energy and growth.
2.P.2.1 Give examples of matter that change from a
solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a solid by heating
and cooling. 4D/P2
1.L.2.2 Summarize the basic needs of a variety of different
animals (including air, water, and food) for energy and
growth. 5C/P2;LS1.C
Performance Expectation 2-PS1-4
Construct an argument with evidence that some
changes caused by heating or cooling can be
reversed and some cannot.
Performance Expectation K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants
and animals (including humans) need to survive.
[Clarification Statement: Examples of reversible changes could
include materials such as water and butter at different
temperatures. Examples of irreversible changes could include
cooking an egg, freezing a plant leaf, and heating paper.]
[Clarification Statement: Examples of patterns could include that
animals need to take in food but plants do not; the different kinds of
food needed by different types of animals; the requirement of plants
to have light; and that all living things need water.]
1.L.2.2 Create a garden habitat that will attract and
provide the basic needs for birds, butterflies and plants
that are found in North Carolina. Research and plant
appropriate flowers.
Have students research and draw habitats of similar
plants and animals that are found in other parts of the
world. Discuss differences and similarities (e.g., type
of materials used to build each shelter) and explain
how each environment enables the different plants
and animals to obtain the basic needs for energy and
growth.
Joey has decided to plant several plants and keep
animals in his garden that are similar to the ones he
has at home. Describe what Joey will need to keep his
plants and animals alive, if he chooses the following:
Plants:
Milkweed Butterfly bush Climbing aster
Smooth coneflower
Animals:
a turtle
a toad
a bunny
1.L.1 Understand characteristics of various
environments and behaviors of humans that enable
plants and animals to survive.
1.L.1.1 Recognize that plants and animals need air, water,
light (plants only), space, food and shelter and that these
may be found in their environment. 5D/P1,5C/P2
K.L.1 Compare characteristics of animals that make them
alike and different from other animals and nonliving things.
K.L.1.2 Compare characteristics of living and nonliving things in
terms of their: structure, growth, changes, movement, basic needs.
5D/P1;5C/P2;LS1.C
Performance Expectation K-ESS3-1
Use a model to represent the relationship between the
needs of different plants or animals (including
humans) and the places they live.
Performance Expectation K-LS1-1
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and
animals (including humans) need to survive. [Clarification
1. L.1.1 and 1.L.2.2
Create a garden habitat that will attract and provide
the basic needs for birds, butterflies and plants that
are found in North Carolina. Research and plant
appropriate flowers.
K.L.1.2 The pictures below represent an owl, a butterfly
and a statue of an owl. Make a claim about what the owl
and butterfly have in common and how they are different?
Make a claim
[Clarification Statement: Examples of relationships could include
that deer eat buds and leaves, therefore, they usually live in
forested areas, and grasses need sunlight so they often grow in
meadows. Plants, animals, and their surroundings make up a
system.]
Statement: Examples of patterns could include that animals need to take in
food but plants do not; the different kinds of food needed by different types
of animals; the requirement of plants to have light; and that all living things
need water.]
Living Owl
Have students research and draw habitats of
similar plants and animals that are found in other
parts of the world. Discuss differences and
similarities (e.g., type of materials used to build
each shelter) and explain how each environment
enables the different plants and animals to survive.
Joey decided to create a garden habitat, exactly like
the one from school, in his backyard except he
would include plants and animals from other parts
of the world as well as those from NC. Which
plants and animals do you think will grow and
survive best? Explain your selections.
Living Butterfly
Statue of Owl
K-12 Essential Questions: 1. How do organisms obtain and use the matter and energy they need to live and
grow? 2. How do matter and energy move through an ecosystem? LS1.C;LS2: FLOW OF MATTER &
ENERGY
CARBON FLOW IN A GRASSLAND ECOSYSTEM
Respiration
Grass
125 g/m2
Herbivores
125 g/m2
Respiration
5 g/m2
4g/m2
Predators
60 g/m2
(liter)
250 g/m2
1 g/m2
(roots)
Soil/Decomposers
Respiration
336 g/m2
How much carbon (in g/m2) is released into the atmosphere as a result of the metabolic
activity of herbivores? Give your answer to the nearest whole number.