<strong>Biology</strong>Grade 12Sample task: Field trip and report• Students undertake a field trip and present a scientific report.Learning outcomes(select appropriate learning outcomes for the specified field trip)Students can:1. demonstrate understanding <strong>of</strong> fundamental principles and models <strong>of</strong>biology2. investigate and explain plant and animal physiology3. describe and explain interactions between organisms and theirenvironment4. analyse and interpret data, graphics and other forms <strong>of</strong> information5. undertake investigations using scientific methodologies to solvebiological problems6. communicate biological investigations and findings in various ways usingbiological terms and conventions7. analyse and evaluate past and present biology-related developmentsand their impacts on human beings and environment and be able tomake informed and ethical decisions8. evaluate traditional biological knowledge and practices and theirrelevance today.Assessment criteriaStudents will be assessed on the extent to which they can:• collect and organise information• identify and describe biotic and abiotic factors <strong>of</strong> area visited• analyse the findings and make presentations• make inferences on human impact <strong>of</strong> the site.Marking guidesMarking guides like the one on page 30 can be used to assess the tasks youset.24
<strong>Upper</strong> <strong>Secondary</strong> <strong>Teacher</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>Learning activities and assessment tasksExamples <strong>of</strong> learning activities and assessment tasks for each <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Biology</strong>units are provided in the following sections. Some examples are explained indetail.Grade 11 units11.1 Living ThingsThis is an introductory unit and the maximum time requirement is 4–5 weeks.It is recommended that this unit be taught first.Suggested activitiesA range <strong>of</strong> activities can be used to support students to learn the content <strong>of</strong>this unit. Some are identified and elaborated below.• review characteristics (feed, grow, excrete, sensitivity, reproduce, respire,move, made <strong>of</strong> cells) and survival needs (food, water, shelter) <strong>of</strong> livingthings• review parts <strong>of</strong> compound microscopes and prepare wet mounts• observe cell structures and identify organelles (mitochondria, nucleus,endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, golgi body, vacuole, cell membrane,nuclear membrane, cell wall, chloroplast, nucleolus)• research, identify and state functions <strong>of</strong> different types <strong>of</strong> cells such asnerve, muscle, skin, brain, reproductive, blood• carry out experiments to observe plant and animal cells usingmicroscopes and make comparisons• research traditional biological classification systems and compare withLinnean classification system• classify unknown organisms into categories (kingdom, phylum, class,order, family, genus, species) using simple dichotomous keysElaboration <strong>of</strong> contentThe following table gives elaboration <strong>of</strong> some activities from the list above.ActivityCharacteristics andsurvival needs <strong>of</strong>living thingsExperiments usingmicroscopes toobserve plant andanimal cellsElaborationQuestions like these could be asked to help students reviewcharacteristics and survival needs <strong>of</strong> living things:• What is <strong>Biology</strong>?• How do you differentiate between living and non-living things?• What do living things need in order to survive?• Allocate materials to students in groups• Students prepare wet mounts <strong>of</strong> onion and cheek cells• Make observations: identify cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm,and vacuole. Sketch diagrams and discuss differences25