NGSS Connections

This unit prepares students to achieve these Performance Expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

MS. Structure, Function, and Information Processing

MS-LS1-1. Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells; either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.

MS-LS1-2. Develop and use a model to describe the function of a cell as a whole and ways the parts of cells contribute to the function.

MS-LS1-3. Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

This unit has been designed to address these elements of the NGSS:

Disciplinary Core Ideas	Is It Alive?	Mystery Cell Model / Inside a Cell	Teaming with Cells / Virtual Microscope	Hijacked Cells	Hijacked Teams / Pathogen Attacks
All living things are made up of cells, which is the smallest unit that can be said to be alive. An organism may consist of one single cell (unicellular) or many different numbers and types of cells (multicellular). (MS-LS1-1)	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Within cells, special structures are responsible for particular functions, and the cell membrane forms the boundary that controls what enters and leaves the cell. (MS-LS1-2)		✔		✔
In multicellular organisms, the body is a system of multiple interacting subsystems. These subsystems are groups of cells that work together to form tissues and organs that are specialized for particular body functions. (MS-LS1-3)			✔		✔

Cross-Cutting Concepts	Coffee to Carbon / Cell Size and Scale	Mystery Cell Model / Inside a Cell	Teaming with Cells / Virtual Microscope	Hijacked Cells	Hijacked Teams / Pathogen Attacks
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale.	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Structure and Function Complex and microscopic structures and systems can be visualized, modeled, and used to describe how their function depends on the relationships among its parts, therefore complex natural structures/systems can be analyzed to determine how they function.		✔	✔	✔	✔
Systems and System Models Systems may interact with other systems; they may have sub-systems and be a part of larger complex systems.		✔	✔	✔	✔
Cause and Effect Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural systems.				✔	✔

Science and Engineering Practices	Coffee to Carbon / Cell Size and Scale	Mystery Cell Model / Inside a Cell	Teaming with Cells / Virtual Microscope	Hijacked Cells	Hijacked Teams / Pathogen Attacks
Developing and Using Models Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms.	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Constructing Explanations Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students' own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.					✔
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Conduct an investigation to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence that meet the goals of an investigation.	*	*	*

*These Interactive Tools can aid in the investigations that teachers choose to design and carry out in their classrooms.

Why should I sign up?

NGSS Connections