• observations of living things are recorded in the lab and in the field;

• hypotheses are formulated based on observations;

• variables are defined and investigations are designed to test hypotheses;

• graphing and arithmetic calculations are used as tools in data analysis;

• conclusions are formed based on recorded quantitative and qualitative data;

• impacts of sources of error inherent in experimental design are identified and discussed;

• validity of data is determined;

• alternative explanations and models are recognized and analyzed;

• appropriate technology is used for gathering and analyzing data and communicating results; and

• research is used based on popular and scientific literature.

• evidence supporting the cell theory;

• scientific explanations of the development of organisms through time;

• causative agents of disease;

• the evolution of the DNA model; and

• the collaborative efforts of scientists, past and present.

• water chemistry and its impact on life processes;

• the structure and function of macromolecules;

• the nature of enzymes; and

• the significance of and relationship between photosynthesis and respiration.

• characterizing prokaryotic organisms;

• exploring the diversity and variation of eukaryotes;

• building analogies between the activities of a single cell and a whole organism; and

• modeling the cell membrane, cell communication, and cell recognition.

• how their structures are alike and different;

• comparison of their metabolic activities;

• analyses of their responses to the environment;

• maintenance of homeostasis;

• human health issues, human anatomy, body systems, and life functions;

• how viruses compare with organisms; and

• observation of local organisms when applicable.

• cell division;

• sex cell formation;

• cell specialization;

• prediction of inheritance of traits based on the laws of heredity;

• effects of genetic recombination and mutation;

• events involved in the construction of proteins; and

• exploration of the impact of DNA technologies.

• structural similarities in organisms;

• fossil record interpretation;

• comparison of developmental stages in different organisms;

• examination of protein similarities and differences among organisms;

• comparison of DNA sequences in organisms;

• systems of classification that are adaptable to new scientific discoveries; and

• examination of local flora and fauna where applicable.

• examining evidence found in fossil records;

• investigating how variation of traits, reproductive strategies, and environmental pressures impact on the survival of populations;

• recognizing how adaptations lead to natural selection; and

• exploring how new species emerge.

• interactions within and among populations including carrying capacities, limiting factors, and growth curves;

• nutrient cycling with energy flow through ecosystems;

• succession patterns in ecosystems;

• the effects of natural events and human influences on ecosystems; and

• analysis of local ecosystems.