In 7th Grade Life Science, students embark on an exploration of the living world, delving into the intricate relationships between organisms and their environments. Through interactive investigations, hands-on experiments, and engaging discussions, students will develop a strong foundation in key biological concepts.

By the course's conclusion, students will have developed a strong grasp of fundamental life science concepts, cultivating skills that enable them to think critically, approach problems scientifically, and appreciate the intricate beauty of the natural world. This foundational understanding sets the stage for further scientific exploration and discovery.

From Molecules to Organisms-Structures and Processes

LS1.A: Structure and Function 

• Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells. (Living vs. Nonliving)

• Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and describe the way cell parts contribute to the cell’s function. (Parts of a Cell, Cell Processes)

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms 

• Construct an explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms and/or populations.

• Support or refute an explanation by arguing from evidence and scientific reasoning for how animal behavior and plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction.

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms 

• Construct an explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and the flow of energy into and out of organisms.

• Develop and use a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.

LS1.D: Information Processing

• Ask questions about the processes and outcomes of various methods of communication between cells of multicellular organisms.

• Support or refute an explanation by arguing from the evidence that the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

Ecosystems-Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics 

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems

• Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems 

• Develop and use a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

• Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes in physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect a population.

LS2.D: Social Interactions and Group Behavior 

• Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity or ecosystem services.

• Gather multiple sources of information and communicate how Minnesota American Indian Tribes and communities and other cultures use knowledge to predict or interpret patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.

Heredity-Inheritance and Variation of Traits Across Generations 

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits

• Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.

LS3.B: Variation of Traits

• Ask questions that arise from careful observations of phenomena or models to clarify and/or seek additional information about how changes in genes can affect organisms. 

Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity 

LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity 

• 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. 

• 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. (Classifications)

LS4.B: Natural Selection

• Use an algorithm to explain how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations. 

LS4.C: Adaptation

• 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. 

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

• 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. 

Texts and Materials Frequently Used (provided): 

• Science World Magazine

• Everything You Need to Ace Science: The Complete Middle School Study Guide 

• IXL

• Mosa Mack

• Kahn Academy

• Generation Genius

• EdPuzzle