MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

California Science Test—Item Content Specifications

MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of

Traits
Students who demonstrate understanding can:

Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in

offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in
offspring with genetic variation.

[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on using models such as Punnett squares,

diagrams, and simulations to describe the cause and effect relationship of gene
transmission from parent(s) to offspring and resulting genetic variation.]

Continue to the next page for the Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas,
and Crosscutting Concepts.
 MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
California Science Test—Item Content Specifications

Science and Crosscutting

Disciplinary Core Ideas
Engineering Practices Concepts

Developing and Using LS1.B: Growth and Development of Cause and Effect
Models Organisms
 Cause and effect
Modeling in 6–8 builds on 4. Organisms reproduce, either relationships may be
K–5 experiences and sexually or asexually, and transfer used to predict
progresses to their genetic information to their phenomena in natural
developing, using, and offspring. (secondary) systems.
revising models to
describe, test, and LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits
predict more abstract
phenomena and design 6. Variations of inherited traits
systems. between parent and offspring arise
from genetic differences that result
 Develop and use a from the subset of chromosomes
model to describe (and therefore genes) inherited.
phenomena.
LS3.B: Variation of Traits

4. In sexually reproducing organisms,

each parent contributes half of the
genes acquired (at random) by the
offspring. Individuals have two of
each chromosome and hence two
alleles of each gene, one acquired
from each parent. These versions
may be identical or may differ from
each other.

Assessment Targets
Assessment targets describe the focal knowledge, skills, and abilities for a given three-
dimensional Performance Expectation. Please refer to the Introduction for a complete
description of assessment targets.

Science and Engineering Subpractice(s)

Please refer to appendix A for a complete list of Science and Engineering Practices (SEP)
subpractices. Note that the list in this section is not exhaustive.

2.1 Ability to develop models

2.2 Ability to use models

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 MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
California Science Test—Item Content Specifications

Science and Engineering Subpractice Assessment Targets

Please refer to appendix A for a complete list of SEP subpractice assessment targets. Note
that the list in this section is not exhaustive.

2.1.1 Ability to determine the components as well as relationships among multiple

components, to include or omit, of a scientific event, system, or design
solution

2.1.3 Ability to represent mechanisms, relationships, and connections to illustrate,

explain or predict a scientific event

2.2.1 Ability to use a model to collect evidence to reason qualitatively or

quantitatively about concepts and relationships represented in the model

2.2.2 Ability to use a model to generate explanations and predictions about the
behavior of a scientific phenomenon

Disciplinary Core Idea Assessment Targets

LS1.B.4

- Explain the differences in genetic variation that arise from sexual and asexual
reproduction

- Describe that during reproduction parents transfer genetic information in the form
of genes to their offspring

LS3.A.6

- Describe that variations of inherited traits between parent and offspring arise
from the genetic differences in the genes inherited

- Describe why sexual and asexual reproduction result in different types of genetic
variation in offspring relative to their parents

LS3.B.4

- Describe that in sexually reproducing organisms, the parents typically have two
sets of chromosomes

- Describe that in sexual reproduction, each parent contributes a set of

chromosomes to the offspring

- Describe how offspring from sexual reproduction reflect a combination of genetic

material from both parents and therefore contain new combinations of genes not
found in the parents

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 MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
California Science Test—Item Content Specifications

- Predict the possible or probable genetic makeup of the offspring if parental

information is provided

Crosscutting Concept Assessment Target(s)

CCC2 Use cause and effect relationships to predict phenomena in natural systems

Examples of Integration of Assessment Targets and Evidence

Note that the list in this section is not exhaustive.

Task presents a model comparing sexual and asexual reproduction in organisms:

- Selects components used to compare the two different types of reproduction (2.1.1,
LS1.B.4, and CCC2)

- Explains the transfer of genetic information to offspring via sexual reproduction (2.1.1,
LS1.B.4, and CCC2)

- Explains the transfer of genetic information to offspring via asexual reproduction (2.1.1,
LS1.B.4, and CCC2)

Task provides students with a representation of sexual or asexual reproduction:

- Uses labels to represent mechanisms of genetic transfer during sexual/asexual

reproduction (2.1.3, LS3.A.6, and CCC2)

Task provides a model comparing sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction:

- Analyzes the provided model to identify evidence for relationships in each type of
reproduction (2.2.1, LS1.B.4, and CCC2)

Task includes a model (e.g., a Punnett square, a diagram) of sexual reproduction providing the
genetic information for two parents:

- Predicts the genetic makeup of the possible offspring resulting from the cross (2.2.2,
LS3.B.4, and CCC2)

- Explains how the genetic differences could arise from the subset of chromosomes
inherited (2.2.2, LS3.A.6, and CCC2)

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 MS-LS3-2 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits
California Science Test—Item Content Specifications

Possible Phenomena or Contexts

Note that the list in this section is not exhaustive.

- Different parental genetics and possible offspring resulting from sexual and asexual
reproduction

- Variations of inherited traits in offspring from sexual and asexual reproduction

- Punnett squares or simulations to analyze genetic variation in offspring resulting from

sexual reproduction

- Asexual and sexual reproduction in growing crops

- Models of genetic inheritance other than simple dominance

Common Misconceptions
Note that the list in this section is not exhaustive.

- Sexual reproduction is always advantageous over asexual reproduction.

- Genetic variation in offspring cannot be predicted.
- All organisms reproduce in the same way.

Additional Assessment Boundaries

None listed at this time.

Additional References
MS-LS3-2 Evidence Statement
https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/evidence_statement/black_white/MS-LS3-2
Evidence Statements June 2015 asterisks.pdf

The 2016 Science Framework for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade 12

Appendix 1: Progression of the Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas,
and Crosscutting Concepts in Kindergarten through Grade 12
https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/documents/scifwappendix1.pdf

Posted by the California Department of Education, July 2021

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