Grade 7 Unit 05: Adaptations in Plants and Animals (18 days)

TEKS

(11)  Organisms and environments. The student knows that populations and species demonstrate variation and inherit many of their unique traits through gradual processes over many generations. The student is expected to:

(A)  examine organisms or their structures such as insects or leaves and use dichotomous keys for identification;

(B)  explain variation within a population or species by comparing external features, behaviors, or physiology of organisms that enhance their survival such as migration, hibernation, or storage of food in a bulb; and

(C)  identify some changes in genetic traits that have occurred over several generations through natural selection and selective breeding such as the Galapagos Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) or domestic animals.

(12)  Organisms and environments. The student knows that living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. The student is expected to:

(A)  investigate and explain how internal structures of organisms have adaptations that allow specific functions such as gills in fish, hollow bones in birds, or xylem in plants;

(C)  recognize levels of organization in plants and animals, including cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms;

 

Assignments/Reading

1. Read 10.1 Change Over Time pp. 436 - 445. Define/describe highlighted words.
1. 1. Darwin concluded that all finches on the Galapagos evolved from a common ancestor from the South American mainland. What adaptations resulted from different parts fo the population eating different types of food? How do these adaptations help organisms survive and reproduce?
2. 2. Dawin's hypothesis (later became a theory) was that populations evolved over time to better survive and reproduce in their environments through a process called natural selection. Explain how overproduction, competition, and variation relate to evolution through natural selection.
3. 3. Darwin did not know how characteristics were passed from one generation to the next. We know today how that happens, and we have studied it in a previous unit. Explain how characteristics of a parent generation are passed to their offspring.
2. Read 10.2 Adaptations and Variations pp. 446 - 453.
1. Use the dicoomous key on p. 452 to identify the animals on p. 453.
3. Read 10.3 What is Behavior? pp. 454 - 461. Define the highlighted words.
1. 1. Give two examples of pavlonian conditioning (figure 5) that you have observed in your own life.
2. 2. Can any animal learn any behavior? Explain your answer.
4. Read 10.4 Patterns of Behavior pp.462 - 469.

Review

Before you take the test on this unit, you should do the review.