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Curriculum Materials

Standards Alignment

Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1.A: Structure & Function (HS)

  • Systems of specialized cells within organisms help perform essential functions of life (HS-LS1-1).
  • Multicellular organisms have a hierarchical structural organization, in which any one system is made up of numerous parts and is itself a component of the next level (HS-LS1-2).
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Science & Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models (HS)

  • Develop and use a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between systems or between components of a system.

Analyzing and Interpreting Data (HS)

  • Evaluate the impact of new data on a working explanation and/or model of a proposed process or system.
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Crosscutting Concepts

Systems and System Models (HS)

  • Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.
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In this task, students use models and data to explain why lactose intolerant people experience lots of gas, bloating and diarrhea when they eat certain dairy products. Students explore models comparing the digestive systems of lactose-tolerant and lactose-intolerant people to see how specialized parts of the systems affect how they are able to process dairy products. They then annotate the comparative models to explain why only lactose intolerant people experience these painful symptoms. At the end of the task, students examine new data to recommend what types of dairy products lactose intolerant people might eat to cause less painful symptoms.