MS-LS4-5 lessons
Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms. (Selective breeding and genetic engineering, from printed case cards rather than students' own research.)
The Next Generation Science Standards code MS-LS4-5 asks students to: “Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms. (Selective breeding and genetic engineering, from printed case cards rather than students' own research.)” These Fieldbook lesson teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials, a printable teacher guide and a student sheet.
Natural Selection: How Living Things Change Over Time Grades 6–8 · partly supports this standard
- How fast can people change a species? 50–60 min
Teams rotate through five printed case stations: one wild plant that became cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts; dog breeds; the tame foxes of Siberia; bacteria that make human insulin; and bacteria that beat antibiotics. They graph real fox data and decide, case by case, who did the choosing: people or nature.
NGSS is used as written in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming, so the code MS-LS4-5 matches there. Other states word and number their own versions: see curriculum alignment for your state's codes.
More NGSS standards for middle school
All standards we teach · Curriculum alignment by state and province
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