VCE Biology: Sample Teaching Plan

VCE Biology Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2021 SAMPLE TEACHING PLAN VCE Biology: Sample teaching plan Sample Course Outline – VCE Biology Unit 4: How does life change and respond to challenges over time? Note: This is a sample guide only and indicates one way to present the content from the VCE Biology Study Design over the weeks in each school term. Teachers are advised to consider their own contexts in developing learning activities: Which local fieldwork sites would support learning in the topic area? Which local issues lend themselves to debate and investigation? Which experiments can students complete within the resource limitations of their learning environments? Week Area Topics Learning activities 1 Activity: peppered moths natural selection How do Experiment: gel electrophoresis of food dyes humans Experiment: effects of changing environmental conditions on impact on DNA manipulation (use of enzymes; PCR; gel the expression of a trait (light on genetically modified 2 biological electrophoresis; recombinant plasmids) barley) processes ? Simulations: transcription and translation Experiment: a transformation of 3 Poster evaluation: strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats 4 of provided examples 5 Experimental design brainstorming: four groups: Practical investigation (experimental variables; ‘photosynthesis’, ‘respiration’, ‘antibiotics’ or ‘DNA Practical scientific research methodologies and ethics; data techniques’ as an extension of prior experiments investigat organisation, analysis and evaluation; organisation of Test: hypothesis formulation and experimental design ion biological concepts; nature of evidence; scientific report 6 writing conventions) Student experiment: negotiation, confirmation and materials preparation Student undertaking of experiment Reporting/poster write-up phase Changes in the genetic makeup of a population  Evolution card game: dog selection pressures 7 (qualitative treatment of gene pool changes; Group presentation: student group selection of NOVA online or evolutionary processes; selective breeding) www.nclark.net/Evolution%20activity Changes in biodiversity over time (changes in life Simulation: creation of coacervates – evolution from simple to forms in Earth’s geological history; evidence of complex life 8 How are biological change over time; patterns of biological Multimedia presentation: different types of evolution species change over geological time) Modelling: geological time line related? Determining relatedness between species  Data analysis/bioinformatics: evolutionary relationships (molecular homology as evidence of relatedness between species and phylogenetic trees between species; use of phylogenetic trees; evolutionary Flowchart: beak formation in Galapagos finches 9 case studies of novel phenotypes – beak formation in Galapagos finches and jaw formation in African cichlid fish 10 Quantitative palaeobiology: bone measurements and height predictions 11 Human change over time (primate, hominoid and Skull study: Bone Clones, Inc kit 12 hominin characteristics; trends in hominin evolution; Activity: opposable thumbs human fossil record) 13 Skill development: ‘clot’ measurement Media analysis: hobbit research findings 14 How do Biological knowledge and society (techniques and Animations: gene cloning

© VCAA 2016 Page 1 VCE Biology Units 1 and 2: 2016–2020; Units 3 and 4: 2017–2021 SAMPLE TEACHING PLAN 15 Case studies: use of DNA profiling in criminal investigations 16 humans social/ethical implications of gene cloning, genetic Survey: transgenic crops – data collection and analysis impact on screening and DNA profiling; use of GMO and Microscopy: ‘bugs’ biological social/ethical implications of transgenic organisms; Research and data analysis: spread and control of student- 17 processes management of epidemics and pandemics; rational drug selected virus (Ebola, bird flu, Zika) ? design) Experiment: antibiotic effects Modelling: production of Relenza 18 Unit revision 19