Unit 1: Intro to Biology:Safety,Scientific Method, Biochemistry (19 Days)

Biology Honors

What do we want students to know and be able to do?

Step 1: Identify the essential standards for the unit.

Essential Standards

Supporting Standards

B.4B Investigate and explain cellular processes, including homeostasis and transport of molecules.

B.9A Compare the functions of different types of biomolecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

B.9C Identify and investigate the role of enzymes.

B.4A compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including their complexity, and compare and contrast scientific explanations for cellular complexity

What are the specific learning targets (bite-sized pieces of learning) that lead to students being able to accomplish the unit goals?

Step 2: Unwrap the essential or power standards.

Learning Targets (Student Objectives)

What should students know and be able to do?

(Information, definitions, processes, concepts, main ideas that students must know or understand)

(Performance, skills, or actions students must do or demonstrate)

Big Ideas: Students will know and be able to do:

• Students are able to view different biomolecule functions and purposes and then relate them to the correct biomolecule and then compare them to the other biomolecules.
• Be able to describe the functions of a biomolecule based on the molecular structures and the intermolecular interactions.
• Student will use investigations to understand diffusion and osmosis are types of passive transport and feedback mechanisms are used to enhance homeostasis
• collect and organize qualitative/quantitative data; make accurate measurements using tools
• analyze, evaluate, make inferences, and predict trends from data  
• communicate conclusions supported by data
• evaluate models according to their limitations 

What academic language / vocabulary should students acquire and use?

(Include the term and definition)

Biomolecule: an organic molecule that includes carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and nucleic acids

Carbohydrate: molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; includes sugars and starches

Enzyme: a protein that catalyzes chemical reactions for organisms.

Fatty acid: hydrocarbon chain often bonded to glycerol in a lipid

Lipid: nonpolar molecule composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; includes fats and oils

Monomer: molecular subunit of a polymer

Nitrogen base: nitrogenous compounds that form an important part of a nucleotide

Nucleic acid: polymer of nucleotides; the genetic material of organisms

Nucleotide: monomer that forms DNA and has a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogen-containing base

Polymer: large, carbon-based molecule formed by monomers

Glucose: a simple sugar which is an important energy source in living organisms and is a component of many carbohydrates

How will we know if they have learned it? (common summative assessment)

Step 3: Discuss evidence of the end in mind - How will you know if students achieved these standards? What type of task could they perform or complete by the end of the unit? With what level of proficiency? With what type of problem or text (stimulus)?  Could include exemplars or a rubric.

Students will demonstrate mastery of the unit by completing the following:

• Students will identify different functions of biomolecules and explain these functions in written format by:

•  using flash cards and placing cards in the correct quadrant according to function.

• Students will explain why something is NOT a certain function of a biomolecule by:

•  using flash cards and placing cards in the correct quadrant according to function.

• Students will write valid conclusions:

•  during the Water Lab and enzyme demo.

• Students can infer and predict outcomes with new variables:

• during the Water Lab and enzyme demo.

• Students can perform investigations with desired outcomes:

• during the Water Lab and enzyme demo.

Where in the unit does it make sense to see if our students are learning what we are teaching? What evidence will we collect along the way? (common formative assessment)

Step 4: Plan the timing for common formative assessments - As the team designs the plan, include the quality instructional practices that support high levels of student learning.

Sequential Plan for Unit Instruction and Monitoring Learning

Days Into Instruction

Common Formative Assessment

(What are the formative checkpoints?)

1-7

Intro to Biology, Safety, Scientific Method      Quiz on Day 7

8-14

Water & Biological Molecules: notes, Water & Cohesion Lab     Quiz on day 14

15-8

Enzymes: Notes, foldable, demo with conclusion writing     Quiz on day 18

19

Unit 1 EXAM

Notes: