Year 11 HSC Biology

Learn.

Module 1: Cells as the basis of life

Module 2: Organisation of living things

Module 3: Biological diversity

IQ: How do environmental pressures promote a change in species diversity and abundance?

  • Investigate changes in a population of organisms due to selection pressures over time, for example:  Cane toads in Australia and prickly pear distribution in Australia

IQ: What is the relationship between evolution and biodiversity?

  • Explain biological diversity in terms of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection by examining the changes in and diversification of life since it first appeared on the Earth.
  • Analyse how an accumulation of microevolutionary changes can drive evolutionary changes and speciation over time, for example
    – Evolution of the horse
    – Evolution of the Platypus
  • Explain, using examples, how Darwin and Wallace’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection accounts for: Convergent evolution & Divergent evolution

IQ: How did Darwin do it?

  • Investigate, using secondary sources, evidence in support of Darwin and Wallace’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, including but not limited to: 
    • Biochemical evidence, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, biogeography
    • Techniques used to date fossils and the evidence produced
  • Explain modern day examples that demonstrate evolutionary change, for example  
  • Investigate, using secondary sources, evidence in support of Darwin and Wallace’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, including but not limited to: 
    • Biochemical evidence, comparative anatomy, comparative embryology, biogeography
    • Techniques used to date fossils and the evidence produced 

Module 4: Ecosystem dynamics


IQ: What effect can one species have on the other species in a community?
Students:
● investigate and determine relationships between biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem,
including:
– the impact of abiotic factors
– the impact of biotic factors, including predation, competition and symbiotic relationships
– the ecological niches occupied by species
– predicting consequences for populations in ecosystems due to predation, competition, symbiosis and disease
– measuring populations of organisms using sampling techniques
● explain a recent extinction event

IQ: How do selection pressures within an ecosystem influence evolutionary change?
Students:
● analyse palaeontological and geological evidence that can be used to provide evidence for past
changes in ecosystems, including but not limited to:
– Aboriginal rock paintings
– rock structure and formation
– ice core drilling
● investigate and analyse past and present technologies that have been used to determine
evidence for past changes, for example:
– radiometric dating
– gas analysis
● analyse evidence that present-day organisms have evolved from organisms in the past by examining and interpreting a range of secondary sources to evaluate processes, claims and conclusions relating to the evolution of organisms in Australia, for example:
– small mammals
– sclerophyll plants
● investigate the reasons for changes in past ecosystems, by:
– interpreting a range of secondary sources to develop an understanding of the changes in biotic and abiotic factors over short and long periods of time (ACSBL025, ACSBL026)
– evaluating hypotheses that account for identified trends (ACSBL001)

IQ: How can human activity impact on an ecosystem?

● investigate changes in past ecosystems that may inform our approach to the management of
future ecosystems, including:
– the role of human-induced selection pressures on the extinction of species
– models that humans can use to predict future impacts on biodiversity
– the role of changing climate on ecosystems
● investigate practices used to restore damaged ecosystems, Country or Place, for example:
– mining sites
– land degradation from agricultural practices

Master.

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