A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic; and
describe the taxonomic system that categorizes organisms based on similarities and differences shared among groups; and
S.7.14.B
describe the characteristics of the recognized kingdoms and their importance in ecosystems such as bacteria aiding digestion or fungi decomposing organic matter.
ENVIR.5.A
identify native plants and animals within a local ecosystem and compare their roles to those of plants and animals in other biomes, including aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra;
AQUA.13.A
compare different traits in aquatic organisms using tools such as dichotomous keys;
Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content
Recurring themes and concepts provide a connective structure for scientific ideas across disciplines. The connection(s) below show some ways that teachers can help students understand how the content they are learning fits into the broader understanding of science. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made but highlight some that are appropriate for this grade level.
Patterns
Patterns are regular sequences that can be found throughout nature.
Organisms are categorized based on patterns of specific characteristics. For example, if an organism is prokaryotic and unicellular it is a bacteria.
Model the interdependence and parts of a system
A system is a whole made of parts that work together. It has components and boundaries. It can interact with or be part of other systems.
The different kingdoms (parts) are essential to and play a role in each ecosystem as a producer, consumer, decomposer, or in other ecological relationships.
Flow of energy and cycling of matter through systems
Matter and energy are conserved, changing forms but maintaining quantities. Energy flows within a system or between systems through transfers and transformations. Matter is cycled within systems through physical and chemical processes.
Matter is cycled and energy flows through the biosphere. The roles of organisms in an ecosystem and the relationships among them allow energy to flow and matter to be cycled through a food web.
Cross-curricular Connections
The cross-curricular connections are designed to help educators make content connections between the science TEKS and math, English language arts and reading, social studies, and technology applications. The standards below illustrate alignment between grade level content areas which may help educators develop cross-curricular lessons. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made.
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English Language Arts and Reading
ELAR.7.5.F make inferences and use evidence to support understanding
ELAR.7.5.H synthesize information to create new understanding
ELAR.7.6.C use text evidence to support an appropriate response