Texas Administrative Code
Title 19 - EDUCATION
Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY
Chapter 112 - TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR SCIENCE
Subchapter C - HIGH SCHOOL
Section 112.42 - Biology (One Credit), Adopted 2020
Universal Citation: 19 TX Admin Code ยง 112.42
Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) General requirements. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course. This course is recommended for students in Grades 9-11.
(b) Introduction.
(1) Biology. Students in Biology focus on
patterns, processes, and relationships of living organisms through four main
concepts: biological structures, functions, and processes; mechanisms of
genetics; biological evolution; and interdependence within environmental
systems. By the end of Grade 12, students are expected to gain sufficient
knowledge of the scientific and engineering practices across the disciplines of
science to make informed decisions using critical thinking and scientific
problem solving.
(2) Nature of
science. Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use
of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural
phenomena, as well as the knowledge generated through this process." This vast
body of changing and increasing knowledge is described by physical,
mathematical, and conceptual models. Students should know that some questions
are outside the realm of science because they deal with phenomena that are not
currently scientifically testable.
(3) Scientific hypotheses and theories.
Students are expected to know that:
(A)
hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must be capable of being
supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses of durable
explanatory power that have been tested over a wide variety of conditions are
incorporated into theories; and
(B)
scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are capable
of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses,
scientific theories are well established and highly reliable explanations, but
they may be subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are
developed.
(4)
Scientific inquiry. Scientific inquiry is the planned and deliberate
investigation of the natural world using scientific and engineering practices.
Scientific methods of investigation are descriptive, comparative, or
experimental. The method chosen should be appropriate to the question being
asked. Student learning for different types of investigations include
descriptive investigations, which involve collecting data and recording
observations without making comparisons; comparative investigations, which
involve collecting data with variables that are manipulated to compare results;
and experimental investigations, which involve processes similar to comparative
investigations but in which a control is identified.
(A) Scientific practices. Students should be
able to ask questions, plan and conduct investigations to answer questions, and
explain phenomena using appropriate tools and models.
(B) Engineering practices. Students should be
able to identify problems and design solutions using appropriate tools and
models.
(5) Science and
social ethics. Scientific decision making is a way of answering questions about
the natural world involving its own set of ethical standards about how the
process of science should be carried out. Students should be able to
distinguish between scientific decision-making methods (scientific methods) and
ethical and social decisions that involve science (the application of
scientific information).
(6)
Science consists of recurring themes and making connections between overarching
concepts. Recurring themes include systems, models, and patterns. All systems
have basic properties that can be described in space, time, energy, and matter.
Change and constancy occur in systems as patterns and can be observed,
measured, and modeled. These patterns help to make predictions that can be
scientifically tested, while models allow for boundary specification and
provide a tool for understanding the ideas presented. Students should analyze a
system in terms of its components and how these components relate to each
other, to the whole, and to the external environment.
(7) Statements containing the word
"including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the
phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Scientific and engineering practices. The
student, for at least 40% of instructional time, asks questions, identifies
problems, and plans and safely conducts classroom, laboratory, and field
investigations to answer questions, explain phenomena, or design solutions
using appropriate tools and models. The student is expected to:
(A) ask questions and define problems based
on observations or information from text, phenomena, models, or
investigations;
(B) apply
scientific practices to plan and conduct descriptive, comparative, and
experimental investigations and use engineering practices to design solutions
to problems;
(C) use appropriate
safety equipment and practices during laboratory, classroom, and field
investigations as outlined in Texas Education Agency-approved safety
standards;
(D) use appropriate
tools such as microscopes, slides, Petri dishes, laboratory glassware, metric
rulers, digital balances, pipets, filter paper, micropipettes, gel
electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) apparatuses,
microcentrifuges, water baths, incubators, thermometers, hot plates, data
collection probes, test tube holders, lab notebooks or journals, hand lenses,
and models, diagrams, or samples of biological specimens or
structures;
(E) collect
quantitative data using the International System of Units (SI) and qualitative
data as evidence;
(F) organize
quantitative and qualitative data using scatter plots, line graphs, bar graphs,
charts, data tables, digital tools, diagrams, scientific drawings, and
student-prepared models;
(G)
develop and use models to represent phenomena, systems, processes, or solutions
to engineering problems; and
(H)
distinguish among scientific hypotheses, theories, and laws.
(2) Scientific and engineering
practices. The student analyzes and interprets data to derive meaning, identify
features and patterns, and discover relationships or correlations to develop
evidence-based arguments or evaluate designs. The student is expected to:
(A) identify advantages and limitations of
models such as their size, scale, properties, and materials;
(B) analyze data by identifying significant
statistical features, patterns, sources of error, and limitations;
(C) use mathematical calculations to assess
quantitative relationships in data; and
(D) evaluate experimental and engineering
designs.
(3) Scientific
and engineering practices. The student develops evidence-based explanations and
communicates findings, conclusions, and proposed solutions. The student is
expected to:
(A) develop explanations and
propose solutions supported by data and models and consistent with scientific
ideas, principles, and theories;
(B) communicate explanations and solutions
individually and collaboratively in a variety of settings and formats;
and
(C) engage respectfully in
scientific argumentation using applied scientific explanations and empirical
evidence.
