Content Area: Science
Unit Title: Cells, Plants, and Animals Unit: 1
Target Course/Grade Level: Life Science, Seventh Timeline: 10-12 weeks
Unit Summary
This unit provides students with knowledge of the living world and allows them to understand that all living things are composed of smaller parts that work together to allow organisms to survive. These organisms then work together to create an interconnected network. The students begin with the discovery and an in-depth exploration of the animal and plant cell. They learn how each organelle works to carry out specific functions which allow the cell to live. With further exploration, students will focus on the plant’s cell and the processes of photosynthesis and respiration and how these processes allow a plant to survive.
Students are then given a bigger picture of living things by learning about the ways in which they classify living organisms based on characteristics such as cell type. They use this classification system as well as the knowledge they have gained about cells to decipher the cell type and classification of a specific given organism.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language Arts, Art, Social Studies, Technology, 21 st Century
Life and Careers
21 st century themes and skills: Physical manipulation of authentic substances, Use of technology,
Environmental Literacy
Unit Rationale
“Today more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and out security and prosperity as a nation.” (Obama, 2008)
Student understanding the world in which we live and how all living things are interconnected. Every living thing is composed of cells and those cells create a world of different organisms that interact with one another. By learning about the living world around them students are given a foundation of knowledge on where they come from, what they are made of, and how the living world works.
Learning Targets
Standards
5.1 Science Practices
Science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
B.
Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time.
D.
Participate Productively in Science: The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and communication, which are social practices that are governed by a core set of values and norms.
5.2 Physical Science
Physical science principles, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy, and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science.
B. Changes in Matter: Substances can undergo physical or chemical changes to form new
substances. Each change involves energy.
5.3 Life Science
All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and

predicted through the use of mathematics.
A.
Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life. Cellular units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions.
B.
Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have different ways of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms.
9.1 21 st -Century Life & Career Skills
All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as both global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures.
Content Statements:
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Evidence is generated and evaluated as part of building and refining models and explanations.
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Science involves practicing productive social interactions with peers, such as partner talk, wholegroup discussions, and small-group work.
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In order to determine which arguments and explanations are most persuasive, communities of learners work collaboratively to pose, refine, and evaluate questions, investigations, models, and theories (e.g., argumentation, representation, visualization, etc.).
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Instruments of measurement can be used to safely gather accurate information for making scientific comparisons of objects and events.
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Organisms are treated humanely, responsibly, and ethically.
Chemical changes can occur when two substances, elements, or compounds react and produce one or more different substances. The physical and chemical properties of the products are different from those of the reacting substances.
 Systems of the human body are interrelated and regulate the body’s internal environment.
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Essential functions of plant and animal cells are carried out by organelles.
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All organisms are composed of cell(s). In multi-cellular organisms, specialized cells perform specialized functions. Tissues, organs, and organ systems are composed of cells and function to serve the needs of cells for food, air, and waste removal.
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During the early development of an organism, cells differentiate and multiply to form the many specialized cells, tissues, and organs that compose the final organism. Tissues grow through cell division.
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Plants are producers: They use the energy from light to make food (sugar) from carbon dioxide and water. Plants are used as a source of food (energy) for other organisms.
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Food is broken down to provide energy for the work that cells do, and is a source of the molecular building blocks from which needed materials are assembled.
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All animals, including humans, are consumers that meet their energy needs by eating other organisms or their products.
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The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to solve the problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.
CPI #
5.1.8.B.1
Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI)
Design investigations and use scientific instrumentation to collect, analyze, and evaluate evidence as part of building and revising models and explanations.
5.1.8.D.1
5.1.8.D.2
Engage in multiple forms of discussion in order to process, make sense of, and learn from others’ ideas, observations, and experiences.
Engage in productive scientific discussion practices during conversations with peers, both face-to-face and virtually, in the context of scientific investigations and model-building.
5.1.8.D.3 Demonstrate how to safely use tools, instruments, and supplies.

