1. STAAR Review
Category 4
Students demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of living organisms and their interdependence on each other and their environment.
READINESS Standards:
8.11A – Comprehension Level 2: Describe producer/consumer, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs within marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems;
8.11B — Analysis Level 4: Investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or soil composition;
8.11C — Comprehension Level 2: Explore how short-and long term environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent population;
SUPPORTING Standards:
8.11D – Comprehension Level 2: Recognize human dependence on ocean systems and explain how human activities such as runoff, artificial reefs, or use of resources have modified these systems.
7.5C— Analysis Level 4: Diagram the flow of energy through living systems, including food chains, food webs, and energy pyramids.
7.10B – Comprehension Level 2: Describe how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem;
7.10C– Application Level 3: Observe, record, and describe the role of ecological succession such as in a microhabitat of a garden with weeds.
7.11A – Analysis Level 4: Examine organisms or their structures such as insects or leaves and use dichotomous keys for identification;
7.11C – Comprehension Level 2: Identify some changes in genetic traits that have occurred over several generations through natural selection and selective breeding such as the Galapagos Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) or domestic animals.
7.12B – Comprehension Level 2: Identify the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, and endocrine systems;
7.12D – Analysis Level 4: Differentiate between structure and function in plant and animal cell organelles, including cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole;
7.12F – Knowledge Level 1: Recognize that according to cell theory all organisms are composed of cells and cells carry on similar functions such as extracting energy from food to sustain life.
7.14B – Analysis Level 4: Compare the results of uniform or diverse offspring from sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction;
7.14C – Knowledge Level 1: Recognize that inherited traits of individuals are governed in the genetic material found in the genes within chromosomes in the nucleus.
6.12D – Comprehension Level 2: Identify the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic or eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular, autotrophic or heterotrophic, and mode of reproduction, that further classify them in the currently recognized Kingdoms;

2. Animal vs. Plant Cells Vacuole (storage) Cell wall Mitochondrion
Animal cells
Plant cells
Vacuole (storage)
Cell wall
Mitochondrion
Chloroplast
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane
Ask the question, DOES IT HAVE… and click through the slide. It will end with the pictures.
Emphasize that plant cells are more rectangular in nature due to cell wall; also, plant cells have everything animal cells have PLUS the cell wall and chloroplasts. Since they should be able to DIFFERENTIATE between STRUCTURE and FUNCTION, students should know that the cell wall gives the plant its structure (think two-by-fours in a house) and the chloroplasts absorb the Sun’s energy to carry out photosynthesis.
nucleus
vacuole
mitochondria
chloroplast
cell wall
cell membrane
cytoplasm

3. Organization of Living Things
Cells
Tissues
Organs
Organ systems
Organisms
Populations
7.12C

4. What's the Function? Circulatory Respiratory Skeletal
Transport food & oxygen to cells
Transport waste products from cells
Respiratory
Provide oxygen to the blood
Remove carbon dioxide from the blood
Skeletal
Support, protection, and movement
Ask students to discuss and share the main functions of these systems in humans.
7.12B

5. What's the Function? muscular digestive excretory Body Movement
Movement of blood and food
digestive
Break down food to nutrients
Deliver nutrients to circulatory system
excretory
Remove wastes from the body including excess water
Ask students to discuss and share the main functions of these systems in humans.
7.12B

6. What's the Function? reproductive integumentary (skin) nervous
Pass genetic information to offspring
Continue the species
integumentary (skin)
Protection
Reduce water loss
nervous
Process information & send instructions
Ask students to discuss and share the main functions of these systems in humans.
7.12B

7. What's the Function? endocrine control homeostasis
regulate bodily functions like metabolism
control growth
Control development
reproduction
Ask students to discuss and share the main functions of these systems in humans.
7.12B

8. Reproduction Inherited traits controlled by _1?_. Asexual vs. sexual
Found in _2?_, located on _3?_ found within the _4?_ of a cell.
Asexual vs. sexual
Which creates more diversity?
Inherited Traits:
Genetic material
Genes
Chromosomes
Nucleus
Asexual vs. Sexual—have students explain each: asexual is like cloning…it makes an exact duplicate of itself by splitting a cell and growing an offspring from it; sexual deals with splitting the genetic material into 2 cells, 1 for male and 1 for female that are randomly combined from 2 parents to form a new offspring.
A: Sexual reproduction creates more diversity in the species. The sperm from the male contains ½ the genetic material and the egg from the female contains the other half. When they come together, they create an embryo…the offspring.
Note: Clicking on the Hydra image will launch a flash video if you have a player like RealPlayer (free download) showing an animation of a hydra going through budding…students should note that the offspring looks exactly like the parent.

9. Photosynthesis… Light + CO2 + H2O C6H12O6 + O2
NOTE: Although photosynthesis in and of itself is not a tested item in Category 4, the equation could be used in various ways in Category 1 (chemistry) and the transfer of energy can be used in Category 2.
8.5D,E,F; 6.9C

10. Energy Flow through Living organisms..
Sun  producers  primary consumers  secondary consumers
Food chains
Food webs…
decomposers
Food chain: path depicting the flow of energy from the Sun through living organisms. (Emphasize that it DOES NOT state “who eats who” – although that can be determined from the food chain, that is not the intent.)
Food Web: multiple food chains linked together to show a partial ecosystem
ALL energy in a food chain/web starts with the Sun!
7.5C

