Biology+Concepts

=Biology Concepts=
 * Doug Smith
 * **Peggy Lawson**
 * Dy Chen


 * The Coffee Inquiry Unit plan is a mock unit I created that demonstrates how inquiry/pbl can be applied to a big idea. We might find this useful for brainstorming interactivities and how different procedural skill and conceptual ideas can be applied to one single Big Idea.
 * I like that, Doug! It is a good way to help organize teaching plans & assessments. Could we add this in our proposal as a sample, and then further develop something like this for the final project?

( July 8 - I'll add these points about Key Concepts 7 STSE, also from the SK biology curriculum; I've highlighted some we may want to focus on): "This unit introduces the application of probability theory to Mendelian genetics. Consideration of Mendel's laws of heredity and the concept of the gene as a discrete carrier of hereditary information leads to the discussion of chromosomes, genes, and DNA. Both the technical and ethical aspects of genetic engineering and biotechnology are discussed, as is the study of population genetics."

Key Concepts

 * Chromosomes, ethics and morality, gene pool,
 * heredity, probability, DNA, chromosome mapping.

Science-Technology-Society-Environment (S T S E) Focus

 * "creation" of new species
 * genetic disease technologies (possibly, either instead of or in addition to a paternity issue)
 * human genome project

Biology Foundational and Learning Objectives

 * 1) Explain the significance of Mendel's experiments and observations, and the laws derived from them
 * 2) 1.1. Explain the concept of independent events.
 * 3) 1.2. Understand that the probability of an independent event is not altered by the outcomes of previous events.
 * 4) 1.3. Describe Mendel's experiments and observations.
 * 5) 1.4. Describe the relationship between genotype and phenotype.
 * 6) 1.5. Use the concept of the gene to explain Mendel's laws.
 * 7) 1.6. Describe the ideas of dominant and recessive traits with examples.
 * 8) 1.7. Consider the value of the punnett square by creating examples of mono and dihybrid crosses.
 * 9) 1.8. Explain the law of segregation.
 * 10) **Discuss the relationships among chromosomes, genes, and DNA. **
 * 11) 2.1. Describe how the genetic code is carried on the DNA
 * 12) . 2.2. Outline the process of replication.
 * 13) 2.3. Compare mitosis and meiosis.
 * 14) 2.4. Describe the process of transcription.
 * 15) 2.5. Describe the functions of mRNA, tRNA, amino acids, and ribosomes in protein synthesis
 * 16) 2.6. Describe the causes and effects of both chromosome and gene mutations
 * 17) 2.7. Consider the purposes and techniques of gene mapping.
 * 18) 2 .8. Examine incomplete dominance, alleles, sex determination, and sex-linked traits in the context of human genetics.
 * 19) 2.9. Discuss several human genetic disorders such as hemophilia, sickle-cell anemia, Down's syndrome, and Tay-Sach's disease.
 * 20) 2.10.Discuss the similarities and differences between sex chromosomes and somatic chromosomes.
 * 21) 2.11.Using examples from living organisms discuss the importance of asexual and sexual reproduction to their growth and survival.
 * 22) **Delineate the impact of biotechnology on our society. **
 * 23) 3.1. Describe the basic processes involved in the production of recombinant DNA.
 * 24) 3.2. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Discuss examples of current uses of recombinant DNA technology in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.
 * 25) 3.3. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Discuss the techniques of genetic screening.
 * 26) 3.4. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Consider the implications of genetic screening of adults, children, and fetuses.
 * 27) <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">**Discuss the application of population genetics to the study of evolution**
 * 28) 4.1. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Describe the concepts of the deme and the gene pool.
 * 29) 4.2. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Consider the Hardy-Weinberg principle.
 * 30) 4.3. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Describe the factors which influence genetic drift.
 * 31) 4.4. <span style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Consider the relevance of the gene pool and the idea of mutations to the concept of evolution which will be studied later in unit 5.