Biology

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.

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 consist 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 discipline's main concepts.

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.

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 combines 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

These skills must be developed and integrated with the other course elements.

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. Environmental and Zoo Education Centres (EZECs) offer field trip opportunities. Although their programs cater to all groups of students and in different key learning areas, many EZECs offer programs for the Stage 6 Biology syllabus. On the field trips, students undertake inquiries in ecology and evolution and collect and analyse 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%

* Copyright information

This website contains information about the content in the Stage 6 Biology syllabus. The information is copyrighted. © 2019 NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales.