Grade 7: Life Science

Here is a comprehensive overview of the Grade 7 Life Science content, aligned with the British Columbia (BC) Curriculum.

In BC, the Grade 7 Life Science unit focuses on evolution and biodiversity, exploring how life changes over time and the incredible variety of species on Earth.

BC Grade 7 Science: Life Science Unit – Evolution and Biodiversity

This unit explores the questions: “Why is there such diversity of life on Earth?” and “How do species change over time?” It introduces students to the theory of evolution by natural selection as the unifying principle of biology.

Overarching Big Ideas (for the Life Science Unit)

• Evolution by natural selection provides an explanation for the diversity and survival of living things.

• The theory of evolution by natural selection is supported by evidence from various sources.

Core Components of the Grade 7 Life Science Unit

Part A: Introduction to Biodiversity

• Key Concepts: Species diversity, ecosystems, classification.

• Learning Goals:

  • Define biodiversity as the variety of life in a particular ecosystem or on Earth as a whole.

  • Understand that ecosystems with greater biodiversity tend to be more resilient.

  • Recognize that scientists classify organisms into groups based on shared characteristics.

  • Appreciate the immense diversity of life in British Columbia and around the world.

Part B: The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

• Key Concepts: Natural selection, adaptation, survival and reproduction.

• Learning Goals:

  • Explain the process of natural selection using the following principles:

    1. Variation: Individuals in a population have natural variations in their traits.

    2. Inheritance: Traits are passed from parents to offspring.

    3. Selection: Environmental pressures favor individuals with certain variations.

    4. Time: Over many generations, favorable traits become more common in the population.

  • Define adaptation as an inherited trait that improves an organism’s chances of survival and reproduction in its environment.

Part C: Evidence for Evolution

• Key Concepts: Fossil record, comparative anatomy, embryology.

• Learning Goals:

  • Describe how the fossil record provides evidence of how species have changed over time.

  • Explain how comparative anatomy (similarities in bone structure between different species) suggests common ancestry.

  • Understand how embryology (similarities in early development) provides evidence for evolutionary relationships.

  • Recognize that DNA analysis provides strong evidence for evolution by showing genetic similarities between species.

Part D: Artificial Selection

• Key Concepts: Human-directed evolution, domestication.

• Learning Goals:

  • Define artificial selection as the process by which humans breed plants and animals for desired traits.

  • Compare and contrast natural selection with artificial selection.

  • Provide examples of artificial selection (e.g., dog breeds, crop plants, livestock).

Part E: Extinction and Environmental Change

• Key Concepts: Species extinction, human impact, conservation.

• Learning Goals:

  • Understand that extinction is a natural process, but the current rate of extinction is much higher than normal.

  • Identify human activities that contribute to species extinction (e.g., habitat destruction, pollution, climate change).

  • Discuss the importance of conservation and protecting biodiversity.

Curricular Competencies in Action (The “Doing” of Science)

• Questioning and Predicting:

  • “Why do some organisms survive in changing environments while others do not?”

  • “How might a species change if its environment became much colder over thousands of years?”

• Planning and Conducting:

  • Lab: Bird Beak Adaptation. Students use different tools (tweezers, clothes pins, spoons) to pick up various “food” items, modeling how different beak shapes are adapted for different food sources.

  • Investigation: Fossil Record Analysis. Students examine fossil replicas or diagrams to identify changes in species over time.

• Processing and Analyzing Data and Information:

  • Analyze data on population changes in different environmental conditions.

  • Create evolutionary trees based on anatomical similarities.

• Evaluating:

  • Evaluate different explanations for observed adaptations in local species.

  • Assess the strength of different types of evidence for evolution.

• Applying and Innovating:

  • Contribute to care for self, others, and community by researching and proposing ways to protect local biodiversity.

  • Design an imaginary species with adaptations for a specific environment.

• Communicating:

  • Create a presentation explaining how a specific species has evolved adaptations for its environment.

Sample Learning Standards from the BC Curriculum

• Content: “Explain how natural selection leads to the evolution of species.”

• Content: “Analyze the evidence for evolution.”

• Content: “Explain the importance of biodiversity.”

• Curricular Competency: “Experience and interpret the local environment.” (e.g., observing adaptations in local plants and animals).

Key Connections to Other Grade 7 Science Units

• Connection to Earth Science: Earth’s geological history and climate changes have driven evolutionary processes. The fossil record connects directly to geology and dating methods.

• Connection to Chemistry: Biochemical evidence (DNA comparisons) provides strong support for evolutionary relationships.

• Connection to Physics: Environmental factors like climate and temperature act as selection pressures that drive evolution.

This unit provides students with a powerful framework for understanding the natural world and their place in it. It helps them see that all life is connected through evolutionary history and that biodiversity is the result of millions of years of adaptation and change.