Investigation 1: What is Life?
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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Part 1: Living or Nonliving – How do we determine if something is living or non-living?
Part 2: Is Anything Alive in Here? – What evidence is used to determine if something is living or nonliving?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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Any free-living thing-plant, animal, or other, is an organism.
All living organisms exhibit common characteristics: they grow, consume nutrients, exchange gases,
respond to stimuli, reproduce, need water, eliminate waste, and are composed of cells.
CONTENT STANDARDS/PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
Standard
6-8 INQA
Students know that:
Scientific inquiry involves asking and
answering questions and comparing the
answer with what scientists already know
about the world.
It is important to distinguish between the
results of a particular investigation and
general conclusions drawn from these
results.
Students are expected to:
Generate a question that can be answered
through scientific investigation. This may
involve refining or refocusing a broad and illdefined question.
Generate a scientific conclusion from an
6-8 INQF
investigation, using inferential logic, and clearly
distinguish between results (i.e., evidence) and
conclusions (e.g., explanation). Describe the
differences between an objective summary of
the findings and an inference made from the
findings.
This lesson builds a foundation for understanding the Life Science 1 (LS1) Content Standards, Structure
and Function of Organisms.
WORD BANK
WASL WORDS
Dormant
Stimuli
Organism – 5th
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Living
Non-living
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Part 1: Keep camphor very dry; if you receive a block that has already been open, you may need
to microwave it for a very short period of time to get some of the moisture out.
Part 1: Use an overhead with the camphor activity; you’ll need a black background underneath
the Petri dish if you use a document camera (it doesn’t work as well)
Part 1: Create a separate list of “Evidence of Life” for each period, labeling the period so you can
refer back to them. You can do this on the document camera. Once you have a more complete
list, you can post one for all the classes created from everyone’s input.
Part 2: Leave the 5 Unknowns in the bags labeled “A” through “E” for the next teacher to use.
Part 2: 30 ml is about 2/3’s of a vial.
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Part 2: If brine shrimp don’t hatch, discuss possible reasons for this. Possibilities of poor habitat
conditions include the amount of salt, amount of light, temperature of the water, other chemicals
in the water. The eggs may be old and no longer viable. (Check the stock date on the vial.)
Part 2: Number each paragraph in the reading with students to help them follow it.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Part 1 – Give students only the categories “Living” and “Non-living” for sorting the cards. As they
work, suggest to groups that are struggling that they can include an “Unknown” category as well. This
forces students to have longer conversations on the cards they are unsure about.
Part 1 – The Teacher Guide suggests setting up mini-ponds at the end of Part 1. These often become
a messy chore that don’t produce great results. You may skip the mini-ponds by substituting
observations of pond water in Investigation 3 (rather than making observations of the mini ponds.)
Part 2 - Encourage small groups to reach a consensus as to whether each of the unknowns is living
or non-living. Push them to defend their positions with evidence.
Post a master list of the characteristics that all living organisms share. You will refer back to this list,
and even modify it, throughout the module.
ASSESSMENT:
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At the conclusion of the Investigation, have students reread their original Quick Write (p. 47 TG). Ask
them to use a different color pen or pencil and revise their definition of a living thing using the word
organism. Review these to understand how each students’ thinking has changed.
Homework: Ask students to create a poster illustrating organism needs and organisms functions.
Use mid-summative exam 1.
DIFFERENTIATION
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Advanced Learning – Have students research and create a scaled timeline from the big bang until the
present. Ask them to show on the timeline when major forms of life appear in the fossil record (e.g.,
bacteria, multi-cellular organisms, terrestrial organisms, plants fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
mammals, and early human ancestors). Ask them to think about why all living things have common
needs and functions.
English Language Learners - Use the modified reading for “What is Life?”
Special Needs – Use the modified reading for “What is Life?”
CULTURAL RELEVANCE

Guide students to relate what they have learned about the characteristics of living organisms to their
own bodies and to any pets they have.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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Investigation 2: Introduction
FOSS Diversity of Life
to the Microscope
FOCUS QUESTION:
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Part 1: Meet the Microscope – How do the parts of a microscope work together as a system to
magnify an object? What do you observe about the behavior of objects when viewed through a
microscope?
Part 2: Exploring the Microworld – What is meant by “focal plane?” How do you calculate
magnification? What is the field of view (in mm) under different magnifications?
Part 3: Microscopic Life – What additional characteristics of life can we observe when looking at brine
shrimp under a microscope?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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The microscope is a tool used by scientists to study organisms in detail.
An optical microscope is composed of a two-lens system (eyepiece and objective lens), a stage on
which to mount the material being observed, a light source (radiant or reflective), and a mechanical
system for adjusting the position of the focal plane.
Field of view is the size of the area seen under a specific magnification with the microscope.
Focal plane is a thin plane at a fixed distance from the objective lens where the image is in focus.
Optical power is the product of the magnifications of the eyepiece and the objective lens.
A microscope image appears reversed (flipped left to right) and inverted (flipped top to bottom). When
an object is moved from left to right, through the eyepiece it appears to move from right to left.
Scientific illustrations, to scale and with labels, of objects viewed under the microscope help us
understand the details of what we observe.
CONTENT STANDARDS/PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
Standard
6-8
APPC
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Science and technology are
Give examples to illustrate how scientists have
interdependent. Science drives technology helped solve technological problems (e.g., how
the science of biology has helped sustain
by demanding better instruments and
suggesting ideas for new designs.
fisheries) and how engineers have aided
Technology drives science by providing
science (e.g., designing telescopes to discover
instruments and research methods.
distant planets).
This lesson builds a foundation for understanding the Life Science 1 (LS1) Content Standards, Structure
and Function of Organisms.
WORD BANK
WASL WORDS
Parts of a microscope (eyepiece, objective, stage,
neck, coarse focus, fine focus, diaphragm, light,
base
Magnify/magnification
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Field of view
Focal plane
Wet Mount
Dry Mount
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Part 1: Have a TA prepare the microscope trays a couple days before using the microscopes.
Part 1: Emphasize that students always begin to focus with the shortest objective and with the stage
in the closest position to the objective. Microscopes should be stored with the shortest objective ready
to be used.
Set up a microscope under the document camera (remove light from document camera) to project
images for the entire class to see. Use this to help students identify air bubbles, dirt or dust, and any
interesting images.
Part 1: Prepare slides with a letter “e,” a piece of a photo and a piece of a feather taped onto one
slide for each group. Keep these to reuse every year. This allows students to concentrate on focusing
and drawing scientific illustrations and simplifies materials managements. They will learn to prepare
slides themselves in Parts 2 & 3 and Lessons 3 & 4.
Part 3: Even if the brine shrimp don’t hatch, it is interesting to look at the eggs underneath a
microscope. Continue the discussion of reasons why the eggs didn’t hatch.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Part 1: Don’t spend too much time on the letter “e,” photo and feather. There are much more
interesting things to observe. Students do need to learn to be proficient at focusing and finding
objects with the microscope.
Save some time for students to look at other objects they bring in. This keeps interest levels high and
promotes their curiosity.
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/history/leeuwenhoek.html
ASSESSMENT:
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Use questions 1 & 2 at the bottom of the Brine Shrimp Alive! Student page to connect the microscope
work with the concepts of needs & functions of living organisms from Investigation 1.
DIFFERENTIATION:
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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Investigation 3: Microscopic Life
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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Part 1: Discovering Cells – When looking at an Elodea leaf under magnification, what evidence of life
can be observed? What characteristic appears to be common in all the leaf samples? What do we
call the unique structures that appear to make up this organism?
Part 2: Paramecia – What evidence can be observed to support the idea that the single-celled
paramecium is an organism?
Part 3: Microworlds – How is it possible that living microorganisms can be found in miniponds made
from clean, drinkable water?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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The cell is the basic unit of life.
Cells have the same needs and perform the same functions as more complex organisms.
Paramecia have shape, a membrane, cilia, an oral groove, and organelles, including vacuoles.
Plant cells (like elodea) have some different and some similar structures as paramecia.
Some living cells are organisms (single-celled organisms) and some are not organisms (cells in
multicellular organisms).
Standard
6-8 LS1A
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
All organisms are composed of cells,
which carry on the many functions
needed to sustain life.
Draw and describe observations made with a
microscope, showing that plants and animals are
made of cells, and explain that cells are the
fundamental unit of life. Describe the functions
performed by cells to sustain a living organism (e.g.,
division to produce more cells, taking in nutrients,
releasing waste, using energy to do work, and
producing materials the organism needs).
One-celled organisms must contain parts
to carry out all life functions.
Draw and describe observations made with a
microscope, showing that a single-celled organism
(e.g., paramecium) contains parts used for all life
functions.
Both plant and animal cells must carry on
life functions, so they have parts in
common, such as nuclei, cytoplasm, cell
membranes, and mitochondria. But
plants have specialized cell parts, such as
chloroplasts and cell walls, because they
are producers and do not move.
Use labeled diagrams or models to illustrate
similarities and differences between plant and animal
cell structures and describe their functions (e.g., both
have nuclei, cytoplasm, cell membranes, and
mitochondria, while only plants have chloroplasts
and cell walls).
6-8 LS1B
6-8 LS1D
WORD BANK
Organisms: Elodea, Paramecia
Cell wall
Cell membrane
WASL WORDS
Nucleus
Chloroplasts
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Part 2: Observing the paramecia feeding can be difficult. Don’t worry if this doesn’t work.
Part 3: Rather than preparing mini-ponds, provide students with pond water for a pond water safari
(student sheet p. 25). Obtain the pond water from a source with year-round water. Include leaves and
mud from the bottom in your bucket or container. To avoid splashing in your car, use a lid or place a
piece of plastic across the surface of the water. Fill the container half-full or less. The creek behind
(west of) the Meadowbrook Community Center generally has a high concentration of organisms for
students to be successful.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Part 2: Use a box (for similarities) and a t-chart (for differences) to compare elodea cells and
paramecium cells. (step 13 in Teachers Guide, p. 112)
Part 3: Making observations of amoeba and euglena cultures after spending so much time on lthe
paramecia may become tedious for students, especially if the cultures are weak. One student
reported they spent 3 days looking at water in the microscope! Streamline these observations and
have students make scientific illustrations of the organisms in their notebooks rather than following
the student sheets. Note that euglenas are flagellates.
ASSESSMENT:
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Use the student Response Sheet – Microscopic Life (p. 19) to assess student understanding of
single-celled and multicellular organisms. Consider having students write individually, share their
response with a neighbor, give advise or ask questions about the neighbor’s response, then revise
their own responses based on the feedback received. Read the responses to determine how well the
students understand the concepts and to focus your teaching efforts in Part 3. Students will review
and score their responses at the end of Part 3.
DIFFERENTIATION:
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CULTURAL RELEVANCY:
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
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Investigation 4: The Cell
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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Part 1: Human Cells - What are living things, including humans, made of? What evidence do we have
that humans not only have cells, but are cells?
Part 2: Ribbon of Life – What are the cellular structures that define cells? How are cells organized into
more advanced levels or organization within multi-cellular organisms?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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Humans and all other life forms are made of cells; cells are the basic units of life.
All life is aquatic at the cellular level.
A major subdivision in cells is whether they have a nucleus (eukarote – includes protist, plant and
animal cells) or not (prokaryote – includes bacteria).
Cells have defining structures, such as membranes, cell walls, nuclei, chloroplasts, cytoplasm,
ribosomes, and mitochondria that carry out the life functions of a cell. Several of these structures can
be seen by students in the classroom.
Standard
6-8 LS1C
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Multicellular organisms have specialized
cells that perform different functions. These
cells join together to form tissues that give
organs their structure and enable the organs
to perform specialized functions within
organ systems.
Relate the structure of a specialized cell (i.e.,
nerve and muscle cells) to the function that the
cell performs. Explain the relationship between
tissues that make up individual organs and the
functions the organ performs (e.g., valves in the
heart control blood flow, air sacs in the lungs
maximize surface area for transfer of gases).
Describe the components and functions of the
digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems in
humans, and how these systems interact.
Both plant and animal cells must carry on
life functions, so they have parts in common,
such as nuclei, cytoplasm, cell membranes,
and mitochondria. But plants have
specialized cell parts, such as chloroplasts
and cell walls, because they are producers
and do not move.
Use labeled diagrams or models to illustrate
similarities and differences between plant and
animal cell structures and describe their functions
(e.g., both have nuclei, cytoplasm, cell
membranes, and mitochondria, while only plants
have chloroplasts and cell walls).
6-8 LS1D
WORD BANK
WASL WORDS
Eukaryote
Prokaryote
Organelles
Nucleus
Cell Membrane
Atoms
Molecules
Tissues
Organs
Organ Systems
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Ribbon of Life
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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The Teacher Guide provides instructions (p. 139) for completing the Ribbon of Life (Part 2) activity as
a class with 1 computer OR with multiple computers for student groups or individuals.
If the FOSS CD-ROM does not work in your computer, register at the FOSS website,
http://www.fossweb.com/modulesMS/DiversityofLife/index.html, to obtain on-line access to the same
materials. You can share the log-in and password with your students if they will be working in a
computer lab.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Part 2: The Ribbon of Life activity tends to be difficult for many students. Some modifications to
consider: simplify the worksheet, don’t emphasize the ideas of atoms or molecules, focus on the
relationships between cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and organisms. The ideas on page 140
of the Teacher Guide are strong ones to emphasize.
Part 2: To illustrate the Ribbon of Life, give each student a long balloon and some different kinds of
macaroni. Have them place a few pieces of macaroni in the balloon and inflate the balloon. The
balloon represents a cell and the macaroni represents the organelles. Have students with the same
colored balloons tape or tie their balloons together; these represent tissues. Have 2 or 3 different
tissues join their balloons together to create an organ, then have all the organs join together to create
and organism. Create labels for each of the different parts and hang the organism in the classroom.
Students can come up with creative names for this new organism.
Students do not need to memorize the organelles in a cell or the terms prokaryote and eukaryote.
This is a good introduction for them and future biology classes.
This unit presents the 5 Kingdom organization of life. This is no longer current. In the last 30 years, a
strong case has been made to organize living things into 3 domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and
Eukaryotes. Within the Eukaryotes, there are 4 Kingdoms: Plants, Animals, Protists and Fungi. For
more information on this, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification or do some
searching of your own.
Cellsalive.com has great pictures and animations of cells. Look at the “How Big…” animation to get a
sense of scale of the size of cells.
ASSESSMENT
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DIFFERENTIATION:
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Advanced Learnerss: Expect advanced learners to know the terms and to understand the differences
between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
English Language Learners & Special Needs Learners: ELL and IEP students may need a more
structured worksheet to complete the Ribbon of Life. Consider asking the ELL and/or Special Ed
teacher for help with creating an appropriate paragraph with blanks and a word list for students to fill
in. Include quick sketches of with words when possible.
CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

