Organisms+and+Environments

Category 4 is about Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments The student will demonstrate an understanding of the structures and functions of living organisms and their interdependence on each other and on their environment. Grade 8 (8.11) Organisms and environments. The student knows that interdependence occurs among living systems and the environment and that human activities can affect these systems.

The student is expected to (A) describe producer/consumer, predator/prey, and parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs within marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems; Readiness Standard (B) investigate how organisms and populations in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or soil composition


 * Readiness Standard (C) explore how short- and long-term environmental changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations;

Readiness Standard (D) recognize human dependence on ocean systems and explain how human activities such as runoff, artificial reefs, or use of resources have modified these systems.

Supporting Standard Grade 7 (7.10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there is a relationship between organisms and the environment. The student is expected to (B) describe how biodiversity contributes to the sustainability of an ecosystem; and

Supporting Standard (C) observe, record, and describe the role of ecological succession such as in a microhabitat of a garden with weeds. Supporting Standard

STAAR Grade 8 Science Page 8 of 12

Texas Education Agency

Student Assessment Division

Fall 2010

(7.11) Organisms and environments. The student knows that populations and species demonstrate variation and inherit many of their unique traits through gradual processes over many generations. The student is expected to (A) examine organisms or their structures such as insects or leaves and use dichotomous keys for identification; and Supporting Standard

(C) identify some changes in genetic traits that have occurred over several generations through natural selection and selective breeding such as the Galapagos Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) or domestic animals. Supporting Standard (7.12)

Organisms and environments. The student knows that living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. The student is expected to (B) identify the main functions of the systems of the human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary, nervous, and endocrine systems;

Supporting Standard (D) differentiate between structure and function in plant and animal cell organelles, including cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole; and Supporting Standard (F) recognize that according to cell theory all organisms are composed of cells and cells carry on similar functions such as extracting energy from food to sustain life.

Supporting Standard (7.14) Organisms and environments. The student knows that reproduction is a characteristic of living organisms and that the instructions for traits are governed in the genetic material. The student is expected to (B) compare the results of uniform or diverse offspring from sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction; and

Supporting Standard (C) recognize that inherited traits of individuals are governed in the genetic material found in the genes within chromosomes in the nucleus. Supporting Standard

STAAR Grade 8 Science Page 9 of 12

Texas Education Agency

Student Assessment Division

Fall 2010

Grade 6

(6.12) Organisms and environments. The student knows all organisms are classified into Domains and Kingdoms. Organisms within these taxonomic groups share similar characteristics which allow them to interact with the living and nonliving parts of their ecosystem. The student is expected to

(D) identify the basic characteristics of organisms, including prokaryotic or eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular, autotrophic or heterotrophic, and mode of reproduction, that further classify them in the currently recognized Kingdoms. Supporting Standardmedia type="youtube" key="Gb_IO-SzLgk" width="425" height="350"media type="youtube" key="d4izVAkhMPQ" width="425" height="350"media type="youtube" key="prkHKjfUmMs" width="425" height="350"media type="youtube" key="kKwOlAqQoLk" width="425" height="350"media type="youtube" key="LBagx9Qhdx8" width="425" height="350"