Virginia SOL LS.7

Science7th Grade

SOL Standard (Key Ideas Cluster)

The student will investigate and understand that adaptations support an organism’s survival in an ecosystem. Key ideas include

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science

Cluster contents

LS.7 is a Standards of Learning science standard. These are the key ideas and practices under it.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify living and nonliving conditions in land, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. They explain how a body trait or behavior helps an organism survive under specific conditions.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students correctly classify factors such as predators, temperature, water, soil, and sunlight. Given an unfamiliar organism, they connect one trait or behavior to a specific survival benefit.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think organisms choose or develop needed adaptations during their lifetime. They may confuse behaviors with physical traits or assume one helpful trait works in every ecosystem.
How to Assess It: Show a picture of a river otter and ask students to name one living factor, one nonliving factor, and one helpful adaptation. Require a because statement.

Lesson moves

Sort organism, sunlight, temperature, soil, water, and predator cards onto land, freshwater, or marine ecosystem mats.
Write: How would thick fur help in one ecosystem but cause problems in another?
Play adaptation match-up by pairing organism cards with trait cards, then defend each match in one sentence.
Observe a schoolyard organism and record one body trait or behavior that helps it handle local conditions.

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