Biology is the study of life. It is derived from the Greek words “Bios” (life) and “Logia” (the study of). Biologists study all aspects of living things – from cells to ecosystems. Biology is unique among the sciences: as far as we know, life is only found on Earth. The focus of the other sciences is not restricted to Earth-bound phenomena, but Biology exclusively explores living phenomena on Earth. One branch of science, called astrobiology, represents the search for extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary approach to determine if life is possible elsewhere in the Universe.
Table of Contents
Studying Biology in high school
In New South Wales schools, science is a core subject studied from Kindergarten to Year 10. There are two science syllabuses for primary and junior high school students: the K-6 Science & Technology syllabus (primary) and the Science 7-10 syllabus (high school). Students study the concepts of Biology in the Living World strand of those science syllabuses.
Senior high school students (Stage 6) can study biology in Years 11 and 12. At the end of Year 12, they sit for the Biology HSC Examinations.
Biology is a 2-unit course. Schools program 120 hours for teaching Biology in Years 11 and 12 (240 hours in total). This is spread out over three terms in Year 11 and four terms in Year 12. The teaching hours consists of a mixture of learning activities, such as teacher-directed lessons, student-led research, investigations, field trips, Depth Studies and assessments.
Exploring some elements of the Biology syllabus*
The syllabus requires students to explore Biology from different perspectives. This is important so that students can deepen their understanding of the main concepts of the discipline.
Content
The content of the Biology course is divided into modules. There are eight modules in total, four each in years 11 and 12. The modules are numbered from 1 to 8.
Year 11 Biology
| Year 11 | Title | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 | Cells as the Basis of Life | The organisation of individuals (cells to organisms) |
| Module 2 | Organisation of Living Things | The organisation of individuals (cells to organisms) |
| Module 3 | Biological Diversity | Ecology and evolution |
| Module 4 | Ecosystem Dynamics | Ecology and evolution |
Year 12 Biology
| Year 12 | Title | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Module 5 | Heredity | Genetics |
| Module 6 | Genetic Change | Genetics |
| Module 7 | Infectious Disease | Disease |
| Module 8 | Non-infectious Disease and Disorders | Disease |
Working Scientifically skills
While the syllabus content represents the ‘what’ of the course, the skills for working scientifically (called working scientifically skills for short) represent the ‘how’. Scientific knowledge is a combination of information (content) and processes (skills). There are seven working scientifically skills:
- Questioning and predicting
- Planning investigations
- Conducting investigations
- Processing data and information
- Analysing data and information
- Problem-solving
- Communicating
Each of these skills must be developed and integrated with the other elements of the course.
Depth Studies
Students must spend at least 15 hours of course time on Depth Study activities. Depth Studies are opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of one or more aspects of the course. This may happen through first-hand or secondary source investigations (other than practicals), fieldwork, or other modes of study.
Investigations
Investigations are first-hand or secondary source inquiries that complement the teaching and learning of Biology concepts. The investigations emphasise the working scientifically skills and demonstrate how scientific knowledge is constructed through inquiry and investigations. A minimum of 35 hours is devoted to investigations in Years 11 and 12 (each).
Field trip
At least one field trip is mandatory for the Year 11 Biology course. Fieldtrip opportunities are offered by the Environmental and zoo education centres (EZECs). Although their programs cater to all groups of students and in different key learning areas, many EZECs offer programs for Stage 6 Biology syllabus. In the field trips, students undertake inquiries in the areas of ecology and evolution and are involved in collecting and analysing first-hand data.
Assessments
The Biology syllabus specifies the outcomes, number, and relative weightings of the assessment tasks for the Year 11 and Year 12 courses. It is important to remember that the syllabus requirements refer to the formal assessments within the Biology course – there are no restrictions on informal assessments that may be implemented in the courses. For both Years 11 and 12, the overall distribution of the outcomes that are assessed should be distributed as follows:
- Working scientifically outcomes: 60%
- Knowledge and Understanding outcomes: 40%
Year 11 Biology assessments
| Assessment | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Depth Study | 20-40% |
| Task 2 | Any* | 20-40% |
| Task 3 | Any* | 20-40% |
Year 12 Biology assessments
| Assessment | Type | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Depth Study | 10-30% |
| Task 2 | Any* | 10-40% |
| Task 3 | Any* | 10-40% |
| Task 4 | Any* | 10-40% |
* Copyright information
This website contains information about the content in the Stage 6 Biology syllabus. The information is copyright. © 2019 NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales.