FTCE Biology 6-12 study plan

Design a controlled experiment from a given scenario, identifying independent, dependent, and controlled variables, plus at least two sources of error

Distinguish among hypothesis, theory, and law, and critique a described investigation for bias, sampling problems, or missing replication

Interpret and construct data tables, line graphs, bar graphs, and scatterplots, and calculate mean, median, mode, and range from a small data set

Label the structures and describe the functions of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organelles, and compare plant, animal, and bacterial cells

Predict the direction of water movement across a membrane given solute concentrations, and differentiate diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, and osmosis

Explain enzyme structure, active site specificity, and the effects of temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and inhibitors on reaction rate

Write the net equations for aerobic respiration and photosynthesis and trace where ATP, NADH, and carbon flow in each stage

Compare aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration, and fermentation in terms of ATP yield and end products

Sequence the phases of the cell cycle and mitosis, and describe how checkpoints and apoptosis regulate progression

Compare solutions that are hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic with respect to cell volume changes in plant and animal cells

Solve monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, including testcrosses, and compute phenotypic and genotypic ratios

Analyze pedigrees to determine modes of inheritance (autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, X-linked) and assign genotypes to individuals

Describe DNA replication, transcription, and translation, and predict the effect of a point mutation and a frameshift on the resulting protein

Explain the relationship among chromosomes, genes, alleles, and proteins in determining phenotype, including incomplete dominance, codominance, and multiple alleles

Distinguish mitosis from meiosis and explain how crossing over and independent assortment generate genetic variation

Explain natural selection as a mechanism and distinguish it from Lamarckian inheritance and from genetic drift

Solve Hardy-Weinberg problems to calculate allele and genotype frequencies and determine whether a population is evolving

Compare allopatric and sympatric speciation and identify prezygotic and postzygotic isolating mechanisms

Evaluate evidence for evolution from fossils, comparative anatomy, embryology, biogeography, and molecular data

Construct a cladogram from a shared-character matrix and interpret relative relatedness

Classify organisms using the three-domain and six-kingdom systems and justify placements using cell type, nutrition, and reproduction

Compare viruses, viroids, and prions to living cells and explain why viruses are excluded from the standard tree of life

Contrast the major invertebrate and vertebrate phyla by symmetry, body cavity, segmentation, and development

Describe adaptations that allowed plants to colonize land: vascular tissue, cuticle, stomata, seeds, and flowers

Distinguish the major fungal groups and explain their roles as decomposers, parasites, and mutualists

Analyze population growth curves (exponential vs. logistic) and calculate population size changes from birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates

Differentiate symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism) and predation from given species-interaction scenarios

Trace energy flow through trophic levels and compute energy transfer efficiency and biomass pyramids

Describe the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycles and predict ecosystem effects of disrupting one of them

Evaluate human impacts such as habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and eutrophication, and propose evidence-based mitigation

Map the path of blood through the heart and compare systemic, pulmonary, and lymphatic circulation

Explain how the nervous and endocrine systems coordinate homeostasis, using at least two negative-feedback examples

Describe digestion, gas exchange, and kidney filtration in terms of surface area, concentration gradients, and transport mechanisms

Compare innate and learned behaviors and identify proximate versus ultimate causes of a described behavior

Relate phototropism, gravitropism, and hormone action to plant responses to environmental stimuli

Complete two full-length timed practice tests under exam conditions and record domain-level accuracy

Rank all six domains by accuracy and re-teach the two lowest-scoring domains using targeted review notes

Reconstruct from memory a one-page summary sheet of formulas, key terms, and high-frequency diagrams for each domain

Practice constructed-response and data-analysis items, writing complete answers with explicit evidence from the provided data

Build a final 15-item personal error log and confirm each item is answered correctly on a retry