Introduction to the Science of Life

Unit 1:

Introduction to the Science of Life

Name:

Exam Date: ______(anticipated)

OVERVIEW

Learning Targets:

• I can identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
• I can think critically and logically to make the relationship between evidence and explanation.
• I can work safely and independently in labs.

• I can list and describe the characteristics all living things share. (viruses)
• I can plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Learning
Target / LC 1
Points earned / Total points
earned / SECURE / Areas that need improvement:
(check those that apply)
1 / 5
2 / 5
3 / 5
4 / 5
5 / 5

Assigned Reading Checklist (must read a minimum of 2)

_____ Cliff Notes Chapter 1

_____ Owl Text Book pages 5-9, 13-19

_____ Penguin Text Book pages 4-9, 12-13, 18

_____ Other resource: ______

_____ Other resource: ______

My goals for this unit are:

Behavior:

Academic:

Personal:

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF SCIENCE?

“So, what IS science? It has been defined many ways, and its meaning has changed with time. Like many words, "science" has more than one proper use, and the word can also be misused. In its most fundamental sense, modern science is a process by which we try to understand how the natural world works and how it came to be that way. It is NOT a process for merely collecting "facts" about, or just describing, the natural world, although such observations do provide the raw material for scientific understanding. Scientific knowledge is the inferences that scientists draw from the data - the models for how things work.

As a process, certain rules must be followed, but there is NO one "scientific method", contrary to its popular treatment in textbooks. The rules of science are intended to make the process as objective as is humanly possible, and thereby produce a degree of understanding that is as close to reality as possible. One constant theme is that there is no certainty in science, only degrees of probability (likelihood), and potential for change. Scientific understanding can always be challenged, and even changed, with new ways of observing, and with different interpretations. The same is true of scientific facts. New tools and techniques have resulted in new observations, sometimes forcing revision of what had been taken as fact in the past. Therefore, unlike mathematics, and contrary to popular perception, in science nothing is ever proven (in the sense of finality or certainty that the word suggests).”

Science IS: / Science is NOT:

LEARNING TARGETS

How do we think and do science?...Scientific Process

• I can identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
• I can think critically and logically to make the relationship between evidence and explanation.
• I can work safely and independently in labs. (Ex. Microscope, data and graphs)

Placebo:

Constant:

Independent Variable:

Dependent Variable:

Control Group:

Experimental Group:

Sample size:

Hypothesis:

Theory:

Explain the scientific method.

Observation:

What is a prediction?

Hypothesis:

What is a theory and how is it different from a hypothesis?

What is the difference between a constant and a variable?

Control Group:Experimental Group:

What is a placebo?

SELF-ASSESSMENT:Scientific Method

Identify the statements below (A-H) as to what step (1-7) of the scientific method they occur.

Scan the QR Code for the answers.

LEARNING TARGETS

What is life?...Characteristics of Life

• I can list and describe the characteristics all living things share.
• I can plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

Biology:

Cell:

Organ:

Organelle:

Ecology:

Natural Selection:

Adaptation:

Three Key Features of Living Things

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO ALL LIVING THINGS SHARE?

Big Question / Characteristic / Notes
What are all livings made of?
How are living things organized?
How do we get and use energy?
Why do we need energy?
How do we stay alive?
How do we change as we get older?
What happens at puberty?
What happens to populations over time?
Where do babies come from?

WHY DO WE STUDY VIRUSES IN BIOLOGY?

Give the characteristics of a virus and explain why they are part of biology.

HOW DO WE STUDY LIFE?

Classification of Organisms

The science of describing, naming, and classifying organisms is called ______.

Describe the Linnaean system.

What is binomial Nomenclature? Give an example. What language is used?

LIFE IS CLASSIFIED BASED UPON CELL TYPE.

List the three domains of life. Give an explanation or definition of each group and an example.

Domain / Description / Example

MICROSCOPES

How do you determine the magnification of a microscope?

What is the “field of view”?

What is the difference in the field of view between

low power and high power?

Unit Reflection:

What aspect of your effort and preparation were most effective?

What aspect of your effort and preparation were least effective?

What specific action or actions will improve your performance?

What will you do differently starting this week?

How can I use what I learned in my own life?

For each section of the CCRS rubric, decide whether you are

Secure, Developing or Beginning for this unit:

I use what just I learned in my own life?

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