(4) Scientific
and engineering practices. The student knows the contributions of scientists
and recognizes the importance of scientific research and innovation on society.
The student is expected to:
(A) analyze,
evaluate, and critique scientific explanations and solutions by using empirical
evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, so as
to encourage critical thinking by the student;
(B) relate the impact of past and current
research on scientific thought and society, including research methodology,
cost-benefit analysis, and contributions of diverse scientists as related to
the content; and
(C) research and
explore resources such as museums, libraries, professional organizations,
private companies, online platforms, and mentors employed in a science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field in order to investigate
STEM careers.
(5)
Science concepts--biological structures, functions, and processes. The student
knows that biological structures at multiple levels of organization perform
specific functions and processes that affect life. The student is expected to:
(A) relate the functions of different types
of biomolecules, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids,
to the structure and function of a cell;
(B) compare and contrast prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells, including their complexity, and compare and contrast
scientific explanations for cellular complexity;
(C) investigate homeostasis through the
cellular transport of molecules; and
(D) compare the structures of viruses to
cells and explain how viruses spread and cause disease.
(6) Science concepts--biological structures,
functions, and processes. The student knows how an organism grows and the
importance of cell differentiation. The student is expected to:
(A) explain the importance of the cell cycle
to the growth of organisms, including an overview of the stages of the cell
cycle and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication models;
(B) explain the process of cell
specialization through cell differentiation, including the role of
environmental factors; and
(C)
relate disruptions of the cell cycle to how they lead to the development of
diseases such as cancer.
(7) Science concepts--mechanisms of genetics.
The student knows the role of nucleic acids in gene expression. The student is
expected to:
(A) identify components of DNA,
explain how the nucleotide sequence specifies some traits of an organism, and
examine scientific explanations for the origin of DNA;
(B) describe the significance of gene
expression and explain the process of protein synthesis using models of DNA and
ribonucleic acid (RNA);
(C)
identify and illustrate changes in DNA and evaluate the significance of these
changes; and
(D) discuss the
importance of molecular technologies such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR),
gel electrophoresis, and genetic engineering that are applicable in current
research and engineering practices.
(8) Science concepts--mechanisms of genetics.
The student knows the role of nucleic acids and the principles of inheritance
and variation of traits in Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics. The student is
expected to:
(A) analyze the significance of
chromosome reduction, independent assortment, and crossing-over during meiosis
in increasing diversity in populations of organisms that reproduce sexually;
and
(B) predict possible outcomes
of various genetic combinations using monohybrid and dihybrid crosses,
including non-Mendelian traits of incomplete dominance, codominance, sex-linked
traits, and multiple alleles.
(9) Science concepts--biological evolution.
The student knows evolutionary theory is a scientific explanation for the unity
and diversity of life that has multiple lines of evidence. The student is
expected to:
(A) analyze and evaluate how
evidence of common ancestry among groups is provided by the fossil record,
biogeography, and homologies, including anatomical, molecular, and
developmental; and
(B) examine
scientific explanations for varying rates of change such as gradualism, abrupt
appearance, and stasis in the fossil record.
(10) Science concepts--biological evolution.
The student knows evolutionary theory is a scientific explanation for the unity
and diversity of life that has multiple mechanisms. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze and evaluate how natural
selection produces change in populations and not in individuals;
(B) analyze and evaluate how the elements of
natural selection, including inherited variation, the potential of a population
to produce more offspring than can survive, and a finite supply of
environmental resources, result in differential reproductive success;
(C) analyze and evaluate how natural
selection may lead to speciation; and
(D) analyze evolutionary mechanisms other
than natural selection, including genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, and
genetic recombination, and their effect on the gene pool of a
population.
(11) Science
concepts--biological structures, functions, and processes. The student knows
the significance of matter cycling, energy flow, and enzymes in living
organisms. The student is expected to:
(A)
explain how matter is conserved and energy is transferred during photosynthesis
and cellular respiration using models, including the chemical equations for
these processes; and
(B)
investigate and explain the role of enzymes in facilitating cellular
processes.
(12) Science
concepts--biological structures, functions, and processes. The student knows
that multicellular organisms are composed of multiple systems that interact to
perform complex functions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze the interactions that occur among
systems that perform the functions of regulation, nutrient absorption,
reproduction, and defense from injury or illness in animals; and
(B) explain how the interactions that occur
among systems that perform functions of transport, reproduction, and response
in plants are facilitated by their structures.
(13) Science concepts--interdependence within
environmental systems. The student knows that interactions at various levels of
organization occur within an ecosystem to maintain stability. The student is
expected to:
(A) investigate and evaluate how
ecological relationships, including predation, parasitism, commensalism,
mutualism, and competition, influence ecosystem stability;
(B) analyze how ecosystem stability is
affected by disruptions to the cycling of matter and flow of energy through
trophic levels using models;
(C)
explain the significance of the carbon and nitrogen cycles to ecosystem
stability and analyze the consequences of disrupting these cycles;
and
(D) explain how environmental
change, including change due to human activity, affects biodiversity and
analyze how changes in biodiversity impact ecosystem stability.
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