Focus on the human body to improve the relevancy of this lesson to students. Students can give
examples of different types of cells, the tissues, organs, and organ systems they form. What happens
when someone has cancer? How does this affect cells, tissues, organs and organ systems? Use
other diseases that are familiar to students.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 5: Seeds of Life
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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Part 1: Lima Bean Dissection – Are seeds living or nonliving? How do the three main parts of a seed
work together to produce a new plant?
Part 2: Sprouting monocots and dicots – What is germination? What sequence of developments do
you observe during the germination of radish and rye grass seeds?
Part 3: Root Cells – Do all the cells in the root look alike? How are they different?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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Seeds contain the dormant, living embryo of a plant.
Germination is the onset of growth and differentiation in plant seeds.
Growing roots typically have a root tip where cell division takes place, a zone of elongation, and a
zone of maturation where root hairs develop. The root hairs absorb water needed by plant cells.
The cotyledon is the primary source of energy for seed germination and early plant growth.
Seeds do not require light for germination; seeds require water, warmth and oxygen.
Standard
6-8 LS1C
6-8 LS1D
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Multicellular organisms have specialized
cells that perform different functions. These
cells join together to form tissues that give
organs their structure and enable the organs
to perform specialized functions within
organ systems.
Relate the structure of a specialized cell (i.e.,
nerve and muscle cells) to the function that the
cell performs. Explain the relationship between
tissues that make up individual organs and the
functions the organ performs (e.g., valves in the
heart control blood flow, air sacs in the lungs
maximize surface area for transfer of gases).
Describe the components and functions of the
digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems in
humans, and how these systems interact.
Both plant and animal cells must carry on
life functions, so they have parts in common,
such as nuclei, cytoplasm, cell membranes,
and mitochondria. But plants have
specialized cell parts, such as chloroplasts
and cell walls, because they are producers
and do not move.
Use labeled diagrams or models to illustrate
similarities and differences between plant and
animal cell structures and describe their functions
(e.g., both have nuclei, cytoplasm, cell
membranes, and mitochondria, while only plants
have chloroplasts and cell walls).
.
WORD BANK
Germination
Cotyledon, monocot & dicot
Seed coat
Embryo
dormancy
WASL WORDS
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Students who choose not to put the lima bean seed in their mouth can soak it in water in a Petri dish.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Students will likely have germinated seeds before. Remind them that this time they are looking at
germination with the eyes of a cell biologist!
Remind students that they are drawing scientific illustrations of the seeds. Scientific illustrations
include labels as well as a title for the drawing. Model for the students a labeled diagram of the dry
seed and have them do one on their own with the seed they have soaked.
Making root tip slides is nearly impossible for students to do with the materials provided. The pictures
on page 32 of the student resource book show much more than what students will ever see with their
own root tip slides. Use the reading to highlight the importance of roots and the roles of different types
of cells. You can purchase prepared slides at a reasonable price for students to look at. Check
Carolina, Flinn or Delta science supply companies.
Do an open inquiry on conditions affecting seed germination using baggie gardens (from Helen
Buttemer) or an alternative method for germinating seeds (see
http://www.robsplants.com/seed/baggy.php for an example). Students must have one experimental
baggie and one control baggie and keep all the conditions the same, except for the manipulated
variable. Many variables can be tested such as temperature, amount of light, type of seeds, or
various solutions other than water. Baggies can be set up and then taped in a window and left over a
break (e.g., Thanksgiving or spring break).
ASSESSMENT:
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Use the WASL-style assessment that has been created to go with this lesson.
DIFFERENTIATION:
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CULTURAL RELEVANCY:
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 6: Transpiration
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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
Part 1: What Happened to the Water? - Can plants without roots absorb water? What evidence
supports the fact that the celery stalk caused the water to disappear? What evidence supports the
fact that water did not collect in the celery stalk?
Part 2: Looking at Leaves - How does water move throughout the plant? If water does not collect in
the plant, how does it escape?
Part 3: Trees and Shrubs – What role does transpiration play in the earth’s water cycle?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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Water in the form of water vapor, a gas, continually leaves a plant through stomates. This is called
transpiration.
Stomates open and close to regulate the rate of transpiration.
Stomates can be observed on the underside of a leaf using a microscope.
A system of tubelike connected cells, called xylem, transports water from the roots to all structures of
the plant.
Standard
6-8 LS1C
Students know that:
Multicellular organisms have specialized
cells that perform different functions. These
cells join together to form tissues that give
organs their structure and enable the organs
to perform specialized functions within
organ systems.
6-8 LS1D
Students are expected to:
Relate the structure of a specialized cell (i.e.,
nerve and muscle cells) to the function that the
cell performs. Explain the relationship between
tissues that make up individual organs and the
functions the organ performs (e.g., valves in the
heart control blood flow, air sacs in the lungs
maximize surface area for transfer of gases).
Describe the components and functions of the
digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems in
humans, and how these systems interact.
.
Both plant and animal cells must carry on
life functions, so they have parts in common,
such as nuclei, cytoplasm, cell membranes,
and mitochondria. But plants have
specialized cell parts, such as chloroplasts
and cell walls, because they are producers
and do not move.
Use labeled diagrams or models to illustrate
similarities and differences between plant and
animal cell structures and describe their functions
(e.g., both have nuclei, cytoplasm, cell
membranes, and mitochondria, while only plants
have chloroplasts and cell walls).
In the water cycle, water evaporates from
Earth’s surface, rises and cools, forms
clouds, then condenses and falls as rain or
snow, and collects in bodies of water.
Describe the water cycle and give local examples
of where parts of the water cycle can be seen.
6-8 ES2C
WORD BANK
Transpiration
Stomates (stomata)
WASL WORDS
Xylem
photosynthesis
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Be sure to find celery bunches with leaves. Ask a produce worker if there is some in the back or if
they can save you some from a new shipment.
When enclosing branches with plastic bags, make sure the bag is tied off in a way that the water
won’t drip out or in. This activity does not work well when it rains. (Part 3) This could be done on a
warm day at the end of the year.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Photosynthesis can be introduced in this lesson, including energy transfers from the sun’s light
energy to chemical energy in the plant. Photosynthesis is studied in more detail in 8th grade, Ecology.
Page 38 in the student Resources book has good pictures of stomates.
Skip using a microscope to look at a cross section of a celery stalk that has been in red dye. This is
difficult to get the slices thin enough. They can see the xylem in the pictures of the root cross section
on page 32 of the student Resources book.
Do look at the stomates. Celery leaves work well but the wandering Jew plant is the best.
Tradescantia zebrine is the scientific, genus & species name for Wandering Jew.
Set up the celery investigation as a controlled experiment. Use WASL terms (manipulated,
responding and controlled variables). Measure the amount of water in the vials using graduated
cylinders or a ruler for the responding variable. Emphasize that the multiple trials can be counted as
each set up in the class. Calculate averages, ranges, minimum and maximum values. Graph the
results. Write WASL-style conclusions using evidence from the table (data) to support the claim or
answer to the investigative question.
ASSESSMENT:
 Question 3 of Mid-Summative Exam 6 asks students to describe the process of transpiration from
water entering the plant to water leaving the plant. Ask students to do this using a labeled diagram
with their answer.
DIFFERENTIATION:

