Prerequisites
Minimum Level of Achievement required:
- General Science B result
- English C result
Corequisites
General English
Subject Description
Biology provides opportunities for students to engage with living systems. In Unit 1, students develop their understanding of cells and multicellular organisms. In Unit 2, they engage with the concept of maintaining the internal environment. In Unit 3, students study biodiversity and the interconnectedness of life. This knowledge is linked in Unit 4 with the concepts of heredity and the continuity of life.
Students will learn valuable skills required for the scientific investigation of questions. In addition, they will become citizens who are better informed about the world around them and who have the critical skills to evaluate and make evidence-based decisions about current scientific issues.
Weekly workload in hours
4+ hours
Structure
Cells and multicellular organisms
| Maintaining the internal environment
| Biodiversity and the interconnectedness of life
| Heredity and continuity of life
|
Topic 1
Cells as the basis of life
| Topic 1
Homeostasis
| Topic 1
Describing biodiversity
| Topic 1
DNA, genes and the continuity of life
|
Topic 2 Multicellular organisms
| Topic 2 Infectious diseases | Topic 2 Ecosystem dynamics
|
Topic 2 Continuity of life on Earth
|
Assessment
Schools devise assessments in Units 1 and 2 to suit their local context. In Units 3 and 4 students complete four summative assessments. The results from each of the assessments are added together to provide a subject score out of 100. Students will also receive an overall subject result (A–E).
Assessment
Formative internal assessment 1 (FA1): Data test
| 10% | Formative internal assessment 3 (FA3): Research investigation | 20% |
Formative internal assessment 2 (FA2): Student experiment
| 20% |
Formative internal assessment (FA3): 50%
Examination
|
Summative internal assessment 1 (IA1): Data test
| 10% | Summative internal assessment 3 (IA3): Research investigation | 20% |
Summative internal assessment 2 (IA2): Student experiment
| 20% |
Summative external assessment (EA): 50%
Examination |
