Aerobic Respiration
CONCEPTUALExplain aerobic respiration as the process by which organisms release energy from glucose using oxygen, producing carbon dioxide and water; write and interpret the word equation: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
Mastery Evidence
- Writes and explains the word equation for aerobic respiration
- Explains where in the cell aerobic respiration takes place (mitochondria)
- Links aerobic respiration to why breathing rate and heart rate increase during exercise
- Explains that respiration is not the same as breathing
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] had just finished PE and was breathing hard, could they explain what aerobic respiration is doing inside their muscle cells — and write out the word equation that describes it?”
Curriculum Standards3 alignments
MS-LS1-7Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Middle Schoolcodes onlyKS3.Sci.Bio.GasExchange.6The national curriculum in Englandaerobic and anaerobic respiration in living organisms, including the breakdown of organic molecules to enable all the other chemical processes necessary for life
KS3.Sci.Bio.GasExchange.7The national curriculum in Englanda word summary for aerobic respiration: glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water (energy transferred to the environment)
Prerequisites2
- How Diffusion WorkssoftAges 12—13
- Gas Exchange & BreathinghardAges 12—13
Show full prerequisite tree
- Parts of Plant and Animal Cells hard
Diffusion in and between cells requires knowing about the cell membrane as a selectively permeable boundary
- Cells Under the Microscope hard
Understanding cell components requires first knowing that cells are the fundamental unit of life
- Gas Exchange & Breathing hard
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen obtained through gas exchange — the supply mechanism must be understood first
- Cells to Organ Systems soft
The gas exchange system is an organ system — hierarchy concept provides structural context
- Plant Cells vs Animal Cells hard
The cell-to-organism hierarchy builds on understanding that different cell types exist
- Parts of Plant and Animal Cells hard
Comparing plant and animal cells requires knowing the components found in each
- Cells Under the Microscope hard
Understanding cell components requires first knowing that cells are the fundamental unit of life
- How Diffusion Works hard
Gas exchange at the alveoli is driven by diffusion — the mechanism must be understood first
- Parts of Plant and Animal Cells hard
Diffusion in and between cells requires knowing about the cell membrane as a selectively permeable boundary
- Cells Under the Microscope hard
Understanding cell components requires first knowing that cells are the fundamental unit of life
Unlocks3
- The Carbon CyclehardAges 12—13
- Anaerobic RespirationhardAges 12—14
- Body Temperature RegulationsoftAges 12—14