Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- Why do living things change over time?
- How do these changes affect biodiversity?
Elements consist of one type of atom, and compounds consist of atoms of different elements chemically combined.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- What are the similarities and differences between elements and compounds?
- How can you investigate the properties of elements and compounds?
The electromagnetic force produces both electricity and magnetism.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- How is electricity generated?
- What is the relationship between electricity and magnetism?
Earth and its climate have changed over geological time.
- Sample questions to support inquiry with students:
- How and why have Earth and its climate changed over time?
- How do people and their practices impact Earth and its climate?
Content
Learning Standards
Content
organisms have evolved over time
change in traits of populations over time
survival needs
all organisms need space, food, water, and access to resources in order to survive
natural selection
the natural process by which certain traits that have a greater fitness for their environment lead to a reproductive advantage; this process happens within a population over time because of genetic variation
elements
a pure substance consisting of a single type of atom, as distinguished by its atomic number (e.g., iron, copper)
and compoundsa pure substance consisting of two or more different atoms held together in a defined special arrangement by chemical bonds (e.g., water/salt)
are pure substancesmatter that consists of only one type of particle and has one set of properties (e.g., density, boiling point, solubility, conductivity)
crystalline structure
crystals formed by a unique arrangement of particles (e.g., rock candy, quartz, snowflakes)
of solids
chemical changes
when atoms rearrange into new products accompanied by an energy change (e.g., rusting, the reaction of vinegar and baking soda, etc.)
electricity
- generated in different waysways of generating electricity including the use of wind, water, coal, geothermal, and solar energywith different environmental impacts
- electromagnetism
- the electromagnetic force is responsible for both electricity and magnetism
- moving or changing a magnetic field relative to a wire produces electric current (e.g., electricity generation by a turbine)
- an electric current passing through a wire produces a magnetic field (e.g., constructing a simple electromagnet using a wire, iron nail and battery)
the fossil record provides evidence for changes in biodiversity over geological time
- the geologic time scale categorizes the time periods of Earth’s geologic history
- ages of rocks and fossils can be determined by both relative and absolute methods
First Peoples knowledge of changes in biodiversity over time
evidence of climate change:
change in climate affects:
over geological time and the recent impacts of humans- the interconnectedness of plants and animals, and their local environment
- e.g., changes to harvesting dates, changes to schedules due to early/later ripening and runs, lowered water levels in creeks, rivers and lakes, change in humidity impacts the ability to preserve salmon, etc.
- humans are capable of changing Earth’s landscape, climate, and systems
- efficacy of sustainable practices
- physical recordsice flow data, fossil record, etc.
- local First Peoples knowledge of climate changeoral history, change in traditional practice (e.g., the timing of harvest has been impacted by climate change), etc.
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Questioning and predicting
Questioning and predicting
Evolution is the change that occurs in living things over long periods of time. This change is a result of organisms being suited to their environment. Evolution is an important concept in biological science, as scientists are always searching for the underlying laws, reasons, or explanations for their observations of living things.
- Key questions about evolution:
- How have species on Earth evolved due to natural selection?
- How does fossil evidence support the evolution of geological time?
Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest
Make observations aimed at identifying their own questions about the natural world
Identify a question to answer or a problem to solve through scientific inquiry
Formulate alternative “If…then…” hypotheses based on their questions
Make predictions about the findings of their inquiry
Planning and conducting
Collaboratively plan a range of investigation types, including field work and experiments, to answer their questions or solve problems they have identified
Measure and control variables (dependent and independent) through fair tests
Observe, measure, and record data (qualitative
evidence expressed through words, descriptions, interviews, narratives
and quantitativeevidence expressed through numbers and measurement
), using equipment, including digital technologies, with accuracyhow close a measured value is to the actual value
and precisionhow close measurements of the same type are to each other
Use appropriate SI units and perform simple unit conversions
Ensure that safety and ethical guidelines are followed in their investigations
Processing and analyzing data and information
Experience and interpret the local environment
Apply First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing
Ways of knowing refers to the various beliefs about the nature of knowledge that people have; they can include, but are not limited to, Aboriginal, gender-related, subject/discipline specific, cultural, embodied and intuitive beliefs about knowledge.
, and local knowledge as sources of information
Construct and use a range of methods to represent patterns or relationships in data, including tables, graphs, keys, models, and digital technologies as appropriate
Seek patterns and connections in data from their own investigations and secondary sources
Use scientific understandings to identify relationships and draw conclusions
Evaluating
Reflect on their investigation methods, including the adequacy of controls on variables (dependent and independent) and the quality of the data collected
Identify possible sources of error and suggest improvements to their investigation methods
Demonstrate an awareness of assumptions and bias in their own work and secondary sources
Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence (qualitative and quantitative)
Exercise a healthy, informed skepticism and use scientific knowledge and findings from their own investigations to evaluate claims in secondary sources
Consider social, ethical, and environmental implications of the findings from their own and others’ investigations
Applying and innovating
Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through personal or collaborative approaches
Co-operatively design projects
Transfer and apply learning to new situations
Generate and introduce new or refined ideas when problem solving
Communicating
Communicate ideas, findings, and solutions to problems, using scientific language, representations, and digital technologies as appropriate
Express and reflect on a variety of experiences and perspectives of place
Place is any environment, locality, or context with which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture, and establish identity. The connection between people and place is foundational to First Peoples perspectives of the world.
- Key questions about place:
- How does place inform your questions and inquiries?
- How does place influence your ability to plan and conduct an inquiry and make predictions about outcomes?
- How does your understanding of place affect the ways in which you collect evidence and evaluate it?
- As you consider the significance, worth, or value of an outcome or finding, how can you show different ways of knowing?
- How can your understanding of place influence project designs?
- How do the place-based experiences and stories of others affect the ways in which you communicate and collaborate?