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Biology

Curriculum Maps

The curriculum map documents here outline intentions via 'knowledge and skills' and 'cultural capital' and also how we can measure impact, via our varied 'assessment opportunities'.

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It is the assumed expectation of many that science develops a students knowledge and skills during their time in school, learning how distillation works, or how to separate a mixture of liquids. The knowledge and skills listed in the documents give a brief outline of these knowledge and skills, they are not comprehensive, but do address the requirements of the key stage 3 and key stage 4 national curriculum, as well as addressing the GCSE specification content, and preparing students for post-16 education and a place as a functioning and informed member of British society, and beyond.

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Cultural capital is defined as the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a student can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a student will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.

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The documents here also state the many opportunities the science department provide to broaden the experiences of students, placing science in a whole world context, thus deepening and broadening their cultural capital, making them better citizens in todays society. An example of this could be teaching students that the model of the atom has changed over time, due to the work and endeavours of many people, or varied nationalities, gender, and background. Another example may be to take an everyday occurrence, such as the melting and burning of a candle, or the awe of a firework and place it in a scientific context, through the 'gaze' of science, thus enabling students to appreciate these occurrences from a scientific point of view. A very significant one, could be the relationship between human activities and the impact upon the world, through such things as use of fossil fuels, climate change, and the impact upon the environment, ecosystems, and human behaviour.

AQA Biology TRILOGY Overview

The table below outlines the long term curriculum plan for the Biology aspect of the AQA TRILOGY SCIENCE course (8464). The plan outlines the unit topics the students cover in years 9, 10 and 11, broadly when they will be delivered, and which exam paper it is will be externally assessed in.

 

Also, to aid students in their studies, included are weblink to YouTube videos that summarise the topics and the required practical.

 

The ‘Big Idea’ is to give a brief idea of what the topic is about.

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As part of the AQA Trilogy Course, the students in year 11 will do 2 external 75 minutes exams, paper 1 and paper 2. The papers are tiered, higher (that enable students to achieve grades 9-4) and foundation (grades 5-1) Although the exams papers are exclusively chemistry, physics and biology, ultimately a student will be awarded a double grade (from 9-9 to 1-1), that is a combination of the attainment in all 3 areas of the course.

Unit Code
Exam Paper
Required Practical
Big Idea
Timeline
B01 Cell Structure and Support
1
Microscope work
Cells and specialism
Y9 Term 1
B02 Cell Division
1
Making new cells, stem cells
Y9 Term 2
B03 Organisation and digestion
1
Enzymes - pH Osmosis Food tests
How enzymes work
Y9 Term 3
B04 Organisation- plants and animals
1
Transportation in humans
Y9 Term 4
B05 Communicable Diseases
1
Antibiotic resistance
preventing disease
Y9 Term 5
B06 Preventing and treating disease
1
Making new drugs
Y9 Term 5
B07 Non-communicable disease
1
Lifestyle affects health
Y9 Term 5
B08 Photosynthesis
1
Light intensity and rate Investigating light and gravity
Photosynthesis and rate
Y9 Term 6
B09 Respiration
1
Aerobic and anaerobic respiration
Y9 Term 6
B10 Human Nervous System
2
Reaction Time
The parts of the brain, reflex arcs, synapses
Y10 Term 1
B11 Hormonal Coordination
2
Tropisms
How is diabetes controlled, fertility and contraception
Y10 Term 2
B12 Reproduction
2
Meiosis cell division, genetic crosses and genetic diseases
Y10 term 2
B13 Variation and Evolution
2
Variation, Genetic engineering, cloning
Y10 Term 3
B14 Genetics and Evolution
2
Evolution theories, examples, extinction
Y10 Term 5
B15 Adaptations, Interdependence and Competition
2
Survival
Y10 Term 6
B16 Organising an Ecosystem
2
Food chains, Decay, carbon cycle
Y11 Term 1
B17 Biodiversity and Ecosystems
2
Global warming, pollution, biodiversity
Y11 Term 2
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