Biology 11

Unit 1: Life at the Molecular & Cellular Level

From the levels of organization that build life up from molecule to ecosystem, into the working parts of a single cell, how cells reproduce and transform energy, the strange non-cellular case of viruses, and the First Peoples understanding that every organism lives inside a web of relationships.

• The levels of biological organization

• Cell structure and function

• Sexual reproduction and meiosis

• Asexual reproduction

• Cellular respiration

• Photosynthesis

• Viral structure and replication cycles

• Viral disease, immunity, and vaccines

• First Peoples understandings of interrelationships between organisms

Unit 2: Evolution at the Population Level

From the small, generation-by-generation shifts within a population, to whole new species arising, to humans directing selection on purpose — how life changes over time and how biologists know.

• Adaptation to changing environments and changes in DNA
• Natural selection

• Speciation mechanisms
• Processes of macroevolution
• Evidence for macroevolution

• Artificial selection and genetic modifications

Unit 3: Grouping & Classifying Organisms

From the evidence that reveals family trees between species, through the taxonomic principles and naming system biologists use, to First Peoples classification knowledge and the broadest differences that separate whole domains and kingdoms of life.

• Single-celled and multi-celled organisms

• Trends in complexity among various life forms

• Evidence for phylogenetic relationships

• The taxonomic hierarchy

• Building and using cladograms and dichotomous keys

• Binomial nomenclature

• First Peoples knowledge on classification

• Similarities and differences between domains and kingdoms

Unit 4: Lab Numeracy: Accuracy and Precision

The sciences' one taught Curricular Competency: applying the concepts of accuracy and precision to experimental procedures and data. Three separately-quizzable lab-numeracy skills — significant figures, measurement uncertainty, and scientific notation — front-loaded here and applied throughout every lab in Units 1-3.

• Significant figures and rounding rules in biological measurements

• Measurement uncertainty and accuracy vs. precision

• Scientific notation for very large and very small biological quantities