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 7: Plant Reproduction
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:
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
Part 1: Flower Dissection – What are the major structures of flowers? What is the function of flowers
and pollination in sexual reproduction in plants?
Part 2: Seed Dispersal – How is a seed produced? What are some seed dispersal mechanisms? How
do seed dispersal mechanisms contribute to a plant’s survival?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:
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CONCEPTS:
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Flowering plants reproduce sexually.
The stamen, anther, and pollen are male parts of the flower.
The pistil, stigma and ovary are the female parts of the flower.
Petals and sepals are other important parts of a flower.
During pollination, pollen is carried from the anthers on the stamens of a flower to the stigma of the
pistil on a different flower of the same species. The sperm cells in the pollen combine with the egg
cells in the ovaries to develop into the embryo (seed) of a new plant.
Standard
6-8 LS1C
6-8 LS3C
Students know that:
Multicellular organisms have specialized
cells that perform different functions. These
cells join together to form tissues that give
organs their structure and enable the organs
to perform specialized functions within
organ systems.
Relate the structure of a specialized cell (i.e.,
nerve and muscle cells) to the function that the
cell performs. Explain the relationship between
tissues that make up individual organs and the
functions the organ performs (e.g., valves in the
heart control blood flow, air sacs in the lungs
maximize surface area for transfer of gases).
Describe the components and functions of the
digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems in
humans, and how these systems interact.
Reproduction is essential for every species
to continue to exist. Some plants and
animals reproduce sexually while others
reproduce asexually. Sexual reproduction
leads to greater diversity of characteristics
because children inherit genes from both
parents.
Identify sexually and asexually reproducing
plants and animals. Explain why offspring that
result from sexual reproduction are likely to have
more diverse characteristics than offspring that
result from asexual reproduction.
.
WORD BANK
Dispersal
Pollination
pollinator
Pistil
Stigma
Stamen
Anther
Pollen
Students are expected to:
WASL WORDS
Petal
Sepal
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:

Provide enough flowers so that each student can do a dissection. Floral departments in grocery
stores are very willing to make donations, particularly of flowers that are slightly wilted and can no
longer be sold.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Once students have dissected the flowers, they can compare the different numbers of petals, sepals,
stamen and pistils. Have them create a table to record their results. This gives them another idea of
the diversity of structures in different flowering plants.
Have students draw cartoons, illustrations or make powerpoint presentations to describe the process
of pollination.
Adaptations are structures that enhance the plant’s probability of reproduction and survival. While it is
not explicitly taught, it is nevertheless, an important idea in species diversity. It should be clear to
students that plants can’t willfully change a structure to improve it, such as the color of a flower.
These types of changes arise through different means, including genetic mutations.
The seed hunt (Part 2) works much better early in the fall before everything gets soggy. In the spring,
there are lots of flowers but very few seeds. Consider skipping this lesson if the timing is wrong.
ASSESSMENT:

Student Response Sheet – Plant Reproduction, p. 45 of the Lab Notebook, provides an excellent
assessment of pollination.
DIFFERENTIATION:

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 8: Snails
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:



Part 1: Meet the Land Snail – What can you observe about a snail’s structures and movement? How
does a hand lens and flashlight enhance your observations?
Part 2: Snail Habitats – How would you design a fair test to observe the different preference of a
snail? What would a model habitat include that would meet the needs of snails?
Part 3: Snail Comparisons – What are some similarities and differences between snails and other
organisms?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

CONCEPTS:



Snails are a type of invertebrate called a gastropod (gastro – stomach, pod – foot). It has a muscular
foot, a head with sensory organs, and a shell for protection.
A habitat provides an animal with food, water, shelter and reproductive needs.
Anthropomorphism (anthrop - man/human, morph – shape) is attributing human thoughts and
feelings to nonhuman organisms.
Standard
6-8 LS1C
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Multicellular organisms have specialized
cells that perform different functions.
These cells join together to form tissues
that give organs their structure and enable
the organs to perform specialized functions
within organ systems.
Relate the structure of a specialized cell (i.e.,
nerve and muscle cells) to the function that the
cell performs. Explain the relationship
between tissues that make up individual organs
and the functions the organ performs (e.g.,
valves in the heart control blood flow, air sacs
in the lungs maximize surface area for transfer
of gases). Describe the components and
functions of the digestive, circulatory, and
respiratory systems in humans, and how these
systems interact.
In classifying organisms, scientists
consider both internal and external
structures and behaviors.
Scientific inquiry involves asking and
answering questions and comparing the
answer with what scientists already know
about the world.
Different kinds of questions suggest different
kinds of scientific investigations.
Use a classification key to identify organisms,
noting use of both internal and external
structures as well as behaviors.
Generate a question that can be answered through
scientific investigation. This may involve refining
or refocusing a broad and ill-defined question.
6-8 LS1E
6-8 INQA
Question
6-8 INQB
Investigate
6-8 INQC
Investigate
Collecting, analyzing, and displaying data are
essential aspects of all investigations.
Plan and conduct a scientific investigation (e.g.,
field study, systematic observation, controlled
experiment, model, or simulation) that is
appropriate for the question being asked.
Propose a hypothesis and give a reason for the
hypothesis and explain how the planned
investigation will test the hypothesis.
Work collaboratively with other students to carry
out the investigations.
Communicate results using pictures, tables,
charts, diagrams, graphic displays, and text that
are clear, accurate, and informative.
Recognize and interpret patterns – as well as
variations from previously learned or observed
patterns – in data, diagrams, symbols, and words.
6-8 INQD
Investigate
For an experiment to be valid, all (controlled)
variables must be kept the same whenever
possible, except for the manipulated
(independent) variable being tested, and the
responding (dependent) variable being
measured and recorded. If a variable cannot
be controlled, it must be reported and
accounted for.
6-8 INQF
Explain
It is important to distinguish between the
results of a particular investigation and
general conclusions drawn from these results.
6-8 INQG
Communicate
clearly
Scientific reports should enable another
investigator to repeat the study to check the
results.
6-8 INQI
Consider
ethics
Scientists and engineers have ethical codes
governing animal experiments, research in
natural ecosystems, and studies that involve
human subjects.
Use statistical procedures (e.g., median, mean, or
mode) to analyze data and make inferences about
relationships.
Plan and conduct a controlled experiment to test a
hypothesis about a relationship between two
variables. Determine which variables should be
kept the same (controlled), which (independent)
variable should be systematically manipulated,
and which responding (dependent) variable is to
be measured and recorded. Report any variables
not controlled and explain how they might affect
results.
Generate a scientific conclusion from an
investigation, using inferential logic, and clearly
distinguish between results (i.e., evidence) and
conclusions (e.g., explanation). Describe the
differences between an objective summary of the
findings and an inference made from the findings.
Prepare a written report of an investigation by
clearly describing the question being investigated,
what was done, and an objective summary of
results.The report should provide evidence to
accept or reject the hypothesis, explain the
relationship between two or more variables, and
identify limitations of the investigation.
Demonstrate ethical concerns and precautions in
response to scenarios of scientific investigations
involving animal experiments, research in natural
ecosystems, and studies that involve human
subjects.
WORD BANK
Invertebrates
Habitat
Anthropomorphism
Estivation
Hermaphrodite
Radula
Ectothermic
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Kathryn Kelsey will bring snails to you. Let her know when you need them.
It’s very important to emphasize treating and handling the snails and other organisms respectfully!
Don’t feed the snails for a few days before conducting the experiments. If you have several sections,
rotate snails. If you don’t, the snails won’t feed as much after 2 or 3 classes.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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Part 1: Students make observations and scientific illustrations of land snails in a Kindergarten unit,
Animals 2x2. Ask if any remember doing this and what they remember. Maybe someone can bring in
their science notebook with the illustration from Kindergarten.
Part 1: Challenge students to find all the structures of a snail and to discover their functions. You can
give them a list of structures. They can use the Resources book as well as the snail observation
materials in Part 1.
Parts 1 & 2: Encourage students to distinguish between observations (e.g., the snail is eating the
lettuce) and inferences (e.g., the snail is hungry). Inferences are interpretations of observations.
Part 3: Skip if you are pressed for time.
Part 3: Consider using the snail shell activity at the beginning of the year when practicing classroom
routines and making observations. Use a “Box and T-chart” rather than a Venn diagram for
comparing two shells.
Have students design their own experiments after making observations about snails. The teacher
guide gives lots of good suggestions and ideas. Use “Jim’s Experiment” to launch a discussion about
designing experiments.
ASSESSMENT:


Use the 3-circle Venn diagram, p. 55 in the lab book, to compare Paramecium, Radish plants and
Snails. Focus on the characteristics of life and the diversity of life.
Mid-Summative Exam 8, p. 439 in the Teacher Guide, question 7 provides a good assessment on
designing experiments.
DIFFERENTIATION:

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 9: Roaches
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:



Part 1: Introducing Insects – What are examples of behavioral and structural adaptations that have
allowed some insects to survive and reproduce?
Part 2: Cockroaches – How do cockroaches respond to such stimuli as wind, water, smells, food,
antennae handling, and movement? What questions do you have about cockroaches that you’d like
to investigate?
Part 3: Cockroach Habitat – What is the natural habitat of a cockroach? How do cockroaches live in
their natural environment?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

CONCEPTS:


Insects have 3 body parts (head, thorax, abdomen) six legs, and two antennae.
Adaptations are structures or behaviors of organisms that enhance their chances to survive and
reproduce in their habitat.
Standard
6-8 LS3E
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Adaptations are physical or behavioral
changes that are inherited and enhance the
ability of an organism to survive and
reproduce in a particular environment.
Give an example of a plant or animal adaptation
that would confer a survival and reproductive
advantage during a given environmental change.
** See Investigation 8 for additional inquiry standards.
WORD BANK
WASL WORDS
Adaptations
Thorax
Abdomen
Spiracles
Antennae
Metamorphosis
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:


Part 2: Don’t feed the roaches for a few days before conducting the experiments. If you have several
sections, rotate roaches. If you don’t, the snails won’t feed as much after 2 or 3 classes.
Part 2: Many students are initially wary of touching the roaches. They do not transmit diseases. If the
roaches are in a deli cup, students can make observations without touching them. Generally, a third
of the class is willing to touch them from the beginning. By the end of the work, more than half the
class will be touching them.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:
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
Part 1: Use a reading strategy for the reading “The Insect Empire.” Key word notes, concept maps,
Cornell notes, pair sharing after each section, are just a few to consider.
Design experiments to investigate the purposes of behaviors of the hissing cockroach.
ASSESSMENT:

Mid-Summative Exam 9, p. 440 in the Teacher Guide, question 9 provides a good assessment on
designing experiments. You could rewrite this into a WASL format.
DIFFERENTIATION:

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Investigation 10: Kingdoms of Life
FOSS Diversity of Life
FOCUS QUESTION:



Part 1: Bacteria and Fungi – Where do you find bacteria and fungi? In order to grow and reproduce,
what will bacteria and fungi need? How is it possible to see bacteria and fungi with the naked eye?
Part 2: Exponential Growth – How long do you think it will take for one bacterium to reproduce to
become a colony of one million? What other information would you need to make a reasonable
prediction?
Part 3: Microbes We Eat – What is the role of microorganisms in transforming foods and recycling
nutrients through decomposition?
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE:

CONCEPTS:




Microbe is the general name for microscopic bacteria and fungi, especially those that cause disease
and promote fermentation.
Bacteria, fungi and algae have the characteristics of living organisms.
Bacteria have a cell membrane but no internal organelles. They are also called Prokaryotes.
Bacteria and fungi are found on all surfaces and in the water and air around us.
Standard
6-8 LS3C
Students know that:
Students are expected to:
Reproduction is essential for every species
to continue to exist. Some plants and
animals reproduce sexually while others
reproduce asexually. Sexual reproduction
leads to greater diversity of characteristics
because children inherit genes from both
parents.
Identify sexually and asexually reproducing
plants and animals. Explain why offspring that
result from sexual reproduction are likely to have
more diverse characteristics than offspring that
result from asexual reproduction.
Energy flows through an ecosystem from
producers to consumers to decomposers.
These relationships can be shown for
specific populations on a food web.
Analyze the flow of energy in a local ecosystem,
and draw a labeled food web showing the
relationships among all of the ecosystem’s plant
and animal populations.
One-celled organisms must contain parts to
carry out all life functions.
Draw and describe observations made with a
microscope, showing that a single-celled
organism (e.g., paramecium) contains parts used
for all life functions.
6-8 LS2B
6-8 LS1B
WORD BANK
WASL WORDS
Microorganisms
Bacteria
Fungi
Exponential growth
WORKING DEFINITIONS
OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS
Exponential growth
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT:
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Part 1: Skip the fungi activity with pieces of bread in baggies. The mold growth can become smelly
and dangerous for any student allergic to mold. If one of the baggies is opened accidently, the spores
go everywhere. Time is better spent on the bacterial growth activity.
Part 1: Use the recipe and broth for making the agar rather than using the pre-made agar in the long
vials. Make the agar a few days in advance and store the Petri dishes upside down in the refrigerator
in a shoebox.
Part 1: You should have 16 sterile Petri dishes for each class. If you don’t, let a coach or the Science
Materials Center know.
Part 1: Set up 1 control Petri dish for all your classes to use.
Part 1: Have students tape the edges closed all the way around their Petri dishes after they have
inoculated them.
Part 1: To safely dispose of bacteria-laden Petri dishes, open them and soak them in a 5% bleach
solution overnight. (Use vinyl dishwashing gloves and remove the tape from the Petri dishes while
holding them underwater in the bleach solution.) After they have soaked at least one night, place
them in a garbage bag, tie it off and throw them in the dumpster.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:




This unit presents the 5 Kingdom organization of life. This is no longer current. In the last 30 years, a
strong case has been made to organize living things into 3 domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and
Eukaryotes. Within the Eukaryotes, there are 4 Kingdoms: Plants, Animals, Protists and Fungi. For
more information on this, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification or do some
searching of your own.
Part 3: Consider different ways to expose students to different foods made by microbes rather than
your bringing everything in. Ask students to bring in examples, make a menu or design a poster with
pictures of different microbe-related foods and the role of the microbe.
Part 3: Make root beer (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/ROOTBEER_Jn0.htm) or yogurt
(http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/cheese/yogurt_making/yogurt2000.htm) as a class.
Have students design an experiment comparing bacterial growth from two different locations (i.e.,
classroom door handle vs. office door handle, classroom floor vs. desk top). Have them plan and
conduct the experiment as it is done on the WASL. Be careful to keep everything (agar, cotton
swabs) as sterile as possible.
ASSESSMENT:

DIFFERENTIATION:

CULTURAL RELEVANCY:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
