Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 7 Life Science: Cells and Microbes
A year of true stories about the small world that was always there, from Leeuwenhoek squinting through a lens no bigger than a pea at the “animalcules” in a drop of water to Schleiden and Schwann naming the cell, Semmelweis and the washbasin, Pasteur’s swan-necked flasks, Fleming’s moldy dish and van Helmont’s willow in its pot of earth, each one taken apart to see how it was figured out and then tried again at the kitchen table with a microscope, a ruler and a notebook.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Microscope
- MUST COVER 1.1 Leeuwenhoek’s “Animalcules” (1676) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Using a Microscope · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Making Slides · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Pond-Water Drawings · unit test
Unit 2: The Cell
- MUST COVER 2.1 Schleiden and Schwann (1838–1839) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Organelles: The Working Parts of a Cell · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Plant versus Animal Cells · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Edible Cell Model · unit test
Unit 3: Single-Celled Life
- MUST COVER 3.1 Bacteria ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Protists ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Yeast and Bread · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Culturing Bacteria Safely · unit test
Unit 4: Germs and Disease
- MUST COVER 4.1 Semmelweis and Handwashing (1847) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Pasteur and Spontaneous Generation · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Fleming’s Penicillin (1928) · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 How the Body Fights · unit test
Unit 5: Photosynthesis
- MUST COVER 5.1 Van Helmont’s Willow (published 1648) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Leaf Disk Lab ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Cellular Respiration · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Food from Light · unit test
Unit 6: Fungi
- MUST COVER 6.1 Mushrooms ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Molds · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Spore Prints · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Which Are Poisonous (Never Eat Wild Ones) · unit test
Unit 7: Animal Physiology
- MUST COVER 7.1 How a Fish Breathes ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 How a Bird Breathes · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Insect Bodies · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 The Giraffe’s Neck · unit test
Unit 8: Dissection Lab
- MUST COVER 8.1 Earthworm Dissection ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Frog Dissection (Real or Virtual) · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Owl Pellet Review · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Lab Practical · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Nature Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Nature Journal Walk
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Backyard Survey
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Specimen Collection
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Leeuwenhoek’s “Animalcules” (1676): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Using a Microscope: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Making Slides: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Pond-Water Drawings: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Schleiden and Schwann (1838–1839): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Organelles: The Working Parts of a Cell: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Plant versus Animal Cells: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Edible Cell Model: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Bacteria: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Protists: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Yeast and Bread: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Culturing Bacteria Safely: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Semmelweis and Handwashing (1847): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Pasteur and Spontaneous Generation: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Fleming’s Penicillin (1928): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 How the Body Fights: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Van Helmont’s Willow (published 1648): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Leaf Disk Lab: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Cellular Respiration: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Food from Light: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Mushrooms: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Molds: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Spore Prints: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Which Are Poisonous (Never Eat Wild Ones): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 How a Fish Breathes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 How a Bird Breathes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Insect Bodies: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 The Giraffe’s Neck: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Earthworm Dissection: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Frog Dissection (Real or Virtual): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Owl Pellet Review: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Lab Practical: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Nature Journal Walk: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Backyard Survey: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Specimen Collection: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Unit tests (60 points each) 30%, Experiments (prediction, careful measurement, safety and the improve-it step) 30%, Nature notebook (dated pages, labeled drawings, data tables and graphs) 20%, Unit projects 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: review the unit with help and retake the test or redo the experiment.