Marlborough Boys’ College
NCEA L3 Biology - Mātauranga Koiora
Course Description
Teacher in Charge: Dr E. Attridge.
The study of life itself, level 3 Biology builds upon level 2 exploring the theories and principles involved in living systems, in all their intricate beauty. Topics you will learn about include: plant and animal responses and genetic variation and evolution, as well as practical biology and research skills. By the end of the course you will know about the principles of genetics, computational biology, natural selection, evolutionary theory, phylogenetics, animal behavioural responses to zeitgebers, how plants respond to environmental triggers and more.
You will gain an understanding of how society makes decisions about scientific issues, as well some of the ways in which the scientific community contributes to the success of the economy and society.
If you are interested in recent developments in genetic engineering or disease prevention, understanding how we evolved, finding out how about animal and plant interactions as well as care and conservation programmes, to name a few, then this is your subject.
All students go to Mistletoe Bay at the end of term 2 to carry out a practical investigation and learning about some of the wonderful flora and fauna of the marine environment of Te Wai Pounamu.
Course Overview
Term 1
Students sit two externals in this course. Term 1 starts with the most wide ranging external which involves understanding how plants and animals respond to external triggers. This leads to the first internal which involves students researching various homeostatic mechanisms under severe stress in humans.
Term 2
The focus at the start of term 2 is learning bigger picture animal behaviour - including social groupings, animal interactions such as predator - prey, commensalism and parasitism. They learn about sexual selection and large scale animal migration. Midway through the term we learn about biological statistics and investigation skills to prepare for the biology field trip to Mistletoe Bay. This involves students carrying out individual research on marine organisms.
Term 3
The external preparation concludes with looking at plant growth regulators and response to light levels. The students then start the final external on genetics and evolution. The boys learn about the geological history of Aotearoa and the impact on the evolution of native flora and fauna. They learn about the different reproductive isolating mechanisms and how to interpret phylogenetic trees. We will also use computational biology tools, such as Mega X to create phylogenetic trees using mitrochondrial DNA sequences. This leads to the final internal assessment on genetic manipulation techniques.
Term 4
The first few weeks of the term are used for revision to prepare for the external exams in November.
Recommended Prior Learning
12 credits in Biology at Level 2 or higher. The majority of Biology exams at Level 2 must have been passed.
Contributions and Equipment/Stationery
This course will have a trip cost. The cost will cover the cost of food, transport and accommodation for the camp/trip. All curriculum costs will be covered by the school.
Pathway
University degree courses in Genetics, Biology and other biology related degrees are a natural progression.
Credit Information
You will be assessed in this course through all or a selection of the standards listed below.
This course is eligible for subject endorsement.
This course is approved for University Entrance.
External
NZQA Info
Biology 3.1 - Carry out a practical investigation in a biological context, with guidance
NZQA Info
Biology 3.2 - Integrate biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue
NZQA Info
Biology 3.3 - Demonstrate understanding of the responses of plants and animals to their external environment
NZQA Info
Biology 3.4 - Demonstrate understanding of how an animal maintains a stable internal environment
NZQA Info
Biology 3.5 - Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation
NZQA Info
Biology 3.6 - Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution
NZQA Info
Biology 3.7 - Demonstrate understanding of human manipulations of genetic transfer and its biological implications
Approved subject for University Entrance
Number of credits that can be used for overall endorsement: 26
Only students engaged in learning and achievement derived from Te Marautanga o Aotearoa are eligible to be awarded these subjects as part of the requirement for 14 credits in each of three subjects.
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