LIFE  SCIENCE  GRADES  6  TO  8

Reference	Content Standards	Wetlands	Rainforest	The Digital Frog 2
XI. Structure and Function in Living Systems
A.	Cells are the fundamental unit of life	None	None	None
B.	Living systems are organized by levels of complexity	Producers, Consumers, Decomposers, Organisms and Migration (taxonomy)	Organisms as examples	Anatomy Screens (9 body systems)
C.	Specialized structures perform specific functions at all levels of complexity	None	Animal Characteristics, Plant Characteristics	Anatomy Screens (9 body systems), Dissection
XII. Reproduction and Heredity
A.	Reproduction is essential for species’ survival	Organisms and Migration (life cycle)	Organisms (life cycle)	Reproductive system
B.	Characteristics of an organism result from inheritance and from interactions with the environment	Organisms and Migration as examples	Organisms as examples, New Species, Species Change	None
C.	Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely than others to survive and produce offspring	Organisms and Migration as examples, Plant Adaptations, Animal Adaptations	Organisms, New Species, Species Change, Plant and Animal Characteristics	None
XIII. Regulation and Behavior
A.	Living organisms strive to maintain a constant internal environment	Animal Adaptations, Habitat, Organisms and Migration as examples	Organisms as examples	Hibernation, Feeding
B.	Living organisms respond to external stimuli	Animal Adaptations, Habitat, Organisms and Migration as examples	Dependency Web Screens, Plant and Animal Characteristics, New Species, Species Change	Behavior (Hibernation, Feeding, Mating, Vocalization, Jumping)
XIV. Populations and Ecosystems
A.	Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy	Food Chains, Web Energy, Photosynthesis	Productivity	None
B.	Population growth and decline are dependent on various factors	None	Species Change, New Species	None
C.	In all environments, organisms with similar needs may compete with one another for resources including food, space, water, air, and shelter. Other relationships may be beneficial	Food Chains, Food Web Game, Plant & Animal Adaptations, Habitat	Dependency Types, Habitat, Food, Seed Dispersal, Pollination, Niches, Dependency Game, Ant Symbiosis	None
D.	Organisms within an ecosystem are dependent on one another and on nonliving components of the environment	Food Chains, Producers, Consumers, Decomposers, Plant and Animal Adaptations, Habitat, Food Web Game	Food, Habitat, Seed Dispersal, Pollination, Niches, Web Game, Ant Symbiosis	None
XV. Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms
A.	By classifying organisms, biologists consider details of internal and external structure	Producers, Consumers, Decomposers, Organisms and Migration (taxonomy)	Use Organisms as examples	None
B.	Organisms have a great variety of internal and external structures that enable them to survive	Use Organisms and Migration as examples	Use Organisms as examples	Anatomy screens (9 body systems)