What is ATAR Biology all about?
This course allows students to see the interactions of biological systems; from cellular processes through to ecosystem dynamics. Students are able to appreciate the delicate balance of varying factors within the biosphere and how biological continuity changes over time. The interconnectedness of an ecosystem is explored by understanding how energy flows and interacts at every level. Classification, adaptations, structure and function are used to examine the biodiversity of an area, particularly in Australia. Fieldwork and biology skills are developed to investigate the effects of certain biotic and abiotic factors on an ecosystem; including human activity, natural phenomena, sustainability and conservation practices.
Who should select these units in Year 11?
For those who wish to understand the ecological world around them and the effects humans and other processes have on the health of the environment.
It is recommended that students wanting to select ATAR Biology to have successfully passed the Online Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (OLNA) in Year 10 or prequalified by achieving Band 8 or higher in the Year 9 NAPLAN.
Pathway
Students will be able to further their knowledge by completing Biology in Year 12. They can use the skills gained to work towards a range of careers including medical, veterinary, food and marine sciences, agriculture, biotechnology, environmental rehabilitation, biosecurity, quarantine, conservation, land management, parks and recreation, eco‐tourism, horticulture and landscaping.
Areas of Study
UNIT 1 – ECOSYSTEMS AND BIODIVERSITY
- students investigate and describe a number of diverse ecosystems, exploring the range of biotic and abiotic components to understand the dynamics, diversity and underlying unity of these systems.
UNIT 2 – FROM SINGLE CELLS TO MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS
Students examine inputs and outputs of cells to develop an understanding of the chemical nature of cellular systems, both structurally and functionally, and the processes required for cell survival.
To provide for different learning styles a variety of assessment tasks are used. For each course of study tasks are selected from:
- Practical
- Investigation (fieldwork, research and reports)
- Extended Response
- Test
- Examination
What is ATAR Biology all about?
In this course, students develop their investigative, analytical and communication skills through field, laboratory and research investigations of living system and through critical evaluation of the development, ethics, applications and influences of contemporary biological knowledge in a range of environmental contexts. Through the investigation of appropriate contexts, students explore the ways in which models and theories of organisms’ and populations’ responses to environmental change have developed over time. They investigate the ways in which science contributes to contemporary debate about local, regional and international issues, including evaluation of risk and action for sustainability, and recognise the limitations of science to provide definitive answer in different contexts.
Who should select these units in Year 12?
For those who have completed ATAR Biology in Year 11 and wish to understand the ecological world around them and the effects humans have on the health of the environment.
Pathway
Students can use the skills gained to work towards a range of careers including medical, veterinary, food and marine sciences, agriculture, biotechnology, environmental rehabilitation, biosecurity, quarantine, conservation, land management, parks and recreation, eco‐tourism, horticulture and landscaping.
Areas of Study
UNIT 3 – CONTINUITY OF SPECIES
- students investigate mechanism of heredity and the ways in which inheritance patterns can be explained, modelled and predicted; they connect these patterns to population dynamics and apply the theory of evolution by natural selection in order to examine changes in populations
UNIT 4 – SURVIVING IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
- students investigate system change and continuity in response to changing external conditions and pathogens; they investigate homeostasis and the transmission and impact of infectious disease; and they consider the factors that encourage or reduce the spread of infectious disease at the population level
To provide for different learning styles a variety of assessment tasks are used. For each course of study tasks are selected from:
- Practical
- Investigation (fieldwork, research and reports)
- Extended Response
- Test
- Examination