11. Texas Food Web Which of these are producers?
Which of these are primary consumers?
Which of these are secondary consumers?
Producers get their energy from the Sun;
Primary Consumers get their energy from producers;
Secondary Consumers get their energy from primary consumers;
NOTE: The crawfish and the alligator are at least secondary consumers in this diagram; we do not know what the fish eats. Regardless, the alligator is also a tertiary consumer since it eats the crawfish that eats the fish that eats something else.
Which of these are tertiary consumers?
7.5C

12. Question
Which organisms are both secondary and tertiary consumers in this partial desert food web?
7.5C

13. Interactive Food Web Part I: Part II: Click the link above to start…
Direction are on the web site.
Part I:
Part II:
Part 1 has students make the connections for a food web.
Part 2 has them predict what may happen if the ecosystem is damaged. Their response should discuss that lack of vegetation causing the decrease in population of the primary consumers. Over time, other populations will decrease due to lack of food sources. Some may move to new ecosystems looking for a new food source. As the predator population decreases, vegetation will be regrowing after the fire; this will then cause a subsequent increase in primary consumer populations. Over still further time, other populations will increase until there is again a stable ecosystem.

14. Question
Flowers in a vase have enough turgor pressure to look fresh. If they lose turgor pressure, they become wilted. How is turgor pressure maintained?
A. air is pumped into flowers
B. water moves into cells
C. minerals turn to crystals
D. more sugar is produced
E. water is pumped out of the cells
F. more sugar is consumed
B. water moves into cells
Turgor pressure = the pressure in a cell determined by the amount of water inside the cell.
7.12F

15. Ecosystem Factors Biotic Abiotic Living Non-living Plants Animals
Decomposers
Abiotic
Non-living
Water
Soil
Rocks
Air
Light
8.11B

16. Discussion
Given two organism that consume the same things in aa forest ecosystem, what would happen to the organisms if a drought caused a major loss of trees?
THINK-PAIR-SHARE: Students should point out that these organisms will compete for abiotic and biotic factors in the ecosystem like the food source, water, and shelter. They should further discuss that in a drought, less water might lead to less food sources and eventual death if the organisms do not adapt or move to a new area. Other discussion could/should include loss of habitat due to tree loss…meaning, no place to possibly live or protect them from higher predators.
8.11C

17. Succession What is it? 2 types
series of predictable changes in a community that occur over time
Begins on new land such as a volcanic island
After major event: volcanic eruption, fire
2 types
Primary: start with no ecosystem existing; 1st—pioneer species (lichens & mosses) then grasses, shrubs and finally trees
Secondary: occur after a disturbance such as farming or logging; regrowth of grasses, shrubs, small then larger trees
7.10C

18. Succession Types of catastrophes: volcanic eruption forest fire
deforestation
land cleared for agriculture
NOTE: Primary succession occurs when there is new soil where none existed before.
Secondary succession occurs when a catastrophic event destroys and ecosystem and it regrows.
7.10C

19. Organism Structures
A dichotomous key to these six species is shown. Complete the missing information for sections 5.a. and 5.b. so that the key is complete for all six species.
5.a. Has white wings
5.b. Has black wings
Note: This is practice for EXAMINING organisms/structures and using a dichotomous key.
The important thing to remember about dichotomous keys is that they ask YES or NO questions that branch into more questions based on each answer. This questioning process leads to a final identification of the organism. Please note that these keys are not only used for living organisms, they can be used for any identification such as rocks or minerals.
7.11A

20. Organism Structures
Using the dichotomous key, classify an organism that has small or no wings, shorter rear legs, not a horned head and small eyes.
A: Termite soldier
This dichotomous key uses a flow chart method.
7.11A

21. Explain the Relationships
Producer — Consumer
Predator — Prey
Parasite — Host
Have students share their explanations of each of these organism relationships and give an example. More examples from other students may also be given before clicking to show pictured example.
Producer-Consumer: producers make their food; consumers eat producers or other consumers
Example: young prairie dog (consumer) eating a desert cactus flower (producer)
Predator-Prey: predators (secondary/tertiary consumers) hunt prey (smaller animals that can be primary/secondary consumers) they like to eat
Example: Lynx (predator) chasing a rabbit (prey)
Parasite-Host: parasites are benefited when they feed off their host, harming them (but usually not killing them)
Example: tick (parasite) benefits from the dog’s (host) blood; the dog loses blood and may get an infection from the bite. (NOTE: The tick is an engorged female)
8.11A

22. Organisms & Environmental Change
Polar bears are dependent on sea ice to hunt seals and to move from one area to another.
What might happen to the polar bears if global climate change continues?
Polar bears are unlikely to survive as a species if there is an almost complete loss of summer sea-ice cover, which is projected to occur before the end of this century by some climate models. The seals that polar bears hunt are also unlikely to be able to adapt to an absence of summer sea ice, because they give birth to and nurse their pups on the ice and use it as a place for resting.
8.11C

23. Differentiate between Natural Selection & Selective Breeding
Both are ways traits are passed from parent to offspring
Natural Selection
Referred to “survival of the fittest”
Only the most adapted organisms live to pass on their genes
Peppered moth and air pollution
Selective Breeding
Human controlled
We physically breed for the traits we WANT in the offspring
dairy cows
Have students think-pair-share the similarities and differences between natural selection and selective breeding as per the title of this slide. Use of examples is highly suggested. Then click for definitions.
Peppered Moth: due to high amounts of ash and soot in air pollution, light colored trees were made darker. This allowed the darker moths to survive and pass on their genes; the lighter colored moths that used to be the largest population decreased to almost none.
Dairy Cows: dairy cows are bred for increased milk production; the rancher selects the best producing cows to mate with a bull that has a record of producing cows that make a lot of milk. The goal is to create higher producing cows with the least amount of food given to them.
7.11C