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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION VIII – EASTERN VISAYAS
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF CATBALOGAN CITY

LEARNER’S ACTIVITY SHEET IN EARTH & LIFE SCIENCE FOR QUARTER 2, WEEK1-2

Competencies:
1. Examine new theories proposed by researchers about the evolution of the natural world;
2. Explain the evolving concept of life based on emerging pieces of evidence
General Reminders: Use this activity sheet with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on
any part of the activity sheet. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises. Read
the directions carefully before doing each task. Return this activity sheet to your
teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.

I. Explore

Activity 1

Make a simple diagram or sketch on how the universe and the earth was formed. Write a

short explanation of your drawing on a separate piece of paper. Criteria will be provided

below.
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Neatness-15 points
Creativity- 30 points
Relevance -15 points
Information- 20 points
Concept- 20 points

100 points

II. Learn
What is it?
Origin of the Universe and Earth

There were many theories inferred by different scientists on the origin of the universe.
Few of these are the Theory of Special Creation, Theory of Spontaneous Generation, Theory
of Biogenesis, Theory of Biochemical Evolution, Theory of Panspermia, and Deep Sea
hydrothermal vent theory. These theories may have or may have not scientific basis.

Some believed that organisms were put to Earth by some divine forces while others say
that life did not originate from Earth but from other celestial bodies. Among the scientists,
the most accepted theory is that life came from lifeless matter. According to the primordial
soup theory proposed by Alexander Oparin and John Haldane, that life started in a primordial
soup of organic molecules. Some form of energy from lightning combined with the chemicals
in the atmosphere to make the amino acids (the building block of proteins.

Studies of the modern universe allow astronomers and physicists to propose and test
ideas about its origin. According to the big bang theory the universe began in a single instant,
about 13 to 15 billion years ago. In that silent expansion, all existing matter and energy
suddenly appeared and exploded outward from a single point. Simple elements such as
hydrogen and helium formed within minutes. Then over millions of years, gravity drew the
gases together and they condensed to form giant stars. The explosions of the early stars
scattered heavier elements which formed into galaxies. Five billion years ago, a cloud of dust
and rocks (asteroids) orbited the star which is known as the sun. When the asteroids collided
with another asteroids, it merged into bigger asteroids. The heavier these pre-planetary object
became, the more gravitational pull they exerted, and the more material they gathered. About
4.6 billion years ago, this gradual build-up of materials had formed Earth and other planets
of our solar system.
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Activity 2: The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang theory suggests that our Universe is expanding. In this activity
students will explore a model to see whether evidence exists to support this. For the theory
to be supported students should find that
1. All objects in our Universe must be moving away from each other.
2. Objects that are further away from us are moving away from us more
quickly than objects that are close to us.
Materials needed
Balloon/Cellophane
Marker
Needle
Measuring Tape

Instruction

1. Inflate the balloon partially.

2. Fold and clip it so the air does not escape.
3. Draw six to eight spaced dots on the balloon using a marker.
4. Label the dots with CAPITAL LETTERS
5. Using the ruler or measuring tape, measure in distance, in mm, from Dot A to each of
the other dots.
6. Record your measurements in the Table provided below under initial measurements.
7. Remove the clothespin and inflate the balloon some more.
8. Observe what happens the dots you drew
9. Make sure balloon is tightly closed to prevent the deflation. Measure the distance
from Dot A to each of the other dots.
10. Record your data on the second column of the table.
11. Repeat the steps of number 7 to 10 two or 3 more times.

Table 1.1 Distance of Dot A - G

Balloon Initial
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Point Measurement
A
B
5
C
D
E
F
G
Average

Follow-up Questions:

1. How is the model similar to reality and how is it different?

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2. Does the model prove the Big Bang Theory? Explain you answer.

3. What do dots represent in your model?

______________________________________________________________________

4. From your observation, which distance changed the most?

5. From your observation, which distance changed the least?

6. What can you conclude from the experiment you have done?

The Common Ancestor of All Life

All living things are made up of cells. Some are unicellular and some are multicellular.
Unicellular organisms that are mostly known are paramecium, amoeba, bacteria, and yeast.
The multicellular cells include animal cells, plant cells, and the human body and germ cells.
Given what scientists know about relationships among modern species. Most assume that
this common ancestor was prokaryotic, meaning it did not have a nucleus. There was a
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scarcity of oxygen during the early Earth so the ancestral cell must also have been anaerobic
meaning capable of living without oxygen.

What are the evidences to prove such statement? Looking for and finding signs of early
cells poses a challenge. Cells are microscopic and cannot be seen through our naked eye and
is difficult to fossilize. Furthermore, few ancient rocks that could hold early fossils still exist.
Tectonic plate movements have destroyed nearly all rocks older than about 4 million years,
most slightly younger rocks have been heated that destroy traces of biological material.
Structures formed by nonbiological mechanisms sometimes resemble fossils. To avoid
mistakes on accepting materials like genuine fossils, scientists repeatedly analyse purported
fossil finds and they often question one another’s conclusion.

The Oldest Fossil Cells

The divergence that separated the two prokaryotic domains, Bacteria and Archaea,
occurred very rarely in the history of life, and no fossils from before this divergence have been
discovered.

It has been studied that the first form of life is believed to have appeared 3.5 billion
years ago. Palaeontologists are the scientists who study
fossils found microscopic living cells known as
microfossils in rocks that formed 3.5 billion years ago
after Earth cooled and solidified using
radioisotope dating (which uses radioactive Example of microfossils of sulphur-metabolizing cells in
3.4-billion-year-old rocks of Western Australia
materials such as the radioactive components of
potassium-argon). The microfossils’ filaments found in Western Australia resemble chains
of modern photosynthetic bacteria and the rocks in which they occur are thought to be
remains of ancient stromatolites which are mounded, layered structure that forms in
shallow sunlit water when a mat of photosynthetic bacteria traps minerals and sediment.
These stromatolites increases in size over time as new layers form over the old. These
organisms have been so abundant 1.25 billion years ago and were common worldwide.

Many types of bacteria carry out photosynthesis, but only one group, cyanobacteria,
do so by an oxygen-producing pathway. The microfossils of cyanobacteria were among the
easiest to recognize. The forms of these organisms were remained the same and left chemical
fossils in the form of broken products from pigments. The first microfossil that showed
remains of organisms with differences in structure and characteristics was seen 1.5 billion
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years ago on the rocks. They are bigger compared to bacteria and have internal membranes
and thicker wall. These findings marked the beginning of eukaryotic organisms on Earth.
The evolution of oxygen-producing photosynthesis in cyanobacteria had started on early life.
About 2.5 billion years ago, oxygen released by these bacteria had begun to accumulate in
Earth’s air and creating a new, global selection pressure. Other species considered oxygen as
toxic thus evolved gradually in its absence.

How did multicellular organisms evolve?

Multicellular organisms are believed to have evolved from unicellular eukaryotes and
until now it is the concept that we believe. Some single eukaryotic cells, like unicellular algae,
formed multicellular aggregates through association with another cell producing colonies.
From colonial aggregates, the organisms evolved in order to form multicellular organisms
through cell specialization. Organisms like protozoans, sponges, and fungi came to being.
The first fossilized animals which were discovered 580 million years ago were soft-bodied.
The continuous process of cell specialization brought the emergence of complex and diverse
plants and animals, including human beings. Charles Darwin said that organisms change
over time as a result of adaptation to their environment in order to survive.

Rise of the Eukaryotes

Nucleus is not often preserved during fossilization but other traits provide evidence
that a fossilized cell was eukaryotic. These eukaryotic cells are generally larger than the
prokaryotic cells. A cell wall with complex patterns, spines, or spikes probably belonged to a
eukaryote. Researchers and scientists also look for biomarkers (substance that occurs only
or predominantly in cells of a specific type) for each eukaryotes just like the steroids found
present only to eukaryotes.

Difference between Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Prokaryotic Cell Eukaryotic Cell
‘pro’= pre, ‘karyon’=nucleus ‘eu’ = true , ‘karyon’= nucleus
Originated about 3.5 billion years ago Originated about 1.2 billion years ago
Primitive forms Advanced
Unicellular Multicellular
Developing nucleus True nucleus present
Small in size Larger in Size
Non-bounded membrane Membrane-bounded
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Fig. 2. A diagram of a Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cell.

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION EUKARYOTES

Organelle Origin
 Nucleus - The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the
prokaryotes lies on unenclosed in the cell’s
cytoplasm while the DNA of the eukaryotes are
enclosed with an endomembrane (group of
members and organelles). The nucleus and
endomembrane system evolve when plasma
membrane of an ancestral prokaryote folded
inward (See fig.3)
 Mitochondria - Mitochondria and chloroplasts resemble bacteria
and in their size and shape, and they replicate
Chloroplast independently of the cell that holds them.
Bacteria have their own DNA in the form of a
singular chromosome and have at least two outer
membranes and innermost membrane similar to
bacterial plasma membrane.
- Recognition to their similarities led to
endosymbiotic hypothesis which states that
mitochondria and chloroplast both evolved from
bacteria.
- Endosymbiosis – “living inside” and refers to a
relationship on which one organism lives inside
another. Given the mitochondria and
chloroplasts evolved from bacteria, scientists are
now studying which modern bacteria are the
closest of these organelles. Based from their
studies, metabolic and genetic similarities
between organelles and specific bacterial groups
are considered to be evidence of shared ancestry.