5.1.8.D.4
5.2.8.B.2
5.3.6.A.1
Handle and treat organisms humanely, responsibly, and ethically.
Compare and contrast the physical properties of reactants with products after a chemical reaction, such as those that occur during photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Model the interdependence of the human body’s major systems in regulating its internal environment.
Model and explain ways in which organelles work together to meet the cell’s needs.
5.3.6.A.2
5.3.8.A.1
5.3.8.A.2
5.3.6.B.1
5.3.8.B.1
5.3.8.B.2
9.1.8.A.1
Compare the benefits and limitations of existing as a single celled organism and as a multicellular organism.
Relate the structures of cells, tissues, organs, and systems to their functions in supporting life.
Describe the sources of the reactants of photosynthesis and trace the pathway to the products.
Relate the energy and nutritional needs of organisms in a variety of life stages and situations, including stages of development and periods of maintenance.
Analyze the components of a consumer’s diet and trace them back to plants and plant products.
Develop strategies to reinforce positive attitudes and productive behaviors the impact critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Unit Essential Questions
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How are cells important to the structure and function of living things?
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How do cells obtain energy they need to carry out all their functions?
 What is the “Cell Theory”?
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What are the functions of cell organelles?
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What happens during the process of photosynthesis and cellular respiration?
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What do the levels of classification indicate about the relationship between organisms?
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What characteristics are used to classify organisms into domains and kingdoms?
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What major functions do animal’s bodies perform?
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How does the structure of vertebrates help them to function?
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How do we build and refine models that describe and explain the natural and designed world?
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What constitutes useful scientific evidence?
Unit Enduring Understandings
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Cells are the basic unit of structure and function in
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The discoveries of scientists such as Matthais
 an organism. Cells are important to both unicellular and multi-cellular organisms. They form each part of an organism and carry out all of an organism’s processes including obtaining and using oxygen, reproducing, and getting rid of wastes.
Schleiden, Theodor Schwann, and Rudolf Virchow led to a widely accepted explanation of the relationship between cells and living things called the “Cell Theory”. The “Cell Theory” states that all living things are composed of cells, cells are the basic units of structure and function in living things, and all cells are produced from other cells.
A cell is composed of many organelles which allow the cell to carry out specific functions. The cell wall helps to protect and support a cell while the cell membrane controls what substances move into and out of a cell. Cells also contain a nucleus which controls all of the cell’s activities and contains a nucleolus which produces ribosomes.
The nucleus contains chromatin which is the cell’s genetic material. These organelles are encased in a nuclear envelope that provides protection for the nucleus. Outside of the nucleus there is the mitochondrion which converts cell food into cellular energy, the endoplasmic reticulum which is a passageway for proteins and other materials to travel through the cell, and ribosomes which

Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
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List the characteristics all living things share.
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Explain where living things come from.
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Identify what all living things need to share. produce proteins. The cell also contains Golgi bodies whose function is to receive material from the endoplasmic reticulum and distribute that material to other parts of the cell. Plant cells contain chloroplasts whose function is to capture energy from sunlight and convert it into food for the cell. There are also vacuoles which store food and other materials needed by the cell. Finally, the cell contains lysosomes whose function is the break down certain materials within the cell.
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Photosynthesis is the process in which a cell uses sunlight to produce food. During this process, plants and other organisms use energy from sunlight and convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and sugars. Cellular respiration is the process by which cells obtain energy from glucose.
During respiration, cells break down molecules such as sugar and oxygen and release carbon dioxide, water, and energy.
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In the 1750s Carolus Linnaeus developed a system which placed organisms into categories based on the characteristics each organism shared. The levels of classification, as they become more specific indicate a higher level of shared characteristics between organisms.
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The domain and kingdom are the two highest levels of classification. Organisms are placed into domains and kingdoms based on their cell type, their ability to make food, and the number of cells in their body.
 Animals’ bodies obtain food and oxygen, keep internal conditions stable, move, and reproduce.
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Vertebrates contain an endoskeleton and a backbone which provides the body with support and allows it to move. They also have a nerve cord that runs down their back. This cord connects the brain and the nerves and allows messages to travel from the brain to the rest of the body.
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Measurement and observation tools are used to categorize, represent and interpret the natural world.
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Evidence is used for building, refining, and/or critiquing scientific explanations.

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Explain why biologists classify organisms.
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Relate the levels of classification to the relationship between organisms.
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List characteristics used to classify organisms into groups, including domains and kingdoms.
 State the “Cell Theory”.
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Identify each cell organelle and describe the functions of each.
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Explain how cells are organized in many-celled organisms.
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Observe characteristics of objects to infer whether they are living or nonliving.
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Explain how the sun supplies living things with the energy they need to survive.
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Describe the process of photosynthesis.
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Identify and describe the events that occur during respiration.
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Observe the importance of the stomata in plant growth and survival.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
Students will choose an organism to research and create a poster or PowerPoint presentation. The project must include a picture of the organism, identification and picture/description of the type of cell that composes the organism, and classification of the organism using the Linnaeus classification system. Upon completion, the students will present this project to the class and will be assessed based on a rubric.
Equipment needed: laptops, poster board, drawing/writing utensils, SMARTBoard, ELMO
Teacher Instructional Resources: Prentice Hall Science Explorer: Life Science textbook
Microworlds: Teachers Guide http://www.discoveryeducation.com
Formative Assessments
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Unit Test
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Study Guides
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Developing Classification System for Seeds
 “Masses of Mosses”
 “A Close Look at Flowers”
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Discovering Cell Flowchart
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“Multiplying by Dividing”
Cell Membranes and Permeability Lab
Investigating Stomata Lab
“Soaking Up Those Rays”
Living Things Concept Map
Create a Cell Word Search
Integration of Technology: The students will use laptops to research a specific organism and create a
PowerPoint presentation using the information found from various sources. They will also use the
SMARTBoard and ELMO to present projects and assessments such as their concept map and flowchart.
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit: http://www.discoveryeducation.com

Opportunities for Differentiation: This unit caters to students of all learning styles (i.e., kinesthetic, visual, tactile and auditory instruction). The students will work in groups composed of those that are at a variety of learning levels. Those groups will change consistently throughout. They also work in pairs and individually during different activities in the unit. The students are given the opportunity to use skills such as inference during the conducting of labs and reading comprehension to answer questions in the text and on worksheets. They also conduct hands-on labs to aid in the further understanding of certain scientific concepts being taught.
Teacher Notes: If computer or Internet access is not available to students they can use non-fictional texts to perform research for the summative assessment. If seeds are unavailable for classification of an organism then pictures can be used.