Annas death

Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Human Body Systems

Physiology
M. Penarroyo

Grade Level
Time Frame

12
1 year

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards
HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential
functions of life through systems of specialized cells.
HS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular
organisms.
HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
HS-LS1-6. Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other
elements to form amino acids and/or other large carbon-based molecules.
HS-LS1-4. Use a model to illustrate the role of cellular division (mitosis) and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.
HS-LS3-1. Ask questions to clarify relationships about the role of DNA and chromosomes in coding the instructions for characteristic traits passed from
parents to offspring.
HS-LS3-2. Make and defend a claim based on evidence that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis,
(2) viable errors occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.
HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through
engineering.
HS-ETS1-1. Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs
and wants.
HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints,
including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

Understandings
Overarching Understanding

Essential Questions
Overarching

Physiology helps us understand how the body works. It helps us

realize what goes wrong in diseases and to identify new treatments
for disease.

Which part of our body is more important to ones survival?

Knowledge

Skills

Students will know

Students will be able to

Recognize that processing a crime scene involves purposeful

documentation of the conditions at the scene and the collection of
any physical evidence

Design a controlled experiment.

Graph and analyze experimental data .
Use of micropipettor.
Use of calorimeter and other technology used in diagnosis.

How do scientists design experiments to find the most accurate

answer to the question they are asking?

Recognize that all external variables in an experiment need to be

controlled
Identify

the uses of pertinent medical equipment and

medical imaging techniques
Understands structures and functions of the body
systems as well as homeostatic imbalances.

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)

Performance Task Description
Goal
Role
Audience
Situation

Students will investigate the cause of death of a fictional character by examining the structures and
interactions of human body systems.
Medical investigator/scientist
Class/teacher
It was a hot summer morning, 92F. An emergency call came in at 9:45 a.m. A man contacted the police to report that he was
worried about his next-door neighbor, a woman named Anna. He said he had spoken to Anna the previous morning when he
saw her walking her dog around 6:30 a.m. He decided to call the police this morning because Annas dog had been barking
excitedly for the last two hours. He tried to call Anna on the telephone, but no one answered. Both the police and an EMT
arrived at the scene at 9:56 a.m. The EMT determined that Anna was dead. The police immediately notified your team of crime
scene investigators as well as the medical examiner, both of which were dispatched to the house. Has a crime been

Product/Performan
ce
Standards

committed?
Lab reports and final analysis of cause of death

Other Evidence

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)