# Biological Diversity Across the Curriculum
*Grade 9 Science, Biology 20 and Biology 30*

## Slide 1: Biological Diversity
![Biological Diversity](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/api/generate/6d1e3e6c-614b-4a2f-a209-cc14e33338d8/asset/2061)
*Grade 9 Science: how variety among and within species helps life survive*
*Sources: [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)*
> Notes: Introduce the unit: Grade 9 Science Unit A, Biological Diversity. Preview that this deck traces the idea across three curriculum sets: Grade 9 Science, then Biology 20, then Biology 30, showing how the concept deepens over time. Mention focusing questions: what is biological diversity, and what impact does human activity have on it ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)).

## Slide 2: Grade 9 Science: What Is Biological Diversity?
- Biological diversity shows up as the range of species in an environment and as variation within a single species ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)).
- Diversity is maintained through sexual and asexual reproduction, passed from parents to offspring ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)).
- Variation among and within species helps organisms survive in a shared ecosystem, such as different bird species using different niches in a park ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)).
- Symbiotic relationships link species together and are classified as mutualism, commensalism or parasitism ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)).
- Variation helps species survive changing conditions, such as disease resistance or tolerance of harsh environments ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)).
*Sources: [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)*
> Notes: Checkpoint: ask students to name one example of variation within a species they know (dog breeds, human eye colour) and one example of a niche from a local ecosystem. Support: provide sentence starters for describing variation. Extension: have students research a symbiotic relationship not covered in class and classify it.

## Slide 3: Grade 9 Science: Passing Traits to the Next Generation
**Reproduction and Inheritance**
Sexual and asexual reproduction both transmit species characteristics, including binary fission, budding, spore production and cross-fertilization ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17392)). Offspring traits can match one parent, both parents, fall in between, or differ from both ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17392)). Chromosomes, genes and DNA store genetic information, and meiosis halves genetic material to form sex cells ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17393)).
**Selection and Human Impact**
Natural and artificial selection both shape which characteristics persist, as seen in bird beak shapes or high milk production in dairy cows ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17393)). Human activity drives extinction and extirpation of species, and strategies like zoo breeding programs, seed banks and protected areas aim to limit diversity loss ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394)).
*Sources: [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17392), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17393), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394)*
> Notes: Formative checkpoint: quick pair share where students distinguish heritable from non-heritable traits (eye colour versus a scar). Support: use a simple parent-offspring trait chart. Extension: ask students to evaluate the limitations of one conservation strategy listed in [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394).

## Slide 4: Biology 20: Ecosystems Support Diversity
1. **Ecosystem structure**: Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems each have distinct biotic and abiotic characteristics ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22434)).
2. **Habitats and niches**: Layers such as canopy, forest floor, littoral and profundal zones support many organisms ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22433)).
3. **Classifying organisms**: Taxonomy and binomial nomenclature organize species by nutrition mode and morphology ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22436)).
4. **Populations change**: Heritable mutations create variability, and some mutations offer a selective advantage ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22444)).
*Sources: [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22430), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22433), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22434), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22436), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22444)*
> Notes: This slide bridges Grade 9 concepts into Biology 20, Unit B, which builds directly on Grade 9 Science Unit A ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22430)). Checkpoint: ask students to sort a local ecosystem example (stream, prairie, vacant lot) into biotic and abiotic characteristics ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22434)). Support: provide a two-column sorting sheet. Extension: research one aquatic zone in more depth.

## Slide 5: Biology 30: Populations, Gene Pools and Communities
- **Community as gene pool**: A community is a composite of populations whose individuals contribute to a gene pool that can change over time ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22634)).
- **Forces of change**: Gene pool diversity shifts through natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, nonrandom mating, bottleneck and founder effects, migration and mutation ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22636)).
- **Quantitative tools**: Population genetics, including the Hardy-Weinberg principle, and population growth curves let scientists measure change over time ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633)).
- **Interactions matter**: Individuals interact within and between populations, shaping community dynamics and succession ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633)).
*Sources: [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633), [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22634), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22636)*
> Notes: This shows students where Grade 9 diversity concepts lead in senior high biology. Checkpoint: ask students to predict what might happen to a gene pool after a bottleneck event (a wildfire drastically reducing a population). Support: define gene pool with a simple analogy (a bag of coloured marbles). Extension: introduce the Hardy-Weinberg principle name only, noting it will be studied quantitatively later.

## Slide 6: Diversity, Traced Across Three Courses
**Summary:** Grade 9 Science introduces biological diversity as variation among and within species, maintained by reproduction and threatened by human activity ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)). Biology 20 extends this into ecosystem structure, niches and natural selection ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22430)). Biology 30 adds the quantitative study of gene pools and population change over time ([Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633)).
**Question:** If a local wetland lost half its plant species tomorrow, which animal species do you think would be affected first, and why?
*Sources: [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389), [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22430), [Topic](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391), [Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394)*
> Notes: Use the closing question as an exit ticket or a short discussion. Listen for students connecting species loss to niches, food webs or symbiotic relationships ([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)). This can connect to Specific Outcome 4, which focuses on identifying impacts of human action on species survival and analyzing related issues for personal and public decision making([Outcome](https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394)).

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*AILI presentation · language en · model claude-sonnet-5 · generated 2026-09-17 · id 6d1e3e6c-614b-4a2f-a209-cc14e33338d8*

### Sources

- node:n1: Unit B: Ecosystems & Population Change (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22430)
- node:n2: General Outcome 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22431)
- node:n3: Specific Outcomes for Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22433)
- node:n4: Specific Outcomes for Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22434)
- node:n5: Specific Outcomes for Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22436)
- node:n6: General Outcome 2 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22443)
- node:n7: Specific Outcomes for Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22444)
- node:n8: Unit D: Population & Community Dynamics (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22633)
- node:n9: General Outcome 1 (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22634)
- node:n10: Specific Outcomes for Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/22636)
- node:n11: Unit A: Biological Diversity (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17389)
- node:n12: Outcomes for Science, Technology and Society (STS) and Knowledge (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17390)
- node:n13: *Students will:* Investigate and interpret diversity among species and within species, and describe how diversity contri (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17391)
- node:n14: Students will: Investigate the nature of reproductive processes and their role in transmitting species characteristics • (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17392)
- node:n15: *Students will:* Describe, in general terms, the role of genetic materials in the continuity and variation of species ch (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17393)
- node:n16: *Students will:* Identify impacts of human action on species survival and variation within species, and analyze related  (https://goa-cc-uat-aili-app-001.azurewebsites.net/explore/node/17394)