Indiana Science HS-AP4-3
The Standard
Conduct an investigation to analyze the molecular processes involved in sliding filament models to explain and identify changes in disease-related illnesses.
Indiana Academic Standards for Science (2023) · Movement and Support, the Muscular System
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students run repeated trials with a filament model. They change calcium availability, keep ATP available, and measure how far actin moves. They use the results to explain what happens when a muscle cell releases too much calcium.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student uses measurements to show that actin slides past myosin while both filaments keep their length. They explain how sustained calcium release in malignant hyperthermia keeps muscle contracting and using ATP.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think actin and myosin get shorter instead of sliding past each other. They may think calcium supplies the energy, or that calcium pulls the filaments together without myosin and ATP.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: A muscle cell keeps releasing calcium after anesthesia. Predict what happens to actin binding sites, myosin activity, ATP use, and muscle tension.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Use paper actin and myosin strips, binder clips, calcium tokens, and a ruler to compare shortening with one versus four exposed binding sites.
Ask students to sketch a sarcomere before and after a pull, then explain why its filaments stay the same length.
Have pairs order cards labeled calcium release, binding site opens, myosin attaches, myosin pulls, and ATP releases myosin; check against a diagram.
Read an anesthesia case card describing muscle rigidity and rising temperature; have students link excess calcium release to ongoing contraction and ATP use.
Free download
Printable HS-AP4-3 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to HS-AP4-3, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetKeep exploring
Related Standards
- HS-AP7-1
Investigate the structure and function of the endocrine system and develop models showing how changes in prominent hormone levels impact homeostasis throughout ...
- HS-AP8-3
Investigate the primary structures of the cardiovascular system and explore their functional importance to maintaining homeostasis.
- HS-AP12-3
Develop a model of the nephron to explore its structural components, associated hormones, and the functional processes of filtration, excretion, secretion, and ...
Turn this exact standard into a lesson
Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.
Also for this standard:Make a WorksheetMake a QuizMake a Sub Lesson