Module 1: Characteristics of Life (Experimental Design) Essential Question: What is life and how is life interconnected?
Time: 4‐5 days (50 minute periods) total or 2.5% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: ‐ Nature of Science (change over time activity), Measurements, Data,
Safety, Characteristics of Life
Module 2 : Ecology Essential Question: What interactions shape the development of life on Earth?
Time: 32 days (50 minute class periods) or 20% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Energy transfer, Populations, Succession, Communities, Invasive Species,
Cycles, Human interactions, Biodiversity
Module 3: Macroevolution/Structural Essential Question: How is life so diverse yet so connected?
Time: 14 days (50 minute class periods) or 9% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Adaptation, Classification, Fossils, Carbon‐dating, Age of the Earth/History
of Earth, Darwin, Artificial selection, Homologous/analogous structures/vestigial, Natural Selection Module 4: Cellular chemistry/Biochemistry Essential Question: How are the building blocks of life interconnected, and how have they changed life
over time?
Time: 10 days (50 minute class periods) or 6% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Enzyme introduction, Hydrogen bonding, Properties of water, Bonding, pH,
Macromolecules Module 5: Cell Structure and function Essential Question: How do the different parts of a cell work together to sustain life?
Time: 15 days (50 minute class periods) or 10% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Parts of cell, Prokaryotes/eukaryotes, Endosymbiosis, Proportion of
organelles relating to function, Differentiation, Microscopes, Cell transport
Module 6: Cell Energy Essential Question: How is energy connected to life?
Time: 15 days (50 minute class periods) or 10% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Enzymes –substrate, active site, inhibitors, regulation and control,
Photosynthesis and Respiration, Tie back into carbon cycle Module 7: Cellular reproduction Essential Question: Why is cell reproduction necessary to sustain life over time?
Time: 10 days (50 minute class periods) or 6% of your curriculum
Concepts included in module: Cell size and surface area‐volume ratio, Cell cycle, Mitosis, Cancer
Module 8: DNA Essential Question: How do alterations to the recipe of life connect to change over time?
Time: 14 days (50 minute class periods) or 9% of curriculum
Concepts included in module: DNA and Mutations, DNA replication, transcription, translation (protein
synthesis)
Module 9: Genetics Essential Question: If life is so closely interconnected, then why does it appear so different?
Time: 20 days (50 minute class periods) or 20% of curriculum
Concepts included in module: Meiosis, Mendel (dominant/recessive), Monohybrid, Dihybrid Crosses,
Pedigrees, Karyotyping, Human inheritance
Module 10: Molecular Evolution and Classification Essential Question: How does our research today support life has changed over time and is
interconnected? Time: 10 days Concepts included in module: Classification, Allele frequency/Hardy Weinberg, DNA comparison, Genetic
Engineering, Bioethics, Current Biology Hot Topics