St. Mary’s Catholic Academy
Year 7 Science: Unit 1 – Cells and interdependence
A/Z band Scheme of Learning (16 lessons)
This Scheme of learning is designed to be challenging and fast paced with activities designed to evidence the student’s ability
to achieve particular outcomes.
An A/Z band teacher must meticulously plan lessons using this guideline so that the students face a constant challenge.
Year 7 is a crucial time for students in the A/Z band as they must get used to operating at a high pace and with high challenge.
Opportunities must be found to allow them to produce extended writing and to think and work like Scientists do. Students
must be made aware of the names of the famous Scientists who discovered the topics that they are learning and any
technology that is associated with it. E.g. Robert Hooke (FRS) worked on cells and microscopes. Students at the highest level
could research the other work that Hooke did as a member of the Royal Society. Or Lennart Nilsson who used technology to
take amazing photos of a developing foetus.
Overarching foci:
Big Ideas: 7. Organisms are organized on a cellular basis. 8. Organisms require a supply of energy and materials for which they are often
dependent on or in competition with other organisms. 10. Diversity of organisms, living and extinct, is the result of evolution
Working Scientifically: Graphs and calculations
R learner: Resourceful
CMH/SEPT 2014
Key Stage 2 prior learning
Students should be taught to:
 Identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants: roots,
stem/trunk, leaves and flowers
 Explore the requirements of plants for growth and life and how they vary from plant to
plant
 Investigate how water is transported within plants
 Explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants, including
pollination, seed formation and seed dispersal
 Recognize that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways
 Explore and use classification keys to help group, identify and name a variety of living
things in their local and wider environment
 Recognize that environments can change and this can pose dangers to living things
 Construct and interpret a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and
prey.
 Describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a
bird
 Describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals
 Describe the changes as humans develop to old age
 Describe how living things are classified into broad groups according to common
observable characteristics and based on similarities and differences, including microorganisms, plants and animals
 Give reasons for classifying plants and animals based on specific characteristics
 Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways
and that adaptation leads to evolution
CMH/SEPT 2014
Key Stage 3
prior learning
None
Key Stage 4 future
learning
Cell biology
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Growth and development of
cells
Cell metabolism
Transport in cells
Levels of organization within an
ecosystem
Biodiversity
New vocabulary
Names
Key terms and processes
Working as a
Scientist
Organism, multicellular, unicellular, cell wall, cell membrane,
cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, mitochondria, chloroplasts, gamete,
gestation, placenta, toxic materials, tissue, organ, maternal
Diffusion
Adaptation
Fertilisation
Pollination
Structure
Function
Dispersal
Interdependence
Ecosystem
Menstrual cycle
Observe
Record
Interpret
KS3 PoS statements:
Students should be taught about:
Cells and interdependence:











cells are the fundamental unit of living organisms, including how to observe, interpret and record cell structure using a light microscope
the functions of the cell wall, cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, vacuole, mitochondria and chloroplasts
the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells
the role of diffusion in the movement of materials in and between cells
the structural adaptations of some unicellular organisms
the heirarchical organisation of multicellular organisms; from cells to tissues to organisms
reproduction in humans, including the structure and function of the male and female reproductive systems, menstrual cycles, gametes, fertilisation,
gestation and birth, to include the effect of maternal lifestyle on the foetus through the placenta
reproduction in plants, including flower structure, wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation and dispersal, including quantitative
investigation of some dispersal mechanisms
the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops
the importance of plant reproduction through insect pollination in human food security
how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials
This unit has 3 sections; cells, reproduction and interdependence
CMH/SEPT 2014
Lesson
Learning intention (PoS)
Pre-learning
1
KS2 prior learning recap
Pre-learning
2
How living things differ from nonliving things. (they move, respond
to the world around them, need
food, get energy from food, get rid
of waste, grow and reproduce,
although in some cases they may
not show it in an obvious way.
3
4
5
Learning Outcome
The outcomes outlined above for students at
KS2 must be revisited where necessary e.g.
 Plants – parts of a plant, what a plant
might need
Identify living and non-living things based on
the common feature of being made of cells.
Essential
AfL tasks
KS2 Test B 2011
Question 7
Possible teaching
resources
Labelling a plant
Explain how Scientists can tell if something is or
has been living (cells)
Cells are the fundamental unit of
living organisms.
