A student expectation is directly related to the knowledge and skills statement, is more specific about how students demonstrate their learning, and always begins with a verb. Student expectations are further broken down into their component parts, often referred to as “breakouts.”
i
Website Maintenance Notice
We’re currently performing scheduled maintenance to update and improve our site. Some content may be temporarily unavailable as we retire legacy materials that no longer meet current standards. Thank you for your patience as we work to enhance your experience.
i
We’d love your feedback—just follow the link to a short survey on ease of access and navigation. Your feedback makes a big difference!
Vertical alignment shows student expectations in the same subject area at different grade levels that are related to or build upon one another.
S.6.13.B
identify and compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic, unicellular and multicellular, and autotrophic and heterotrophic; and
describe the characteristics of the recognized kingdoms and their importance in ecosystems such as bacteria aiding digestion or fungi decomposing organic matter.
identify native plants and animals within a local ecosystem and compare their roles to those of plants and animals in other biomes, including aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra;
Breakouts are the component parts that make up a student expectation. A breakout shows a distinct concept a student should know or a distinct skill that a student should be able to demonstrate.
The student is expected to
compare the basic characteristics of organisms, including
autotrophic and heterotrophic
prokaryotic and eukaryotic
unicellular and multicellular
identify the basic characteristics of organisms, including
autotrophic
eukaryotic
heterotrophic
multicellular
prokaryotic
unicellular
Recurring themes and concepts — Connections to the content
Recurring themes and concepts provide a connective structure for scientific ideas across disciplines. The connection(s) below show some ways that teachers can help students understand how the content they are learning fits into the broader understanding of science. These connections do not represent all possible connections that might be made but highlight some that are appropriate for this grade level.
Patterns
Patterns are regular sequences that can be found throughout nature.
Organisms are compared and grouped based on patterns of specific characteristics. For example, a plant is a eukaryotic, multicellular, and autotrophic organism.
Flow of energy and cycling of matter through systems
Matter and energy are conserved, changing forms but maintaining quantities. Energy flows within a system or between systems through transfers and transformations. Matter is cycled within systems through physical and chemical processes.
When classifying organisms as autotrophic or heterotrophic, students will discuss how the organisms use energy and consume food (matter).