Human Biology
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This integrated, collaboratively taught Human Biology Content class will provide all students an opportunity to study the various aspects of the human body and the systems involved that keep it
in a state of homeostasis, while looking at the utterly amazing complexity associated
with taking a breath or getting a tetanus shot. By satisfying requirements of this study, all students will become more informed,
skilled, productive, employable, and socially responsible citizens.
SWRSD OUTCOMES
Outcome 5:
Students demonstrate honesty, respect, concern, and caring for themselves, their environment,
and others.
Outcome 6:
Students use a variety of ways to think and to reason when solving problems and making
thoughtful decisions.
Outcome 8:
Students demonstrate their awareness of their own strengths and skills and have selfconfidence
to take risks that will realize their potential as lifelong learners.
Outcome 11:
Students demonstrate skills and attitudes that will enable them to achieve post high
school education.
COURSE OUTLINE
CONTENT
(Essential course facts, concepts, and basic skills; assessed
with
teacher
-made
tests
and
rubrics
)
Major Units of Study
A. Bones, Muscles, & Skin
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard
B 3:
(A student should understand that scientific inquiry often involves different ways
of thinking, curiosity, and the exploration of multiple paths)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts
(cartilage, joint, marrow, involuntary muscles, voluntary muscles, dermis, epidermis)
- explain the purpose and basic organization of the skeletal and muscular systems (support,
movability, strength)
- distinguish between the types of muscles and joints (bicep, tricep, ball-&-socket,
pivot joint, gliding joint)
- tell someone else the importance of bones, muscles, and skin.
B. Digestive System
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard D 6:
(A student should act upon reasoned decisions and evaluate the effectiveness of the
action)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts
(digestion, enzyme, saliva, stomach, esophagus)
- orally discuss the pathway in which food travels through the digestive tract while
describing what physically happens to it as it moves on(mouth, tongue, teeth, esophagus,
stomach, small intestine, large intestine, anus)
- generate a relationship between healthy eating habits and the digestive system.
-2-
C. Circulatory System
Alaska Content Standards: Standard A 10:
(A student should understand that living things are made up mostly of cells and that
all life processes occur in cells)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts
(heart, blood, circulation, lungs, blood pressure)
- list the parts, functions, and flow of blood in the body (hemoglobin, red blood cells,
white blood cells, platelets, plasma, clotting, types, arteries, veins, capillaries)
- explain the basic function and organs associated with the lymphatic system (lymph,
lymphocyte, lymph node)
- generate a product that illustrates the various concepts and parts of the circulatory
system (heart, blood, pressure, cells, clotting)
D. Respiration & Excretion
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard D 1:
(A student should apply scientific knowledge and skills to understand issues and everyday
events)
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts
(pharynx, trachea, diaphragm, lungs, lung cancer, bladder, kidney, nephron)
- locate the parts of the respiratory system while tracing the pathway of oxygen and
carbon dioxide (pharynx, trachea, lungs, red blood cells, chemical reaction)
- relate the respiratory system to the circulatory system (lung, artery, capillaries,
diaphragm, vein)
- assess the various effects of smoking on the respiratory system (cancer, emphysema,
secondary smoke)
- describe how the kidneys are used as a filtering unit (kidney, nephron, urinary bladder,
urine)
E. Nervous & Endocrine Systems
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard C 7 :
(A student should understand that major scientific breakthroughs may link large amounts
of knowledge, build upon the contributions of many scientists, and cross different
lines of study)
Key Elements:
Students will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts
(neuron, central nervous system, reflex, brain stem, spinal cord, olfactory, hormone)
- infer how impulses are moved in the nervous system (stimuli, brain, axon, muscles,
reaction.)
- identify the association between the various aspects of the nervous system (brain,
spinal cord, brain stem, nerves)
- construe the mechanics of the endocrine system in comparison to the nervous system
(hormones, target tissues, chemicals, regulate, feedback system)
-3-
F. Immunity
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard D 3:
(Students should be able to recommend solutions to everyday problems by applying scientific
knowledge and skills)
Key Elements:
Students will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- correctly spell, define, and use in proper context a variety of key terms/concepts(disease,
STD, pasteurization, disinfectant, antiseptic, communicable disease, antigen, antibody,
lymphocyte)
- compare/contrast the aspects of passive and active immunity (antibodies, antigens,
produced, actively, passively)
- analyze the historical impact that diseases have had on societies, particularly the
native villages of Alaska at the turn of the century (pandemic, epidemic, immunity,
pathogens)
SKILLS
(Essential processes or skills, universally taught by all teachers in all courses;
assessed
with
teacher
-made
rubrics
and/or
tests
)
Major Categories of Skills
A. Cross-curricular and/or Integrative Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
1. effectively communicate (listen, observe, read, write, discuss, present, explain,
persuade, defend)
- apply a variety of mathematical concepts and skills (logic, statistical interpretation,
plotting and analyzing graphs, concluding, predicting trends) to solve common day-to-day
problems
3. use a variety of higher order thinking skills (hypothesizing, estimating, analyzing,
classifying, synthesizing, evaluating,inferring, generalizing) to solve common
day-to-day problems
- set and achieve goals (brainstorm, envision, plan, research, manage time, persist,
complete)
- produce quality products (plan, organize, draft, evaluate, revise, improve, persist,
complete)
B. Technological Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- use modern technology (computers, scanners, copiers, printers, calculators, audio/visual
tools, telephones, fax machines, calculators) to solve common, day-to-day problems
- apply basic computer applications (word processing, spreadsheet, database, graphics,
desktop publishing, Internet, e-mail) to produce quality products, including
- multimedia presentations (speeches, demonstrations, lectures)
- reports, bids, proposals, instructions, manuals
- research polls, surveys, checklists
- graphs, tables, charts, maps, illustrations, photographs
- letters (complaints, requests, replies, recommendations, applications, resumes)
- expository essays, research papers, literary works related to Human Biology.
C. Life and/or Employability Skills
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- behave responsibly and produce quality products related to Human Biology.
- attend, be punctual, follow directions, manage time, stay on task, meet deadlines
safely, effectively, efficiently, accurately use the work area, materials,
tools, & technology
-4-
- set short and long-term goals, plan, use higher order thinking skills, seek help,
persist
- work well with others (cooperate, develop group unity, determine leadership roles,
contribute to group success, allow others to contribute, resolve group conflicts,
make group decisions)
- relate Human Biology content and skills to your personal life and the lives of others
respect and treat others equally, from the perspective of the needs and rights
of all people
- responsibly examine (be aware, know resources, research, consider, discuss) current
Human Biology issues and/or events that personally affect you or others
- effectively support opinions in productive ways (preplan, research, logically organize,
give specific examples, illustrate, recommend)
- use new knowledge, understanding, skills and tools to solve real life problems, make
decisions or choices , and predict logical consequences or possibilities
- . acquire career knowledge and skills related to employment opportunities in human health related organizations.
- compare colleges, technical, or business schools (locations, size, costs, special
programs)
- apply for admission, complete applications for scholarships or other financial aids
- develop a four-year schedule of classes, including alternatives for those not available 6. present oneself in an employable manner
- wear appropriate dress and be physically well-groomed demonstrate good
speaking and/or interviewing skills
- complete all written forms (letter of application, resume, required forms, legal
documents) provide a portfolio that shows special products, skills, experiences,
achievements, awards
D. Cultural Relevance:
Alaska Content Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools: Student Standards A-E
Key Elements:
Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
- respect ones own cultural heritage, traditions, and language
- interview elders in order to compile personal genealogies and/or a local history
- identify local cultural values and traditional responsibilities to the environment
- respect and live in tune with local cultural values and traditions
- build on local knowledge and skills to achieve future success in the world at large
by
- using methods from ones own traditions to learn about the world beyond ones village understanding
how the local culture relates to others in the area, state, nation, and world
- making appropriate choices regarding the long-term consequences of ones own actions
- participate in a variety of traditional activities related to the local culture,
including
- subsistence activities, arts and crafts, dance and music, sports and recreation
- community government, tribal, and church affairs
- total wellness programs (drug and alcohol free programs, parenting, nutrition, exercise)
- engage in family-related activities based on traditional ways of knowing and learning,
including
- consistent, respectful, loving interactions with Parents and Elders that show appreciation of
their roles as providers and care givers, culture bearers, and educators in the community
- self-assess ones own strengths and needs in order to make appropriate life choice
- explain the processes, forces, and interactions of the world and its varied cultures,
including the
- interrelationships of the spiritual, natural, and human world
- geographical and ecological resources of the local environment
- impact of the environment on the origins of culture and ones personal cultural perspective
- the nature of diversity and the need for change over time
- cross-cultural influences, interactions, conflicts, communications, and resolutions
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS
A. Community Resources Related to Course
Each individual and/or team of instructors, with the help of long time staff, students,
parents and other concerned community members should cooperatively compile and periodically
update a list of village elders, parents, local government leaders, business persons, and other concerned, active members of the community willing to share their
wealth of experiences, knowledge and skills. If available, specific examples should be included now.
B.
Major Internet Web Site Addresses Related to Course
(a tiny sample)
C. Media Center: Southwest Region School District
Contact Roz Goodman, the Southwest Region Media Specialist, for help. She has
lists of materials related to specific subject areas and will help you find Internet
resources or other materials
- The Alaska State Framework for Social Studies Content Standards (This resource is full of
suggestions for activities, teaching/assessment strategies, lesson plans, web site
addresses etc.
