Vision and Change Core Concepts and Competencies (http://visionandchange.org)

• Core Concept:

  • Pathways and transformations of energy and matter: Biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics.

• Core Competencies:

  • Ability to apply process of science: Biology is evidence based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.

  • Ability to use quantitative reasoning: Biology relies on applications of quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning.

Biocore Guide (Brownell et al., https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-12-0233)

• Transformations of Energy and Matter: Energy captured by primary producers is stored as chemical energy. This stored energy can be converted into ATP, which is required for energetically demanding activities necessary for life, including synthesis, transport, and movement.

Next Gen Science Standards (http://www.nextgenscience.org/)

• The process of photosynthesis converts light energy to stored chemical energy by converting carbon dioxide plus water into sugars plus released oxygen. (HS-LS1-5)

• The sugar molecules thus formed contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen: their hydrocarbon backbones are used to make amino acids and other carbon-based molecules that can be assembled into larger molecules (such as proteins or DNA), used for example to form new cells. (HS-LS1-6)

• Photosynthesis and cellular respiration (including anaerobic processes) provide most of the energy for life processes. (HS-LS2-3)

• The main way that solar energy is captured and stored on Earth is through the complex chemical process known as photosynthesis. (secondary to HS-LS2-5)

ASPB – BSA Core Concepts and Learning Objectives in Plant Biology for Undergraduate: https://aspb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/ASPB-BSA-CoreConcepts.pdf

• Plants capture light energy to assimilate inorganic carbon dioxide into organic compounds.

• Plants capture and use energy from sunlight. Almost all other organisms on the planet eat plants as a source of energy.

Process of Science Skills, Pelaez, N, et al. “The Basic Competencies of Biological Experimentation: Concept-Skill Statements“ (2017). PIBERG Instructional Innovation Materials. Paper 4. http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pibergiim/4

• Posing problems

• Generating hypotheses

• Designing experiments

  • Identification of proper controls

  • Comparison requires varying only one thing at a time

• Testing hypotheses

  • Unexpected results used to modify hypothesis

• Interpreting/evaluating data

  • Visual representations used to help interpret data