The Standards

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Life Science (LS)

Listed below are the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) for Life Science and bullet points for their specific grade band progression.

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LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
 

LS1.D: Information Processing

Primary School (K-2)

Animals have body parts that capture and convey different kinds of information needed for growth and survival. Animals respond to these inputs with behaviors that help them survive. Plants also respond to some external inputs.

Elementary School (3-5)

Different sense receptors are specialized for particular kinds of information, which may be then processed by the animal’s brain. Animals are able to use their perceptions and memories to guide their actions.

Middle School (6-8)

Each sense receptor responds to different inputs (electromagnetic, mechanical, chemical), transmitting them as signals that travel along nerve cells to the brain. The signals are then processed in the brain, resulting in immediate behaviors or memories.

High School (9-12)