Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Subjects

Biology - Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 Biology is divided into a number of topics which span Years 7 - 9. The emphasis is on scientific enquiry, such as scientific evidence and investigative skills, as well as biological knowledge, skills and understanding.

Year 7

• Introduction to Biology
  Understanding variation in living organisms and learning classification skills. Includes a field visit to Hanningfield Reservoir Wildlife Centre.
• Cells, Tissues & Organs
  Introduction to microscopes and slides.
• Vertebrates
  Investigating the characteristics of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, birds & mammals.
• Sexual Reproduction in Vertebrates
  Conception, development and birth of a baby.
• Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
  Functions of parts of the flower. Insect and wind pollination. Fertilisation and seed-formation.
• Growth
  Observing and measuring the growth & development of an organism.

Year 8

• Reproduction in Plants
  To appreciate variety of plant life, growth of flowering plant & asexual reproduction in plants. Germination and growth of seeds.
• Micro-organisms
  To learn about growth and reproduction of microbes and to understand their role in decay. To learn about how microbes affect health and how the body responds to infection. The work of Jenner, Lister, Pasteur and Fleming.
• Food & Energy
  To appreciate the importance of food as an energy source and the constituents of a balanced diet.
• Digestion
  To understand the principles of digestion and know the names, structure and functions of the main parts of the human gut.
• Living Organisms in their Habitats
  To know some of the ways that living organisms are adapted to their habitats. Involves, for example, practical work on earthworms & adaptation to life in soil; observations of woodlice and locusts; work on the life cycle of the fly; and work on the adaptations of bees to pollination.

Year 9

• Photosynthesis
  To gain a basic understanding of nutrition of green plants: the roles of light, chlorophyll and oxygen in photosynthesis are explored through practicals and computer simulations.
• Respiration
  To understand the process of respiration: oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, structure of chest & lungs, breathing and vital capacity.
• Genetics
  To understand the basics of genetics: the work of Mendel, the rules of monohybrid inheritance & how to solve genetics puzzles. How genetically modified foods are made.
• Circulation & Blood
  To understand the roles of the circulatory system in transport and protection against disease. Heart dissection (optional), heart models and interactive computer programmes are all used to understand this vital body system. An extended practical investigation into the effect of exercise on heart rate is carried out in this unit.
• The Environment
  To appreciate inter-relations between organisms and their environment: food chains, webs & pyramids; predator prey relationships & populations.
• The Ethical Responsibility of the Biologist
  A challenging unit to form the basis of much work done at GCSE. Moral dilemmas such as genetic engineering and xenotransplants are researched and debated.