Seventh graders compare the two ways living things reproduce — asexual (one parent, identical offspring) and sexual (two parents, genetically varied offspring) — and the trade-offs each provides for survival.
Students will be able to…
Some organisms simply split in two to reproduce; others need two parents. Why do these two very different strategies both exist — and what are the trade-offs?
Project this and sort each example into asexual (one parent, identical offspring) or sexual (two parents, varied offspring).
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Some organisms split in two; others need two parents — why both?
Students investigate.
Students explain.
Students elaborate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (Middle School Life Science).
Develop a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in identical offspring and sexual reproduction results in variation.
Explain how characteristic behaviors and structures affect reproduction.
Explain how mutations affect structure and function.
Constructing explanations.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students explain why the genetic variation from sexual reproduction can help a species survive when the environment changes. A printable reproduction sheet is in the Science library.
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A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.