)
- Teaching Study Skills & Strategies in High School (includes activities); Active
Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject (includes activities)
- Reconnecting Youth: A Peer Group Approach to Building Life Skills; Teaching Social
Studies With the Internet (booklet and CD ROM);
- Lion's Quest: Skills for Adolescence (instructional manual/student activities)
D. Itinerant Travel Kits and/or Permanent Core Skills Instructors' Materials
- Videos Related to Course
.
- Simulations and/or Activity Packets Related to Course
- CD ROMs/Software Related to Course
- Text and/or Supplemental Books Related to Course
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(Assessment Guidelines and Grading still "under construction" and awaiting additional
in-put)
Teacher-made tests of content units will be required: pre-tests, quizzes, Unit Tests,
Final Exams
Processes/Skills will be assessed Rubrics, checklists, et.al.
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(The Following Still Needs Input, Thought, and Work)
ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES AND GRADING
The primary goal of this class is to give all
students an opportunity to gain essential new knowledge, comprehension, and skills.
To determine if all
students are actually attaining this goal, regular, in-progress
assessment
of student progress will be part of daily in-progress activities and final student
projects.
- cooperatively develop traditional teacher-made daily/weekly quizzes, unit tests,
and final trimester exams
designed to measure student knowledge and comprehension of basic course content.
- cooperatively plan and consistently apply a variety of student performance assessments
(rubrics,
check-lists) to evaluate in-progress and summary student skill development.
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TESTS
Minimum Requirements
: At the very least, course Content
will be regularly assessed with traditional
Teacher-made Tests
(multiple choice, completion, true/false, matching, short essay).
- daily or weekly Quizzes
should be given as part of normal, on-going classroom procedures.
- periodic reviews and subsequent summary Unit Exams
will be given in every course.
- comprehensive reviews and summary Trimester Final Exams
will be given in every course. Unit and Trimester Final Exams should measure
student retention and comprehension of the most
important
factual content (who, what, where, when, why, how) and
improvement of basic
skills (recall, reading, thinking, writing, calculating).
Suggestions:
- Pretest
or use the test-study-test
method
rather than simply study-test
. Pretesting at the start of a unit helps both students and teachers discover
What They Already Know
and What They Need to Learn
.
- Wh en necessary develop individualized tests to account for individual learning styles
and/or special learning difficulties. Consult Special Education teachers and
counselors for help.
- Reteach
and Retest
when needed to improve and/or reinforce student knowledge and comprehension.
- Promptly grade and review results of all quizzes, tests, or exams. Students want,
need, and have the right to quickly know how they have done on tests.
- Use tests as a teaching tool: require students to correct all factual errors and/or
process mistakes.
- Teach students How to Take Tests
. Important skills are involved and students need to learn them.
CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS (CRT's)
- Core Skills
Language Arts and Mathematics teachers at the secondary level still have the duty
of teaching, testing, and accurately recording student progress on the district's
standardized CRT Tests
and are accountable for accurately recording student progress on these tests.
- Note:
Because all
secondary teachers are members of collaborative teams, all
secondary teachers are expected to assist their team partners help all
students successfully complete, at the very least, Banks 7 and 8
of the CRT's
.
STUDENT PERFORMANCE RUBRICS
- Rubrics
will be used to better teach and assess the development
of essential Skills
(listening, reading, speaking, critical thinking,writing, research, cooperative
group work, discussion, problem solving, decision-making, use of technology, social
behavior, employability, social behavior/citizenship, cultural relevance) and
to determine the quality
of final products
- Rubrics
must include clearly stated, easily understood directions, and specific information
about what students will be expected to do and learn. Quality standards and deadlines
should be included.
- Rubrics
will be assigned at the beginning of any activity whose major objective is the acquisition
and application of essential Skills. Carefully explain exactly how a particular
rubric will be used.
- Use rubrics as a teaching tool. Teach all
students how to use rubrics to self-assess the quality of their own work and/or
that of their classmates--and their teachers.
EXTRA CREDIT WORK
In order to encourage students to pursue high level performances and quality products,
all
students who have completed required work, including any expected revisions, should
be given an opportunity and encouraged to do Extra Credit
work that might increase the depth and/or breadth of their understanding.
- Note that extra
does not
mean in place of
; rather, extra
means in addition to
. Students should thus be allowed and encouraged to voluntarily complete additional,
challenging tasks that might broaden or deepen their understanding.
- Assessment of Extra Credit
work should follow the same systematic guidelines and/or utilize the same type of
assessment rubrics
, tests, or other techniques used to evaluate required work.
GRADING
All
students will be held accountable for meeting the minimum requirements of all courses
and will earn grades based on their ability to demonstrate the acquisition of basic
content knowledge and comprehension, and their ability to apply specific essential
skills to produce quality finished products. Final Grades in all courses will follow
on a traditional "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "I", system.
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