UNIT PLANNER
UNIT TITLE- Diversity of Living Things
GRADE LEVEL- Eighth Grade
CONTENT AREA- Life Science
TEACHER NAME-Kaitlin Siefke
#DAYS OF UNIT- 10 days
BENCHMARKS FOR THE UNITOhio Benchmark: Grade 8: Life Sciences: B: Describe the characteristics of an organism in terms of a
combination of inherited traits and recognize reproduction as a characteristic of living organisms essential to
the continuation of the species.
Ohio Benchmark: Grade 8: Life Sciences: D: Explain how extinction of a species occurs when the environment
changes and its adaptive characteristics are insufficient to allow survival (as seen in evidence of the fossil
record).
Ohio Benchmark: Grade 8: Science and Technology: A: Give examples of how technological advances,
influenced by scientific knowledge, affect the quality of life.
CONCEPTS COVERED (VOCABULARY)Genetic variation, mutation, variation, adaptation, Charles Darwin, natural selection, speciation,
overproduction, chromosome, DNA, gene, genotype, phenotype, alleles, Gregor Mendel, heredity, traits,
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
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Can we have similar characteristics as a mouse?
How well do you know your closest relative?
How many variation of the color RED are there?
OBJECTIVES - (STUDENTS WILL…)
Students will know, be able to, and understand:
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Components that make up DNA (chromosomes, genes, alleles, bases) and how DNA affects heredity.
Design a double helix and label it’s parts.
Explain various important technology uses for knowing and understanding the structure of DNA.
Mutations can occur in genetic material and can affect a variation in the population.
Charles Darwin began the theory of Evolution and described natural selection.
Model natural selection, explain how it relates to evolution and change over time among species.
Explain how genetic variation can support evolution evidence
UNIT PLANNER
EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING
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Warm-up questions and answers in students’ notebooks (I would check this section of their notebook
once a week to ensure they are following correct procedures with warm-ups)
DNA handout for creating a double helix
POP quiz on DNA and it’s components
KWL chart for uses of knowing the structure of DNA and the technology
Review questions on pages 125, 148 (Cells and Heredity text) and pages 27, 34 (Life Over Time text)
Summaries about Charles Darwin and Evolution
Student data chart for Modeling Natural Selection
Quiz on Darwin, Evolution, natural selection, mutations, variations
CHRONOLOGY OF ACTIVITIES (INCLUDING ASSESSMENTS)DAY ONE
-Warm-up Question
-Read pages 101107 in Cells and
Heredity text
-Take notes on
definitions for
gene, heredity,
alleles, Mendel,
phenotype,
genotype,
dominant, recessive
-CHAPTER Review
Questions on page
125 #5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, 17,
DAY TWO
-Warm-up Question
-Read pages 73-78
in Cells and
Heredity text
-Take notes on
definitions for DNA,
chromosomes
-Students get
handout for
modeling DNA
activity (Students
will create a double
helix with various
materials)
-Students take
notes of what their
double helix looks
like and what each
material represents
DAY THREE
-Warm-up Question
-Review what
students discovered
about DNA and the
double helix
-POP Quiz on the
different and
important parts of
DNA
(chromosomes,
genes, base names
etc)
-Have students
group in no more
than three students
-Student groups
brainstorm ideas
about how knowing
DNA’s structure is
important and what
we could use it for
-Students could
brainstorm using
the first two
columns of a KWL
chart
DAY FOUR
-Warm-up Question
-Read pages 144 to
148 in Cells and
Heredity text
-Take notes on
definition for
mutation
-Explain how
mutations occur
and how they affect
variation in a
population
-Exit Slip: review
questions on page
148, # 1 , 2
DAY FIVE
-Warm-up Question
-Review what
students wrote on
their KWL
charts/brainstorming
activity
-Read pages 150-154
in Cells and Heredity
text
-Take notes about
important uses of
DNA technology
-Students complete
their third column of
their KWL chart
(what they have
learned)
DAY SIX
DAY SEVEN
-Warm-up Question -Warm-up Question
-Pair students up to -Review what
DAY EIGHT
-Warm-up Question
-Discuss CONCLUDE
DAY NINE
DAY TEN
-Warm-up Question -Warm-up Question
-Review what
-Quiz the students
UNIT PLANNER
read different
articles about
Charles Darwin and
evolution (articles
will be given by me;
one or two pairs
can read text Life
Over Time pages
17-20)
-Students
summarize what
they learn on a
separate sheet of
paper with use of
important
vocabulary and
notes
-Students read their
summaries to the
class
students
summarized about
Darwin and
evolution
-Begin reading
direction for
Modeling Natural
Selection(INQUIRY)
activity on page 26
and 27 of Life Over
Time text
-Explain further
details; give
example of how the
game will work
-Students draw
chart in their notes
section for the
activity
-Student groups
gather materials for
activity/game
-Students proceed
through activity to
observe natural
selection
-Students answer
CONCLUDE
questions from the
book on page 27
question from
previous days’
activity
-Read pages 21-25
in Life Over Time
text
-Students take
notes on definitions
for evolution,
natural selection,
speciation,
adaptation,
overproduction
natural selection is
and how Darwin
came up with the
idea
-Read pages 33-34
in Life Over Time
text
-Take notes on
definitions for gene
and how genetic
evidence supports
evolution
-Exit Slip: Review
Questions on page
34 #2, 3
on what they know
about evolution,
Darwin, natural
selection, mutations
and variation