CONTENT ELABORATION: HEREDITY
Building on knowledge from elementary school (plants and animals have life cycles and offspring resemble their parents) and knowledge from middle school (reproduction, Mendelian genetics, inherited traits and diversity of species), Heredity focuses on the explanation of genetic patterns of inheritance. In middle school, students learn that living things are a result of one or two parents, and traits are passed to the next generation through either asexual or sexual reproduction. Foundational concepts of mitosis and meiosis are introduced in grades 6 and 8. In addition, they learned that traits are defined by instructions encoded in many discrete genes and that a gene may come in more than one form called alleles.
B.H.1: Cellular genetics
Life is specified by genomes. Each organism has a genome that contains all the biological information needed to develop and maintain that organism. The biological information contained in a genome is encoded in its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and is divided into discrete units called genes. Genes code for proteins.
Different parts of the genetic instructions are used in different types of cells, influenced by the cell’s environment and history. The many body cells in an individual can be very different from one another, even though they are all descended from a single cell and thus have essentially identical genetic instructions. (AAAS).
EXPECTATIONS FOR LEARNING
The content in the standards needs to be taught in ways that incorporate the nature of science and engage students in scientific thought processes. Where possible, real-world data and problem- and project-based experiences should be utilized. Ohio’s Cognitive Demands relate to current understanding and research about the ways people learn and are important aspects to the overall understanding of science concepts. Care should be taken to provide students opportunities to engage in all four types of thinking. Additionally, lessons need to be designed so that they incorporate the concepts described in the Nature of Science.