Other Organelles Description

 Ribosomes - Makes protein
 Golgi - Makes and does the packaging and processing of
Apparatus proteins
 Lysosomes - It contains enzymes to help break the food down
 Endoplasmic - Transports items around the cekk
Reticulum
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 Vacuole - For water or food storage

 Chloroplasts - Present in plants only; uses sunlight to make
food through photosynthesis
 Cell wall - Rigid; supports the cell

Figure 3. Steps in the Evolution of

eukaryotic organelles.

Practice Exercises/Activity
Activity 3: Answer the Riddle!

Given the concept of the evolution of prokaryotes and the organelles. Find the secret
message by answering the questions below. Choose your answer from the table then write
the corresponding letter to the boxes below to answer of the riddle: Did you hear the one
about a chemist who was reading a book about helium?

Nucleus Cell Lysosomes Chloroplast Endoplasmic Ribosomes Mitochondria

Membrane Reticulum
P C D L N U O
Vacuole Animal Chromosomes Cytoplasm Golgi Nucleolus Cell Wall
Cell Apparatus
U T T H I E T
Unicellular Eukaryotic Prokaryotic Multicellular
D W N O

1) It is a jelly-like fluid structure inside the cell that provides an area of movement for all
dissolved molecules that keep the cell working.
2) A structure found in the nucleus that helps produce ribosomes.
3) It is a thin layer around the cell but not a rigid one. It has openings to allow
transportation and exchange of materials.
4) When a cell needs energy, it brings in nutrients and break it down and supply energy
to the cell.
5) Cell storage.
6) It helps produce food for plants and absorbs light energy from the sun and use it to
convert C02 and H20 into sugar and oxygen.
7) It is the digestive system in an animal cell because it contains enzymes that break
down wastes and other materials.
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8) These build proteins in the cell and can be found in several places in the cells which
includes in the cytosol and on the endoplasmic reticulum.
9) They do the DNA synthesis and direct the genetic information of the cell. These are
made of DNA and found in the nucleus and usually in pairs.
10) Brain of the cell.
11) An organelle that serves as the transport system.
12) It is only found in the plant cells that support the plat which is also made of
specialized sugar called cellulose.
13) It gathers molecules and make them more complex. It also stores them or send
them into the cytosol or out of the cell. This organelle also processes the proteins
produced by the endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes.
14) It does not contain cell wall.
15) An organism made up of one cell.
16) Organism composed of many cells
17) An organism that lacks nucleus
18) An organism with true nucleus.

Question: Did you hear the one about a chemist who was reading a book about helium?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 17 12

10 8 14 13 9

15 16 18 11

Answer: _______________________________________________________

I. Explore
This activity will help you understand the process of weathering. You will
see how water affects breakdown of rocks to soil.
Activity 4: What an Amazing Life!

Think of the things that a living organism can do. Draw a living organism at the center
of the simple web concept map. Then write the characteristics of life on the circles on the
side (one each box) . You may answer in phrase or word. Example: Movement, Reproduction
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II.

Learned
What is it?

Biology is the study of life. Life does not only involve the living things itself only but
also includes its deepest characteristics. There are many characteristics of life and some of
these will be discussed below.
This is an important introduction on how you define a living from a non-living for you
to simply know how important life is.
7 Basic Characteristics of Life
1. Nutrition
2. Reproduction
3. Excretion
4. Growth
5. Movement
6. Respiration
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7. Sensitivity

