Tatiana's Curriculum+Map

=‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Essential Questions ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍= =‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Big Ideas ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍= =‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍Units/Chunks ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍=
 * ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍How do we know that all organisms are connected ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍?
 * What are the evidences of change/development?
 * What is the equilibrium of life?
 * ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍All organisms past and present are connected ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍.
 * Life continues through reproduction and development of living organisms.
 * Liv‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍ing systems maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life. ‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍
 * 1) History of life and Evolution
 * 2) Populations and Ecology
 * 3) Chemistry/Biochemistry
 * 4) Cell
 * 5) Genetics
 * 6) Human body

=Topical Questions=
 * History of life**
 * How did life begin?
 * Is evolution predictable?
 * Evolution**
 * What change is evolution?
 * What are the evidence of evolution?
 * What are the driving forces of natural selection?
 * How do organisms evolve?
 * Population**
 * What is population and how it grows?
 * How do populations evolve?
 * Ecology**
 * What is the equilibrium of life?
 * What shapes en ecosystem?
 * Role of humans in the biosphere?
 * Does protection of endangered species upset the process of natural selection?
 * Chemistry/Biochemistry**
 * Why water is essential to life?
 * What are the functions of each group of organic compounds?
 * Role of enzymes in living organisms?
 * Cell**
 * What are the differences and similarities of prokaryotes and eukaryotes; animal and plant cells?
 * Where they [differences and similarities of cell structure] might be coming from?
 * How do autotrophs produce food? Where do they get energy?
 * Where do heterotrophs get the energy?
 * Can autotrophs and heterotrophs exist without each other?
 * What determines the phenotype of an organism?
 * Why cells are small? How do cells stay small?
 * What is the role of Meiosis in an organism and in a population?
 * Genetics **
 * What is the principle of dominance?
 * Can we predict the outcome of genetic crosses?
 * Why Mendel's principles work only in some case?
 * How is sex determined?
 * How changes in DNA cause genetic disorders?
 * Human body**
 * How does the human body maintain homeostasis?
 * What is the role of the nervous system? How is a nerve impulse transmitted?
 * What are the functions of skeletal, muscular, and integumentary systems?
 * What are the structures of the circulatory system? How does it work?
 * What is respiration? What are the structures of the respiratory system?
 * What are the nutrients our body needs?
 * What are the structure and function of the digestive system?
 * What is the function of the endocrine system?
 * What is the structure and funcitons of the male and female reproductive systems?
 * How are these systems similar or different from corresponding body systems of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, invertebrates? Where are these similarities and differences coming from? These overarching questions are analyzed not at the end of the unit but while we are study each system.

=Topical Big Ideas=
 * History of life**
 * Origin and evolution of eukaryotic cells and multicellular life
 * Patterns of evolution
 * Evolution**
 * Darwin's observations + homologous body structures, similarities in early development
 * Darwin's theory of evolution
 * Evolution as genetic change
 * Popolaitons**
 * Limiting factors of population growth
 * Sources of genetic variation and the process of speciation
 * Ecology**
 * Interaction and interdependence: energy flow, cycles of matter
 * Biotic and abiotic factors that shape ecosystem
 * Human activities that affect the biosphere; Renewable and nonrenewable resources; Global warming
 * Value of biodiversity
 * Chemistry/Biochemistry**
 * Properties of water
 * Organic compounds of life
 * Chemical reactions and enzymes
 * Cell**
 * Cell structure and functions
 * Photosynthesis
 * Cellular Respiration
 * DNA structure and replication, RNA structure and origin (transcription), protein syntesis (translation)
 * Cell cycle and Mitosis
 * Meiosis
 * Gene mutations and regulation
 * Genetics**
 * Gregor Mendel's work and principle of independent assortment
 * Beyond dominant and recessive alleles (Incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, polygenic traits)
 * Human genes, chromosoms and traits
 * Sex-linked genes
 * Genetic disorders
 * Human body**
 * Organization of the body systems
 * Nervous system
 * Skeletal, mascular, and intergumentary systems
 * Circulatory and respiratory systems
 * Digestive and excretory systems
 * Endocrine and reproductive systems