Liston College

Biology Level 3

Course Description

Teacher in Charge: Mrs K. Jom.

Recommended Prior Learning

Merit endorsement for Level 2 Biology (at least 14 credits that are Merit or Excellence level) and strong literacy skills is recommended.

Helpful Accompanying Subjects:

Geography
Chemistry
Physics
Statistics
History

Follows on from NCEA Level 2 Biology.

For the Level 3 externals, students will develop their understanding of adaptations and genetics from Level 2 to understand the how organisms respond to their environment and the different events that lead to speciation (becoming a new species). They will also learn about the trends in human evolution/creational evolution.

For the Level 3 internals, students will develop their understanding of cells and gene expression in Level 2 to understand how the body maintains a stable internal environment (homeostasis) and how humans are using biotechnology to manipulate gene expression. The optional internal on a socio-scientific issue in Level 2 is also offered as an optional internal at Level 3 this year. This optional internal is worth three Level 3 achievement standard credits.

The Level 3 Biology course is very contemporary, particularly around Human Evolution and Biotechnology, along with the traditional speciation and animal and plant behaviour sections.

This course offers the following achievement standard credits:

3.3: Plant and Animal Responses - external worth 5 credits
3.4: Homeostasis - internal worth 3 credits
3.5: Speciation - external worth 4 credits
3.6: Human Evolution - external worth 4 credits
3.7: Biotechnology - internal worth 3 credits.

Note: for students pursuing Scholarship Biology, they will need to maintain a high achievement and understanding in all three externals as well as the Biotechnology Internal Assessment.

Course Overview

Term 1
AS 91604 Demonstrate understanding of how an animal maintains a stable internal environment.
The study of this standard involves describing and linking biological ideas about maintaining a stable internal environment in an animal.

AS 91607 Human manipulations of genetic transfer and its biological implications.
The study of this standard involves linking biological ideas about human manipulations of genetic transfer and its biological implications. The linking of ideas may involve justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, and analysing.

Term 2
AS 91603 Demonstrate understanding of the responses of plants and animals to their external environment.
The study of this standard involves describing and linking biological ideas to explain why the responses provide a selective advantage for the organism in relation to its ecological niche. The linking of ideas may involve justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, and analysing.

AS91605 Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation.
The study of this standard involves linking biological ideas and/or scientific evidence about evolutionary processes leading to speciation. The linking of ideas may involve justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, or
analysing the evolutionary processes that lead to speciation.

Term 3
AS91606 Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution.
The study of this standard involves using biological ideas to explain how or why trends in human evolution occur.

Term 4
Revision to prepare for external examinations.

Learning Areas:

Science

Assessment Information

This course offers the following achievement standard credits:

3.2: Socio-scientific Issue - an optional internal worth 3 credits
3.3: Plant and Animal Responses - external worth 5 credits
3.4: Homeostasis - internal worth 3 credits
3.5: Speciation - external worth 4 credits
3.6: Human Evolution - external worth 3 credits
3.7: Biotechnology - internal worth 3 credits.