High School Life Sciences
Students in high school develop understanding of key concepts that help them make sense of life sciences. The
ideas are building upon students’ science understanding of disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering
practices, and crosscutting concepts from earlier grades. There are five life science topics in high school:
(1) Structure and Function, (2) Inheritance and Variation of Traits, (3) Matter and Energy in Organisms and
Ecosystems, (4) Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems, and (5) Natural Selection and Evolution. The
performance expectations for high school life sciences blend core ideas with science and engineering practices
and crosscutting concepts to support students in developing useable knowledge that can be applied across the
science disciplines. While the performance expectations in high school life sciences couple particular
practices with specific disciplinary core ideas, instructional decisions should include use of many practices
underlying the performance expectations. The performance expectations are based on the grade-band endpoints
described in the NRC Framework.
Structure and Function
The performance expectations in the topic Structure and Function help students formulate an answer to
the question, “How do the structures of organisms enable life’s functions?” High school students are able to
investigate explanations for the structure and function of cells as the basic units of life, the hierarchical
systems of organisms, and the role of specialized cells for maintenance and growth. Students demonstrate
understanding of how systems of cells function together to support the life processes. Students demonstrate
their understanding through critical reading, using models, and conducting investigations. The crosscutting
concepts of structure and function, matter and energy, and systems and system models in organisms are called
out as organizing concepts.
Inheritance and Variation of Traits
The performance expectations in the topic Inheritance and Variation of Traits help students in pursuing
an answer to the question, “How are the characteristics from one generation related to the previous generation?”
High school students demonstrate understanding of the relationship of DNA and chromosomes in the processes of
cellular division that pass traits from one generation to the next. Students can determine why individuals of
the same species vary in how they look, function, and behave. Students can develop conceptual models for the
role of DNA in the unity of life on Earth and use statistical models to explain the importance of variation
within populations for the survival and evolution of species. Ethical issues related to genetic modification
of organisms and the nature of science can be described. Students can explain the mechanisms of genetic
inheritance and describe the environmental and genetic causes of gene mutation and the alteration of gene
expression. Crosscutting concepts of structure and function, patterns, and cause and effect developed in
this topic help students generalize understanding of inheritance of traits to other applications in science.
Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
The performance expectations in the topic Matter and Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems help students
answer the questions: “How do organisms obtain and use energy they need to live and grow? How do matter and
energy move through ecosystems?” High school students can construct explanations for the role of energy in the
cycling of matter in organisms and ecosystems. They can apply mathematical concepts to develop evidence to
support explanations of the interactions of photosynthesis and cellular respiration and develop models to
communicate these explanations. They can relate the nature of science to how explanations may change in light
of new evidence and the implications for our understanding of the tentative nature of science. Students understand
organisms’ interactions with each other and their physical environment, how organisms obtain resources, change
the environment, and how these changes affect both organisms and ecosystems. In addition, students can utilize
the crosscutting concepts of matter and energy and systems and system models to make sense of ecosystem dynamics.
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
The performance expectations in the topic Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems help students answer
the question, “How do organisms interact with the living and non-living environment to obtain matter and energy?”
This topic builds on the other topics as high school students demonstrate an ability to investigate the role of
biodiversity in ecosystems and the role of animal behavior in the survival of individuals and species. Students
have increased understanding of interactions among organisms and how those interactions influence the dynamics of
ecosystems. Students can generate mathematical comparisons, conduct investigations, use models, and apply scientific
reasoning to link evidence to explanations about interactions and changes within ecosystems.
Natural Selection and Evolution
The performance expectations in the topic Natural Selection and Evolution help students answer the questions:
“How can there be so many similarities among organisms yet so many different plants, animals, and microorganisms?
How does biodiversity affect humans?” High school students can investigate patterns to find the relationship
between environment and natural selection. Students demonstrate understanding of the factors causing natural
selection and the process of evolution of species over time. They demonstrate understanding of how multiple
lines of evidence contribute to the strength of scientific theories of natural selection and evolution. Students
can demonstrate an understanding of the processes that change the distribution of traits in a population over
time and describe extensive scientific evidence ranging from the fossil record to genetic relationships among
species that support the theory of biological evolution. Students can use models, apply statistics, analyze data,
and produce scientific communications about evolution. Understanding of the crosscutting concepts of patterns,
scale, structure and function, and cause and effect supports the development of a deeper understanding of this topic.
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