Biology

SUBJECT OVERVIEW 

Biology is the study of life. When we say ‘life’ we are not just talking about us, human beings, we are talking about all animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. Students will explore how we start off with inanimate molecules and atoms such as DNA and get the complexity of living things. Questions such as ‘What makes something living?’, ‘How do living things convert energy from one form to another?’ and ‘How do they use this energy for multiple reactions?’ are explored throughout the Biology curriculum. Another key concept that is explored is how we are similar to other organisms such as plants, insects and bacteria and the role of DNA in reproduction and containing information.

We start the curriculum with looking at Cells which are the building blocks of life and work our way towards how we can engineer different molecules and finally looking at Ecosystems and Material Cycles to help understand how to sustain our natural resources. This takes students on a systemic journey so that at each phase they are learning content built from the previous stage. Skills are embedded throughout the study of Biology, such as, development of scientific thinking, experimental skills and strategies, being able to analyse and evaluate information and using scientific vocabulary, quantities, units, symbols and nomenclature.