SAMPLE COURSE OUTLINE
BIOLOGY
GENERAL YEAR 11
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Sample course outline
Biology – General Year 11
Unit 1 and Unit 2
Semester 1 – Classification and cell processes
Week
Key teaching points
1–2
Introduction
 structure of the syllabus
 course outline
 assessment outline
 school assessment policy
Classification – naming organisms
 reasons for classifying organisms
 the species – naming organisms
 major groups of organisms
 classification as a human construct – recent changes
 reference collections – herbariums, museums, zoos, web-based (florabase)
2–3
Using dichotomous keys
 dichotomous keys
 using dichotomous keys to classify organisms e.g. snakes, fish, trees
 limitations of dichotomous keys
Task 1: Practical – Using a dichotomous key
4
Case studies – recognising dangerous animals and plants
 animals e.g. snakes, fish (puffer fish, sharks), molluscs (cone shells, blue ringed octopus)
 plants e.g. fungi, deadly nightshade
Task 2: Extended response – Dangerous plants and animals
5–6
Excursion
 identifying organisms in a community e.g. rocky shore, woodland or forest
 scientific report writing
Task 3: Test – Classification
7–10
Looking at cells (eukaryotic organisms)
 cell structure and function
 plant cells compared with animal cells
 use of the microscope
 history of the microscope and microscopy techniques
Looking at cells (prokaryotic organisms)
Task 4: Practical – Observing cells (microscopy)
11–12
Requirements of living organisms
 matter – inputs and outputs
 energy
Respiration – energy use by cells
 sites, requirements and products
 aerobic respiration – word equation
 anaerobic respiration – uses of fermentation
Task 5: Practical – Respiration in seeds
Sample course outline | Biology | General Year 11
2
Week
13–14
15
Key teaching points
Photosynthesis – obtaining energy from the environment
 sites, requirements and products
 process – word equation
 factors affecting photosynthesis (environmental and cellular)
 commercial plant growth
Exchanging materials
 cell membrane – fluid mosaic model
 transport across the cell membrane
 factors affecting the rate of exchange
Task 6: Test – Cell processes
Semester 2 – Solving problems to survive
Week
Key teaching points
1
Functioning organisms
Systems
 organisation of the body – gas exchange, nutrients, waste removal, transport
 variations across the phyla (insects, molluscs, vertebrates)
 ethical use of animals in research
 virtual dissection of an invertebrate e.g. insect, crustacean, mollusc
 virtual dissection of a vertebrate e.g. fish, frog
Features of exchange surfaces
 significance of surface area to volume ratio
 concentration gradients
2
Gas exchange
 comparing surfaces for gas exchange (insects, fish, amphibians, mammals)
 gas exchange in plants
Modes of nutrition
 observing features in animals for different modes of nutrition (case studies – carnivores,
herbivores and parasites)

3–4
observing features in plants for different modes of nutrition (case studies – photosynthetic
plants, parasites and insectivores)
 fungi (case studies – saprophytes and parasites)
 bacteria (case studies – photosynthetic, chemosynthetic, saprophytic, parasitic)
Task 7: Practical – Fungi studies
5–6
Transport systems
 need for specialised circulatory systems in multicellular organisms
 animal transport systems – open and closed circulatory systems
 case studies – comparison (insects, vertebrates)
 plant transport systems – xylem and phloem
 practical activities – observing vascular tissues
Task 8: Extended response – Exchange surfaces (plants)
7–8
Removal of wastes
 definition of wastes
 excretory organs in animals – Malpighian tubules, kidneys, salt glands, lungs
 animals (case studies – insects, birds [salt glands], mammals [nephron structures])
 plants (toxins and salts) (case studies – storage, exudation, leaf fall)
Task 9: Test – Functioning organisms
Sample course outline | Biology | General Year 11
3
Week
9
Key teaching points
Adaptations
 structural adaptations
 physiological adaptations
 behavioural adaptations
 excursion – wildlife park, zoo
10–12
Terrestrial environments
 environmental factors in terrestrial environments
 harsh Australian environments – vascular plant and animal adaptations
 agriculture – salt tolerant plants
Task 10: Investigation – Adaptations for a terrestrial environment
13–15
Aquatic environments
 environmental factors in terrestrial environments
 animal adaptations (movement, buoyancy, gas exchange and salinity)
 plant adaptations (gas exchange, light, anchorage, support)
 algae adaptations (gas exchange, light, anchorage, support)
Task 11: Test – Adaptations
Sample course outline | Biology | General Year 11