7th Grade Science
Scope and Sequence
TOPIC ONE / CHAPTER 1
FRAMEWORKS - GUIDING PRINCIPLES 5 & 8
EXPLORING LIFE SCIENCEBack to the Top
- Identify the branches of life science.
- Describe the steps in the scientific method.
- Explain what a hypothesis is and how one is developed.
- Discuss the importance of a variable and a control
- in a scientific experiment.
- Explain the importance of a universal language of measurement.
- Identify the metric units used in scientific measurements.
- Compare the different microscopes.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 2 & 4
THE NATURE OF LIFEBack to the Top
- Discuss several theories of how life formed on earth.
- Identify the major events in the evolution of cells.
- List the characteristics of living things.
- Distinguish between sexual and asexual reproduction.
- Describe the processes involved in metabolism.
- Identify the needs of living things.
- Explain how the sun is the primary source of energy for all living things.
- Define homeostasis
- Identify and describe the organic compounds that are basic to life.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 3 & 5
CELLS, TISSUES, AND ORGAN SYSTEMSBack to the Top
- State the three basic concepts included in the cell theory.
- Name some cell organelles and describe the function of each.
- Compare the structure of plant cells and animal cells.
- Explain why every living organism is dependent on respiration.
- Discuss diffusion, osmosis, and active transport.
- Describe the phases of cell division.
- Explain the events that occur during mitosis.
- Explain the concept of cell specialization.
- List and give examples of each of the five levels of organization found in complex living things.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1 & 14
CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGSBack to the Top
- Explain the need for a biological classification system.
- Explain how binomial nomenclature is used to classify living things.
- State the two major functions of modern classification systems.
- List in correct sequence the seven major classification groups.
- Distinguish between organisms that are autotrophs and organisms that are heterotrophs.
- List the characteristics of each kingdom in the five-kingdom classification system.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARD 1
VIRUSES AND MONERANSBack to the Top
- List the life functions that viruses are capable of performing.
- Describe the sequence of events in the reproduction of a bacteriophage.
- List a number of virus-caused conditions or diseases.
- Identify the major structures in a bacterium cell.
- Describe the ways in which bacteria obtain energy.
- Describe the method by which bacteria reproduce.
- List several ways that bacteria can be harmful and several ways in which they can be beneficial.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1 & 14
PROTISTSBack to the Top
- Describe general characteristics of the protists.
- Define autotrophs and heterotrophs.
- Distinguish structural features of animal-like protists.
- Identify characteristics of plantlike protists.
- Identify the characteristics of fungus-like protists.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13, 14, 15 GUIDING PRINCIPLE 5
FUNGIBack to the Top
- Describe the food-absorbing and reproductive structures common to most fungi.
- Explain the functions of hyphae and spores in fungi.
- Identify the structures of a mushroom’s fruiting body.
- Name two examples of molds.
- Describe the structure and role of the organisms making up a lichen.
- Explain how both fungi and plants benefit from fungus-root associations.
- Give two examples of plant and animal disease caused by fungi.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 16 & 18
PLANTS WITHOUT SEEDSBack to the Top
- Describe the characteristics of algae.
- Describe some uses of algae.
- Describe the adaptations of plants that allow them to live on land.
- Describe some uses of mosses.
- Explain how ferns have adapted to life on land.
- Describe some uses of ferns.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13 & 16
PLANTS WITH SEEDSBack to the Top
- List the functions of roots, stems, and leaves.
- Compare xylem and phloem vascular tissue.
- Describe photosynthesis.
- Identify the structure of a seed.
- Describe the processes of pollination, fertilization, and seed dispersal in angiosperms and gymnosperms.
- Identify the characteristics of gymnosperms and angiosperms.
- Identify the structures of a flower.
- Explain the plant terms annual, biennial, and perennial.
- Compare a positive tropism to a negative tropism.
TOPICS TEN AND ELEVEN / CHAPTERS 10 & 11
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13 & 14
ANIMAL KINGDOMBack to the Top
- Define vertebrate and give some examples.
- Define invertebrate and give some examples.
- Explain the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction.
- List some general characteristics of simple invertibrates and give some examples.
- List some general characteristics of complex invertibrates and give some examples.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13 & 14
FISHES AND AMPHIBIANSBack to the Top
- Identify the general characteristics of vertebrates.
- Compare warmblooded and coldblooded vertebrates.
- Name the three groups of fishes and their characteristics.
- Identify the function of a swim bladder in bony fishes.
- Describe reproduction by external fertilization.
- Identify common characteristics of amphibians.
- Compare various types of amphibians.
- Describe the life cycle of a frog.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13 & 14
REPTILES AND BIRDSBack to the Top
- Describe several characteristics of reptiles.
- Identify the major characteristics of birds.
- Describe the four main categories of birds.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 1, 13 & 14
MAMMALSBack to the Top
- Describe the main characteristics of mammals.
- List the three basic groups of mammals.
- Identify the main characteristics and give an example for each group.
TOPIC FIFTEEN / CHAPTERS 15 THROUGH 21
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARD 6 and HEALTH CURRICULUM
HUMAN BODYBack to the Top
- Identify the ten major systems of the human body.
- Identify the major organs in each system.
- Describe ways that these systems interact.
TOPIC SIXTEEN / CHAPTERS 23 & 24
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 7, 8, 9, 10 & 18
GENETICSBack to the Top
- Define genetics.
- Relate the work of Gregor Mendel to the development of the laws of genetics.
- Define dominant and recessive traits.
- Describe incomplete dominance.
- Explain how probability can be used to predict the results of genetic crosses.
- Describe a Punnett square and explain its uses.
- Explain the chromosome theory.
- Describe the main function of chromosomes.
- Explain how a mutation can occur.
- Explain how a mutation can represent a beneficial or a harmful change to an organism.
- Describe the structure of DNA.
- Explain how DNA replicates.
- Define genetic engineering.
- Name ways in which genetic engineering has contributed to medicine and agriculture.
- List the steps of meiosis and explain what occurs in each step.
TOPIC SEVENTEEN / CHAPTERS 25 & 26
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 13, 14, 17 & 18
CHANGES IN LIVING THINGS OVER TIMEINTERACTIONS AMONG LIVING THINGS
- Describe the process of evolution.
- Describe evidence that supports evolution.
- Define and describe natural selection.
- Determine the effects of variation on natural selection.
Back to the Top
- Define environment.
- Relate ecology to the relationships of living things with their environments.
- Distinguish between living and nonliving things in an environment.
- Distinguish among producers, consumers, and decomposers.
- Describe food chains and food webs.
- Define a synbiotic relationship.
- Describe how organisms adapt to their environment.
FRAMEWORKS - LIFE SCIENCE STANDARDS 12, 17 & 18
CONSERVATION OF LIVING THINGSBack to the Top
- Identifying Problems.
- Discuss the reasons for the extinction of organisms.
- Explain why people should try to save endangered species.
- Seeking Solutions.
- Describe some conservation measures aimed at saving living things.