This document provides resources and guidance for teaching a 7th grade science unit on DNA. It includes the unit pacing calendar, TEKS standards, lesson plans with activities and assessments, differentiation strategies, and recommendations for building students' understanding of academic vocabulary. The goal is to support teachers in planning engaging, standards-aligned instruction to help students learn about genetic material, DNA, genes, and chromosomes.

1. Core Content Coaching
Science Grade 7

2. To provide support for grade-level, unit content planning for the DNA Unit
Purpose

3. Resources for planning
• Teacher Yearly Resource Document (or Yearly Itinerary)
• CRM 3: Organisms
• Blank Pacing Calendar
• 7th Grade 2nd Six Weeks Lessons: DNA Pacing Guides, DNA Daily Lesson Pages
• Computer with Internet Access

4. Teacher yearly resource document

5. 2nd Six Weeks Planner (24 days)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Oct. 6
Cells
7 8 9 10
Oct. 13
Student Holiday
14
DNA
15 16 17
Oct. 20
Intro to Human
Body
21 22 23 24
Oct. 27
Nervous System
28 29 30 31
Nov. 3
Endocrine
System
4 5 6 7

6. TEKS & Student expectations
Content TEKS Skills TEKS
7.14: Organisms and environments. The 7.1A-B, 7.2A, 7.3D, 7.4A-B
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:
7.14C: recognize that inherited traits
of individuals are governed in
the genetic material found in
the genes within chromosomes
in the nucleus

7. CRM 3: TEKS & Acquisition section

8. TEDEd Video: DNA- The Book of You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeAL6xThfL8&list=UUsooa4yRKGN_zEE8iknghZA&index=1&feature=plcp
NSTA Leaning Center- http://learningcenter.nsta.org/
Search Resources & Opportunities: DNA & Heredity
ScienceFusion Grade 7 Teacher Edition: Content Refresher: p. 235
Teacher Content support Video & textbook
Resource

9. Vertical alignment
6TH & 7th GRADE
•6.12A understand that all
organisms are composed of one or
more cells
•6.12B recognize that the
presence of a nucleus determines
whether a cell is prokaryotic or
eukaryotic
•7.12D differentiate
between structure and function
in plant and animal cell
organelles, including cell
membrane, cell wall, nucleus,
cytoplasm, mitochondrion,
chloroplast, and vacuole
7TH GRADE
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:
7.14C: recognize that
inherited traits of individuals
are governed in the genetic
material found in the genes
within chromosomes in the
nucleus
Biology
•describe the stages of the cell
cycle, including
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
replication and mitosis, and the
importance of the cell cycle to
the growth of organisms
•describe the roles of DNA,
ribonucleic acid (RNA), and
environmental factors in cell
differentiation
•identify components of DNA,
and describe how information
for specifying the traits of an
organism is carried in the DNA

10. PRIOR LEARNING
• The nucleus of a cell contains the cell’s
genetic material and regulates cell
activity.
• Prokaryotic cells do not contain a
nucleus and do not enclose their genetic
material within a nucleus.
• Eukaryotic cells contain a nucleus and
enclose their genetic material within the
nucleus.

11. SY13-14 MoY Benchmark Question
(No STAAR-Released questions)

12. SY13-14 MoY Benchmark Question
(No STAAR-Released questions)

13. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
• Define inherit to clarify the purpose of the chromosomes as it relates to DNA
and genetics based on this question’s most common error.

14. Based on the data and distractors, what key points should teachers
emphasize during lessons?
• Relate each structure to each other and chunk the TEKS statement with a visual
summary.
• Genes are
sections of
many DNA.
• Chromosomes
are composed
of DNA.
• Chromosomes
are found in the
nucleus of a
cell.
• Genetic material
= DNA,
chromosomes,
genes
• Genetic material
determines the
traits of
individuals.

15. Components of a good lesson plan
1. Engage Student Interest
2. Review/Scaffold to TEKS
3. Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the TEKS
• Labs, Activities, Videos
1. Organize and Practice Vocabulary
2. Reading & Comprehension Strategies
3. Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
4. Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
5. Differentiation
6. Formative Assessment & Reteach

16. Embedded in lessons:
Engage Student Interest
• Picture-Word Association Part I
• DNA: The Code for You
• Computational Biologist Reading &
Time Flies Activity
• Plant Geneticists & Is It For You

17. Recommended in lessons:
Review / Scaffold to TEKS
• Vocabulary Magic: DNA
• DNA Unit Overview

18. Embedded in lessons:
Student-Centered Activities directly relating to the depth and complexity of the
TEKS (Labs, Activities, Videos)
• DNA: The Code for You
• DNA Extraction Virtual Lab
• DNA Extraction Lab
• Bill Nye Video Clip: Genes, DNA, &
Chromosomes
• NeoK12 Video: Genetics 101 Part 1:
What are Genes?

19. Embedded in lessons:
Organize and Practice Vocabulary
• DNA Unit Overview
• Talk & Write with Sentence Stems
• Gateways p. 189 Reading & DNA Two-
Column Notes
• Genetics Material Presentation &
Vocabulary Cards
• Genetics Diagram
• DNA Vocabulary Game

20. Embedded in lessons:
Reading & Comprehension Strategies
• Gateways to Science Grade 8 p. 189
• Computational Biologist Reading
• Plant Geneticists Reading
• Comprehension Strategies
• DNA Two-Column Notes & Accommodated
Notes
• Gateways to Science Grade 8 p. 189
Accommodated Reading
• Reader/Writer/Speaker Response Triads:
Students form groups of three. One student
reads the text aloud; one writes the group’s
reactions or responses to questions about the
text, a third reports the answers to the group.
After reporting to the group, the students
switch roles.

21. Embedded in lessons:
Writing Opportunities & Scaffolds
• Talk & Write with Sentence
Stems
• Journal Entries
• DNA Extraction Lab Questions
• Scaffolds: Sentence Frames,
Word Bank

22. Embedded in lessons:
Daily Listening & Speaking Opportunities
In this picture I see…
I think this picture might match the
word … because…

23. • Special Education:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Pre-Teach Vocabulary
3. Divide Words into Smaller Sets
4. Make Connections to Relevant
Cognates
5. Discuss word parts; prefix, root, or suffix
6. Allow Multiple Views of Vocabulary
Trailer
7. Provide Vocabulary Trailer as a .pdf file
for Review or Reteach
8. Word Bank
9. Speaking Frames
10. Accommodated Reading
11. Accommodated Two-Column Notes
12. Writing Frames
13. Class Discussion
14. Additional Video Resource
• English Language Learners:
1. Mixed-Ability Partners
2. Pre-Teach Vocabulary
3. Word Bank
4. Speaking Frames
5. Allow use of Native Language Dictionaries or
online resource: http://translate.google.com/
6. Encourage ELLs to complete Step 1 to Build
Confidence
7. Make Connections to Relevant Cognates
8. Discuss word parts; prefix, root, or suffix
9. Allow students to describe pictures in their
native language but encourage use of English
when possible
10. Allow Multiple Views of Vocabulary Trailer
11. Provide Vocabulary Trailer as a .pdf file for
Review or Reteach
12. Writing Frames
Embedded in lessons:
Differentiation

24. Embedded in lessons:
Formative Assessment & Reteach
Formative Assessment Reteach Opportunities
• ScienceFusion Optional Lessons
• Other Lessons Folder Activities
• Picture-Word Association Parts I & II
• Talk & Write with Sentence Stems
• Journal Entries
• DNA Extraction Lab Class Discussion
• DNA Vocabulary Game
• DNA Quiz

25. Higher level questions
• “Research shows there’s a link between critical thinking skills and increased student achievement in the
classroom.” (Moore & Stanley, 2010)
• Higher level questions must be planned in order to be implemented effectively in the classroom.
• Levels of Questions
• Knowledge
• Comprehension
• Application
• Analysis
• Synthesis
• Evaluation
• Plan and provide a variety of questions at each level and build student knowledge and critical thinking by providing
Higher Level Questions.

26. Lower Levels of questions

27. Higher Levels of questions

28. Sample Unit questions
• A sample from this unit using the Daily Guiding Questions.
Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluate
What is DNA?
What is a gene?
What is a chromosome?
Label the organelle
where genetic material
is located in an
eukaryotic cell.
How are the structures
in genetics related?
Model the size
relationships between
the different genetic
structures.
How are a person’s
physical traits related to
its genetic material?
Create an analogy for
the relationships
between the structures
of genetics.
What is your opinion of
the insertion of genes of
one species into the
chromosomes of
another species?

29. Recommended Anchors of Support
• DNA Unit Overview
• DNA Two-Column Notes
• DNA Vocabulary Cards
• Genetics Diagram

30. Anchors of Support
Other Resources
•Interactive Word Wall- Current, working models with student contributions
• Interactive Word Walls Article: http://learningcenter.nsta.org/files/ss1103_45.pdf
• “Word walls can be arranged on cupboard doors or classroom walls, or hung from
the ceiling with wire and string.”
• “Maximum instructional potential and efficiency are achieved when interactive word-wall
construction is aligned with lessons and students are allowed to participate in
the process. As a result, walls are usually built over many days and are finished as
a unit nears completion. Word walls support units and are changed or replaced as
units change.”
• Interactive Word Walls Rubric: Next Slide
• ScienceFusion Textbook, Science Glossaries, Dual Language Science
Glossaries

32. Academic vocabulary
DAILY LESSON PAGE
CURRICULUM ROAD MAP