A Level Biology GCE
STUDENT COURSE HANDBOOK 2015/2016 Welcome to your A2 Biology course I am very pleased that you have decided to study A2 Biology and hope that you will enjoy discovering and studying new things about the living world. Whether you aim to go onto higher education or into employment, A2 Biology will either, prepare you to move on to higher level biology courses, or help to give you a good broad educational base on which to launch whichever career you choose. Whilst studying biology, you will be involved in classroom activities, practical work and your own independent research and learning. To aid your learning, you will be expected to use a varied range of sources of information including; classroom notes, the Internet, publications, data and textbooks. May I wish you all the best and every success as you progress through the course. I hope that you find your time at Oak Sixth Form very enjoyable and rewarding. Mrs Richley (Head of Science)
A2 Biology GCE Course Charter 2015/2016 What students can expect from the A2 Biology teaching team. 1. Learning methods In order to offer you a stimulating learning programme, the team will endeavour to make best use of a range of resources and learning experiences. Examples of these include: whole class teaching and discussions; role play and simulations; practical work; team work; presentations; independent research; field work. The flexibility of your learning programme will enable you to maximise your own personal development through using your own initiative in the areas of decision-making and problem solving. 2. Support and advice All members of the A2 Biology team will endeavour to provide you with the support and encouragement needed to complete your course successfully. Our aim is to provide you with a learning environment in which you can be confident that any problems or uncertainties, which arise, will be dealt with appropriately. Regular review and evaluation of your achievements will take place throughout your course, and you will be given honest feedback on your progress. Positive advice and specific suggestions will ensure that you are able to improve upon your personal performance. Target grades will be set and these will help you monitor your own performance. 3. Assessment The course is made up of 3 units. There is an exam for each unit and the results of all these exams are combined with your AS units to give you your final A2 grade. All exams will be taken in June and you will be entered for these at the appropriate time. Other assessment is through coursework which will be assessed according to the guidelines set by the course specification. Much of this is assessed by your tutors, but then externally moderated by the exam board. Grades of A E can be awarded. Your completed coursework will be stored centrally in the science department until all assessment has taken place.
4. Course management Your course will begin with an induction programme which is designed to familiarise you with different aspects of the course and to enable you to integrate with the other members of your group. You will be provided with a course handbook which contains all the relevant information about your programme of study. During your programme of study you will follow a learning programme designed to equip you with the necessary underpinning knowledge of the subject area. You will be working on student-centred coursework, or other activities which must be submitted on or before agreed deadline dates. Providing your work is submitted on time, we will undertake to assess, grade and return it within a reasonable period of time. Any work failing to meet the criteria may be improved and resubmitted within a two week period. If this work still fails to meet the criteria, any improvements will not be reassessed until the end of the year. Any work submitted late will be assessed at the discretion of the tutor. 5. What we expect from A2 Biology students To be successful in your course you will need to be self-motivated and take personal responsibility for your own progress. We expect you to:- Maintain, at least, 95% attendance; Arrive at classes promptly; Agree and maintain deadlines; Make good use of your time outside of timetabled classes; Seek advice where necessary and act upon it; Develop team building skills with fellow students; Adhere to all health and safety guidelines; Give us feedback if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the course. 6. Costs you may have to meet The sixth form does not provide you with a personal textbook, although, a text book will be recommended for you to purchase. Any visits arranged during the course may also require some payment. We will do our best to keep this to a minimum. 7. Course Quality Assurance The sixth form has a policy of continuous improvement in all aspects of course quality. A variety of measures are used to assess quality including systematic analysis of results, attendance and retention data. Student evaluations are also an important source of information and your suggestions or ideas for improvements are always welcome.
Preliminary Knowledge and Skills Students are expected to have achieved a D grade or above in both the AS Biology modules. The nature of the A2 Biology course is such that all candidates will be given every opportunity to build upon their own personal skills and knowledge. Your previous education, any hobbies or interests and especially any work experience undertaken have all assisted in the development of your individual skills profile. Through a variety of teaching and learning methods, you will also have the opportunity to develop real competence in those skill areas designed to equip you to progress on to the next stage of your future career.
