7th Grade Science Guide

reproduction, how mutations can change traits, and how humans use technologies to influence inheritance in plants and animals. Students also study adaptations that improve reproductive success in different environments.

​Sexual reproduction increases genetic variation, while asexual reproduction produces more similar offspring. ​Mutations can have beneficial, harmful, or neutral effects. ​Adaptations increase the likelihood of successful reproduction. ​Humans can influence inherited traits through technology and selective breeding. ​Variation exists within populations of organisms. ​Traits that improve survival and reproduction tend to become more common over time. ​Fossils provide evidence of life's history, diversity, and extinction. ​Similarities in anatomy and development provide evidence of evolutionary relationships. ​Evolution explains both the diversity and relatedness of living things.

Unit 6 Changes in Species Over Time

6 Weeks

Students explore how genetic variation within populations affects survival and reproduction. They investigate natural selection, fossil evidence, comparative anatomy, and embryological development to understand how scientists infer evolutionary relationships among organisms. Students use evidence to explain how populations change over time and how life on Earth has evolved.