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MS-LS4

SCI-MS.LS4

BPSS-SCI logo DCI Life Science LS4

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

Performance Expectations

LS4 help students formulate an answer to the question, “ How do organisms change over time in response to changes in the environment?”

The LS4 Disciplinary Core Idea is divided into four sub-ideas: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity, Natural Selection , Adaptation, and Biodiversity and Humans . Students can construct explanations based on evidence to support fundamental understandings of natural selection and evolution. They can use ideas of genetic variation in a population to make sense of organisms surviving and reproducing, hence passing on the traits of the species. They are able to use fossil records and anatomical similarities of the relationships among organisms and species to support their understanding. 

Calculation Method for DCI

Disciplinary Core Ideas are larger groups of related Performance Expectations. So the Disciplinary Core Idea Grade is a calculation of all the related Performance Expectations. So click on the Performance Expectation name below each Disciplinary Core Idea to access the learning targets and proficiency scales for each Disciplinary Core Idea's related Performance Expectations.

SCI-MS.LS4.01

Life Science Logo7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

SCI-MS.LS4.01 Analyze and interpret data for patterns in the fossil record that document the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of life forms throughout the history of life on Earth under the assumption that natural laws operate today as in the past.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on finding patterns of changes in the level of complexity of anatomical structures in organisms and the chronological order of fossil appearance in the rock layers
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity The collection of fossils and their placement in chronological order (e.g., through the location of the sedimentary layers in which they are found or through radioactive dating) is known as the fossil record. It documents the existence, diversity, extinction, and change of many life forms throughout the history of life on Earth.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can

Reasoning Targets

  • I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Resources

Vocabulary

  • words
  • list

Websites

  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window

SCI-MS.LS4.02

Life Science Logo 7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity

SCI-MS.LS4.02 Apply scientific ideas to construct an explanation for the anatomical similarities and differences among modern organisms and between modern and fossil organisms to infer evolutionary relationships.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on explanations of the evolutionary relationships among organisms in terms of similarity or differences of the gross appearance of anatomical structures (examples could include bone structure comparisons of different organisms).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity Anatomical similarities and differences between various organisms living today and between them and organisms in the fossil record, enable the reconstruction of evolutionary history and the inference of lines of evolutionary descent.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can

Reasoning Targets

  • I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Resources

Vocabulary

  • words
  • list

Websites

  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window

SCI-MS.LS4.03

Life Science Logo7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

SCI-MS.LS4.03 Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities and differences in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on inferring general patterns of relatedness among embryos of different organisms by comparing the macroscopic appearance of diagrams or pictures (examples may include fish, pigs, and chickens).
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity Comparison of the embryological development of different species also reveals similarities that show relationships not evident in the fully-formed anatomy.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can

Reasoning Targets

  • I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Resources

Vocabulary

  • words
  • list

Websites

  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window

SCI-MS.LS4.04

Life Science Logo7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

SCI-MS.LS4.04 Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using simple probability statements and proportional reasoning to construct explanations.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.B: Natural Selection Natural selection leads to the predominance of certain traits in a population, and the suppression of others.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can recognize or recall specific terminology (geographic isolation, mutation, variation, adaptation, natural selection, trait, evolution, species, vestigial structures, DNA, embryology, homologous structures).  
  • I can list the three sources of variation (mutation, geographic isolation, movement).  
  • I can recall Charles Darwin’s principals of natural selection.

Reasoning Targets

  • I can explain how variation in a population can lead to the formation of a new species.  
  • I can explain why variation is important in a population. 
  • I can describe the effects of natural selection.   
  • I can list and explain the evidences of evolution. 

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • recognize or recall specific terminology.
  • list the three sources of variation.
  • recall Charles Darwin’s principles of natural selection. 
Vocabulary: geographic isolation, mutation, variation, adaptation, natural selection, trait, evolution, species, vestigial structures, DNA, embryology, homologous structures
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • explain how variation in a population can lead to the formation of a new species.
  • describe the effects of natural selection. 
  • explain why variation is important in a population.
  • list and explain the evidences of evolution. 
  • explain how natural selection influences the passing on of traits.
Sample Activity:
model the influence of the environment on traits by calculating allele frequencies over several generations.
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Click Here to view the Proficiency Scale

Resources

Vocabulary

  • geographic isolation
  • mutation
  • variation
  • adaptation
  • natural selection
  • trait
  • evolution
  • species
  • vestigial structures
  • DNA
  • embryology
  • homologous structures

Websites

  • Chapter 6 of Life Science textbook 
  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window

SCI-MS.LS4.05

Life Science Logo7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

SCI-MS.LS4.05 Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on synthesizing information from reliable sources about the influence of humans on genetic outcomes in artificial selection (such as genetic modification, animal husbandry, gene therapy); and, on the impacts these technologies have on society as well as the technologies leading to these scientific discoveries.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.B: Natural Selection In artificial selection, humans have the capacity to influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding. One can choose desired parental traits determined by genes, which are then passed on to offspring.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can

Reasoning Targets

  • I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Resources

Vocabulary

  • words
  • list

Websites

  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window

SCI-MS.LS4.06

Life Science Logo7th Grade (SCI) Life Science Standards
[LS4] Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

SCI-MS.LS4.06 Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.

Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using mathematical models, probability statements, and proportional reasoning to support explanations of trends in changes to populations over time.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.C: Adaptation Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one important process by which species change over time in response to changes in environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, the distribution of traits in a population changes.

Student Learning Targets:

Knowledge Targets

  • I can

Reasoning Targets

  • I can

Skills (Performance) Targets

  • I can

Product Targets

  • I can

Proficiency Scale

The Student can ...
1 Beginning
... with help, demonstrate a partial understanding of some of the simpler details and processes (Score 2.0 content) and some of the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
2 Developing
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding the simpler details and processes but exhibits major errors or omissions regarding the more complex ideas and processes (Score 3.0 content).
  • descriptors
3 Proficient
“The Standard.”
... demonstrate no major errors or omissions regarding any of the information and processes that were end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors
4 Advanced
... demonstrate in-depth inferences and applications regarding more complex material that go beyond end of instruction expectations.
  • descriptors

Resources

Vocabulary

  • words
  • list

Websites

  • Title of website with a URL to open in a new window