Antibiotic Resistance - Task B
Lesson
Alignment and Connections of Task Components to the Standards Bundle Task Component B asks students to plot and describe data showing the frequency of genetic variants in a bacterial population given a change in the environment (addition of antibiotic) and then use those data to explain how the specific traits may increase some bacteria’s chance of surviving in the new environment and to make predictions for how the frequencies of traits might change in the future with a different change in the environment. This partially addresses the NGSS performance expectations of MS-LS4-4 and MS-LS4-6 and parts of the associated NGSS dimensions, including the practices of Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking and Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions and the core ideas of LS4.C: Adaptation and LS4B: Natural Selection. This also partially addresses parts of the NGSS practice of Analyzing and Interpreting Data, and parts of the NGSS crosscutting concepts of Patterns, Cause and Effect, and Stability and Change. When describing the relationship between the time (generations) and frequency as proportional relationships, as mathematical functions, and by using the patterns in the data and scientific reasoning to make a prediction about the change in frequencies over time, students can partially address CCSS-M content standards of 7.RP.2, 8.F.1, and 8.F.5, and on CCSS-M practices of MP.2 and MP.4. Modeling of the data and using the graphs to predict the changes in the population enhance the performance of the NGSS core ideas and practices whereas the scientific context provides opportunities to use and describe plotted data that show a changing relationship over time. When students discuss probability based on existing data and make predictions about changes in frequency, they are essentially making and supporting claims and are partially addressing W.7.1, W.7.1.a, W.7.1.b, W.7.1.c, WHST.6-8.1, WHST.6-8.1.a, WHST.6-8.1.b, and WHST.6-8.1.c.