Explain why all cells do not look the same
All living parts
Including how to observe, interpret
and record cell structure using a
light microscope.
Explain how Scientists can use different lenses
to produce more and less magnified images
Calculate actual size from a microscopic image
Using a microscope 1
&2
The similarities between plant and
animal cells.
Explain why cells have a vacuole
Compare and contrast animals and plants
explaining why they need to have different cell
organelle.
What can Fiona see?
Is it made of cells?
WS - Scale
Features of typical
cells
View an onion cell through a
microscope
Draw an image of a cell
Make a model cell/3D poster
Label diagram from previous lesson
Chlamydomonas
6
The functions of the cell wall, cell
membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus,
vacuole, mitochondria and
chloroplasts.
The role of diffusion in the
movement of materials in and
between cells.
CMH/SEPT 2014
Explain how they are specialised to carry out
their specific functions.
Explain the term diffusion
FA 1 – Eugelena –
students can use their
models
Label diagram of plant and animal
cell – try to show images of groups of
cells rather than isolated cells
Match up structure and function
activity
What does a cell need and what does
it want to lose?
7
The structural adaptations of some
unicellular organisms.
The heirarchical organisation of
multicellular organisms; from cells
to tissues to organisms.
8 – KS2
KS2 prior learning recap.
9
Reproduction in humans, including
the structure and function of the
male and female reproductive
systems, gametes, fertilization,
gestation and birth.
10
Menstrual cycles, gestation the
effect of maternal lifestyle on the
foetus through the placenta.
11
Reproduction in plants, including
flower structure, wind and insect
pollination, fertilisation, seed and
fruit formation and dispersal,
including quantitative investigation
of some dispersal mechanisms
the importance of plant
reproduction through insect
pollination in human food security.
KS2 prior learning recap.
12 – KS2
CMH/SEPT 2014
Describe structural adaptations of unicellular
organisms
e.g. Bacteria DNA not in nucleus so they can
reproduce faster
Number of cells
Unicellular or
multicellular?
Dave the alien
The outcomes outlined above must be covered
e.g.
 Life cycles – differences between
plants, mammals, reptiles and birds in
terms of reproduction
 Life cycle of plants
Explain how egg and sperm are specialized
Describe how they carry information for the
development of new life
KS2 Test A 2011
Question 1
Explain how the foetus obtains the materials it
needs for growth
Explain why activities of mother can affect an
unborn child
Explain the importance of plant reproduction
through insect pollination in terms of human
food security
FA-2 menstrual cycle
graph
Effects of hormones
WS - Graph
Pollen park worksheet
The outcomes outlined above must be covered
e.g.
 Simple classification, predator prey
relationships, adaptation, simple
evolution
Journey of the sperm
Feedback on formative assessment
Next steps time
Label diagrams of egg and sperm
Label diagram of male and female
reproductive organs
Put diagrams of gestation into
chronological order
fertilisation and implantation simple
cloze activity
The_Placentaand the Menstrual Cycle
PPT
menstrual cycle – simple WS
Feedback from FA and chance to take
next steps.
Pollen park worksheet and website
http://www.hyperstaffs.info/work
/biology/Handford/artifact/start.html
seed dispersal pictures to cut and sort
Dissect a plant to see reproductive
organs
Interdependence
13
The interdependence of organisms
in an ecosystem, including food
webs and insect pollinated crops.
To explain how all organisms in a food web are
effected by the change in population of an
organism
Explain why the amount of energy passed on at
each trophic level decreases
14
How organisms affect, and are
affected by, their environment,
including the accumulation of toxic
materials.
Explain why the amount of energy passed on at
each trophic level decreases
Explain what is meant by bioaccumulation
15 - Exam
16 -
CMH to provide
.
Feedback from exam
Any topics that have clearly caused
issues.
Revisit other assessment pieces.
Ensure that all students are
challenged in this time.
Learning intention = what the children should be taught i.e. the PoS
Learning outcome = defines what the student should be able to do as a result of learning
CMH/SEPT 2014
Competition Qu
WS - Pyramids of
numbers and biomass
SKE lesson 3, 6
Food Chain sort cards
Food Chains and Food Webs
Homework
Food Webs Activity
Predator Prey relationships Hwk
The lion and the hare 7w ws
Look at effect of DDT
SKE lesson 2ppt
Adaptation to Habitat Worksheets
KS3
Animals and Habitats cards
Changes around a school (poss hwk)
Habitats Table