Life Characteristic Definition/Example

Sensitivity Living things are able to respond to
the environment through a stimulus.
Irritability is an example. Another
example is a living thing’s response to
light by facing the sun and sweating
as our body response to heat which is
also connected to excretion.
Reproduction Unicellular organisms reproduce by
DNA replication and dividing equally
as the new cell prepares to form two
new cells while multicellular
organisms often reproduce using its
gametes in order to form new
individuals. When there is
reproduction, genes with DNA will
passed from generation to generation
to ensure that the offspring belong to
the same species having similar
characteristics.
Growth and Development Organisms grow and develop
according to its genes that gives
instruction that will direct the cellular
growth and development ensure that
the offspring will grow up and exhibit
many of the same characteristics as
its parents. Mitosis and meiosis play
an important role in this matter.
Nutrition Living things take in minerals and
food from the environment in order to
survive and grow. It is the process of
which organism obtain energy and
raw materials from nutrients such as
fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Respiration Respiration is the process in which the
energy from the food eaten is being
released in al living cells. Organisms
break down the food within their cells
with a specific process to carry out the
following processes.
Movement All living things move. Animals move
from one place to another. Plants also
move but not as usually observable
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than animals. Plants move in different

ways in order to grow and their
movement may be so slow that people
cannot even recognize. A makahiya
leaf being touched is an example of
movement through thigmotrophism
Excretion All living things also excrete but in
different ways. Excretion is the result
of many chemical reactions happening
in cells which they have to remove the
waste products which might poison
the cells. Excretion is the removal of
toxic minerals in excess from the
organism.

Activity 5: Case Analysis

With the given concept above, answer the following situations with the characteristics
of life. Write your answer on the second table.

Statement Characteristic of Life

Jannine married Frank after dating
for four years. After 2 months,
Jannine thought she just had Reproduction
difficulty having menstruation then
she found out she was pregnant.
You throw a piece of seed into your
backyard. After a few weeks, there was
a seedling started to grow.
Stomata are small openings present
on plant leaves. On a hot dry day, the
stomatal openings remain closed to
reduce the loss of water. Which
characteristic of living things is
described here?
Puppies have inherited genes from
both parents and share many of the
same characteristics.
eggs—tadpoles—adult frogs
Snakes shed their skin.
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Mary was running fast because she

was late in her Biology class. When
she entered the classroom, she was
sweating a lot.
pollen carried from flower to flower
A triathlon ate plenty of fruits and
vegetable as a preparation for his
competition next week.
Guttation in plants gradually happen.

III. Engage
What I Have Learned

Activity 6: Synthesizing your Learning

Answer the following questions based on your learning. Be brief and concise.

1. Base from your opinion, why do we need to study the beginning of the universe? Give at
least five (5) reasons.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

2. From the seven characteristics of life, choose top three which you consider as important
characteristics of life. Explain why to each of the characteristic below.
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a.

b.

c.

3. Based from what you learned on the beginning of the universe until how life began,
which among the topics struck you the most that gave you realizations. Explain.

IV. Apply
What I Can Do
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We learned that bacteria are unicellular and can be either be benefited by humans or
endanger humans. Your activity is to fill in “the hands” some ways to keep yourself away
from being infected by some bacteria or virsues especially during the pandemic. Color “the
hand”. At the center of the hand, make your own slogan about the importance of hygiene and
hand washing.

V. Post Test

Multiple Choice.
Directions: Read each item carefully and choose the letter of
the correct answer. Use separate answer sheet of paper.
1. According to the big bang theory, ________________.
A. the universe expanded out from a single point
B. Earth and our sun formed simultaneously
C. carbon and oxygen were the first elemements to form
D. all of the above.
2. The first eukaryotes were ___________.
A. Fungi
B. Planrs
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C. Protists
D. Animals
3. Evidence that Mars ____ suggests that It may have supported or still supports life.
A. has an ozone layer
B. has water
C. is about the same size as Earth
D. all of the above
4. The evolution of _______ resulted in the increase in the levels of atmospheric oxygen.
A. DNA-based genomes
B. aerobic respiration
C. sexual reproduction
D. photosynthesis that releases oxygen
5. Bacteria that cause the disease typhus are close relatives of bacteria evolved into
______.
A. protists
B. protocells
C. chloroplasts
D. mitochondria
6. An RNA that functions as an enzyme is a ___________.
A. protein
B. protocell
C. ribosome
D. ribozyme
7. A stromatolite is a structure ____________.
A. Produced by endosymbiosis
B. That formed only on the early Earth
C. Consisting of layered bacteria and sediment
D. That expels hot water from deep in the Earth
8. _________ refers to the sum of chemical reactions of an organism.
A. Photosynthesis
B. Respiration
C. Metabolism
D. Homeostasis
9. It is the ability of living things to produce new individuals closely resembles them.
A. Excretion
B. Reproduction
C. Respiration
D. Creation
10. It is a theory stating that the beginning of the universe was due to a supreme
being creating the planets, galaxies, asteroids and other heavenly bodies