A2 Biology Information The course consists of three compulsory units: Unit F214: Communication, Homeostasis and Energy Module 1: Communication and Homeostasis 4.1.1 Communication 4.1.2 Nerves 4.1.3 Hormones Module 2: Excretion 4.2.1 Excretion Module 3: Photosynthesis 4.3.1 Photosynthesis Module 4: Respiration 4.4.1 Respiration Unit F215: Control, Genomes and Environment Module 1: Cellular Control and Variation 5.1.1 Cellular Control 5.1.2 Meiosis and Variation Module 2: Biotechnology and Gene Technologies 5.2.1 Cloning in Plants and Animals 5.2.2 Biotechnology 5.2.3 Genomes and Gene Technologies Module 3: Ecosystems and Sustainability 5.3.1 Ecosystems 5.3.2 Populations and Sustainability Module 4: Responding to the Environment 5.4.1 Plant Responses 5.4.2 Animal Responses 5.4.3 Animal Behaviour Unit F216 Practical Skills in Biology 2 Three controlled assessments, qualitative, quantitative and evaluative
Assessment Programme You re A2 Biology qualification comprises a number of subject units. Each unit has a specification, which has been researched and written to standards agreed by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority (QCA). These specifications give the content of subject areas which must be covered by the teaching and learning programme. They also contain learning outcomes which states exactly what aspects of the knowledge and understanding could be assessed in your exams and coursework. Units F214 will be assessed by an hour and 15 minute exam and F215 will be assessed by a two hour long exam. Unit F216 is assessed by practical exams during the course. Each component is given a grade of A E and finally all these grades are combined to give you an overall AS Biology grade. Your Role as a Learner You will be expected to play a much more active and independent role in your leaning than you have probably played in the past. Learning is an active rather than passive process. Effective time management is vital if the best use is to be made of your time and resources. At the beginning of your programme you must: Organise your personal commitments and leisure time around study; Organise your personal study area; Organise basic materials, such as files etc. During the programme you must: Actively participate in the preparation your lesson by completing any research or homework set; Monitor your own progress and seek assistance when required, keep others informed of your progress and aim keep to achieve agreed targets; Evaluate your own performance against given targets; Maintain a portfolio of any coursework being completed; Regularly review progress and keep appointments; Keep to submission dates.
Key Features of A2 Biology Coursework A2 Biology coursework is designed to assess your experimental and investigative skills. Students are required to carry out three tasks: 1. Qualitative task [10 marks] 2. Quantitative task [10 marks] 3. Evaluative task [20 marks] Tasks will be chosen from a selection provided by OCR. The Qualitative and Quantitative tasks will test skills of observation and measurement. Candidates will carry out these tasks under controlled conditions. Each task will be internally assessed using a mark scheme provided by OCR. Deadlines It is imperative that all students strive to complete realistic and achievable action plans for their activities. The experience of past A2 students show that there is a direct correlation between failure to meet hand-in dates and failure to pass the course. Any work, which is not of an adequate standard, may be added to and re-submitted, but will be reassessed only once. Tutors do not have the time to continually reassess work. Key Features of the A2 Biology External Exams Assess the underpinning knowledge; Specifications ensure ALL awarding bodies set valid and reliable exams; Exams are available on specific dates, once a year; Exams are either 45 minutes or 1 hour duration; They are set and marked externally by the exam board; The grades awarded are A, B, C, D or E depending upon the mark achieved. If you achieve less than a grade E you will receive a U (ungraded); When all internal and external assessments have been attempted certification will take place.
A2 Biology External Exam Series Dates 2015/2016 All exams can now only be taken on one occasion throughout the academic year. These exams will be graded as A, B, C, D or E and will contribute toward the final grade of your qualification. The main series dates have been agreed as: June 2016 Specific dates to be agreed later
Gertrude Elion (1918-1999) SMSC IN BIOLOGY: FAMOUS BIOLOGISTS SMSC has a large place to play in Biology A Level. Science as a whole is a subject where people have had to, and continue to work collaboratively in order to make discoveries which have allowed us to live our lives in the 21 st Century. Below are some examples of such discoveries Don t be afraid of hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Don t let others discourage you or tell you that you can t do it. In my day I was told women didn t go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we couldn t. Gertrude B. Elion American pharmacologist and biochemist, Gertrude B. Elion is famous for her scientific discovery of drugs to treat leukemia and herpes and to prevent the rejection of kidney transplants. This discovery earned her Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1988 which she shared with George H. Hitchings, her long-time boss and collaborator at Burroughs-Wellcome, and also Sir James W. Black. Jane Goodall Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference. Dame Valerie Jane Goodall was born in London in 1934. Jane Goodall is the world s foremost authority on chimpanzees, having closely observed their behaviour for the past quarter century in the jungles of the Gombe Game Reserve in Africa, living in the chimps environment and gaining their confidence as in one of her project she said that: Chimpanzees have given me so much. The long hours spent with them in the forest have enriched my life beyond measure. What I have learned from them has shaped my understanding of human behaviour, of our place in nature.
Rosalind Franklin She discovered A and B forms of DNA, but concentrated on A, as it showed more X-ray spots. This form does not show the helical structure as well as form B, which she originally thought of as a ladder with bonds between the bases of the rungs. She did record in her laboratory notebook on the 24th February 1953 that she had revised her thinking to that of a three dimensional helix. A2 Biology - Recommended reading Recommended Course Text Book: To be added Useful Web Addresses http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/asguru/biology/intro.shtml http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/index.asp http://www.uk-learning.net/ http://www.studyzones.com/ http://www.iob.org/ http://www.rothamsted.bbsrc.ac.uk/notebook/ http://www.s-cool.co.uk/ Contact Numbers and Addresses Feel free to contact your biology tutors at Oak Sixth Form Duck Lane Bournemouth BH11 9JJ Tel: 01202 774600 E-mail: bkings@leaf.bournemouth.sch.uk tmariner@leaf.bournemouth.sch.uk