FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL
EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme
Slapton Ley Field Centre
EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology
Exemplar Course Programme
For teaching from September 2015
Slapton Ley Field Centre is located on the Start Bay coast in South Devon and is surrounded by Slapton Ley National
Nature Reserve. The Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in the South West and is separated from the sea by Slapton
Sands, a barrier beach. The 214 hectare reserve has been managed by FSC Slapton Ley for over 50 years as an "outdoor
laboratory" for education and conservation, and boasts a rich mosaic of habitats including ancient and coppiced
woodland, freshwater lake and stream, shingle ridge and rocky shore. The centre offers visitors of all ages the opportunity
to experience a unique outdoor learning environment in combination with specialist teaching and facilities.
Our new courses have been designed to fit the criteria of the specifications for first teaching in 2015 and offer:
 Subject content contextualized through a range of special habitats. In particular the course will cover Topic 4
Biodiversity and Natural Resources, and Topic 5, On The Wild Side.
 Practical skills and use of apparatus and techniques embedded into ecological investigations using a range of
laboratory and field equipment and the opportunity to complete core practical 10.
 Integration of mathematical skills into investigative fieldwork and practicals.
FSC Slapton Ley, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2QP
Tel: 01548 580466
E-mail: enquiries.sl@field-studies-council.org
Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/slapton/slaptonley.aspx
Field Studies Council is a limited Company, registered in England and Wales No. 412621 and a Charity No. 313364. Registered Office; Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HW
FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL
EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme
Slapton Ley Field Centre
EDEXCEL A Biodiversity, Wild Nature and
Core Practical 10 – 5 days
Day
1
AM
Arrive 1200, settle in to
rooms
PM
Welcome to Slapton, hire waterproofs etc.
Biodiversity and Wild Nature: Past, Present
and Future
During this introductory session, students will begin
to explore the habitats of Slapton Ley National
Nature Reserve. Students will be encouraged to
observe and appreciate ecosystems at differing
scales, considering what has shaped these in the
past, what ecological processes are happening now
and how these ecosystems might change in the
future.
2
Leading on from the afternoons activities,
students will have an introduction to the
study of ecology including key ecology
definitions and techniques.
Students will set their own personal
learning objectives for the course.
Succession on Slapton Sands Shingle Ridge: Here Today, Here Forever?
Conservation of Endangered Species
Students will introduced to the theory of succession and see first-hand how
succession progresses in a vegetated shingle ecosystem. Students will follow the
full investigative process from design to analysis as they look at the change in plant
communities in relation to changes in environmental factors such as wind speed,
soil depth, soil moisture. They will identify adaptations that are common to each
community and allow that community to thrive.
Too often students consider endangered
species to be a problem confined to other
countries and exotic species, without
realising that the UK has more than 1100
species in danger. This session considers
conservation in the UK and gives students
an insight into the real difficulties faced by
ecologists working in the field. We will use
case studies from Slapton Ley NNR to
evaluate the success of different techniques
e.g. in-situ conservation through habitat
protection, re-introduction of species, exsitu conservation in botanic gardens, seed
banks and wildlife reserves or zoos.
Students will use Spearman’s Rank correlation coefficient to test their data for
correlations between biotic and abiotic factors on the shingle ridge.
Looking at real-life example on Slapton Ley NNR, students will consider deflected
succession and the impact of management on a climax community.
3
EVE
Introduction to Ecology
Habitat Ecology: Rocky Shore
Climate Change
Building on knowledge and skills already gained, students will use appropriate
equipment to carry out an ecological study of the abundance and distribution of
organisms in a rocky shore environment.
This workshop will focus on the effects of
climate change on plants and animals e.g.
on their distribution, development and life
cycles, and the consequent effects on
ecosystems. Focussing on the rocky shore
environment explored in the day, students
will critically evaluate the evidence for
climate change and develop a broader
understanding of the potential effects on
the this habitat as well as the wider world.
They will discuss patterns found in relation to abiotic and biotic variables. Data
analysis will include Student’s t-test and graphical representation.
.
FSC Slapton Ley, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2QP
Tel: 01548 580466
E-mail: enquiries.sl@field-studies-council.org
Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/slapton/slaptonley.aspx
Field Studies Council is a limited Company, registered in England and Wales No. 412621 and a Charity No. 313364. Registered Office; Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HW
FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL
EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme
Slapton Ley Field Centre
4
5
Green Energy - Photosynthesis
Makes the World Go Round
Distribution and Abundance: Chi –
Squared Test
Core practical 10 – Planning and
Research
Energy transfer is a key principle of
ecology and one that students often
find difficult to understand without
experiencing data collection firsthand. Students will use primary data
collected in Slapton Wood Stream to
construct pyramids of number,
biomass and energy. They will use
these to consider efficiency of energy
transfer.
Students will sample two microhabitats in
Slapton Wood Stream, measuring the
abundance of different organisms in each.
Students will use this data to test if there
is association between trophic level and
micro-habitat using the chi-squared
statistical test. They will also identify
specific adaptations and consider how
these enable different species to survive
in a particular microhabitats.
Students will work on an investigation
which interests them, building on the
knowledge and skills they have acquired so
far. They will plan the investigation,
selecting the most appropriate equipment
and methods, identifying the variables to be
controlled and how to achieve this. They
will consider safety issues, identifying
hazards and assessing the risks of working
in the selected habitat. FSC field teachers
will support visiting staffs’ Common
Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC)
assessment of their students.
Core Practical 10 – Data
Collection and Recording
Course ends at 1230
Please note that to ensure safe and quality
learning experiences for students, the
timetable may alter depending on weather
conditions and tide times.
Students will spend the morning
carrying out the investigations that
they have planned, ensuring that they
collect and record data appropriately.
Specification links, Core Practicals, Assessment Skills & Mathematics
Specification Links:
Topic 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, 4.16): Biodiversity and Natural Resources
Topic 5 (5.1, 5.2, 5. 3, 5.4, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.15, 5.20): On the Wild Side
Apparatus & Technique Skills:
AT1: Use appropriate apparatus to record a range of quantitative measurements
AT5: Produce scientific drawing from observation with annotations
AT8: Safely and ethically use organisms to measure plant or animal responses
AT11: Use sampling techniques in fieldwork
AT12: Use ICT such as computer modelling, or data logger to collect data, or use software to process data
Maths Skills:
Mathematical skills now make up at least 10% of the marks at A level and this is reflected by their prominence throughout the course.
Embedded into each session will be numerous opportunities for students to practice and develop their arithmetic and numerical
computation, data handling, algebra, and graphical skills. Students will also have the opportunity to carry out up to three statistical tests
(Spearman’s rank, student’s t-test and chi-squared) on their own primary data.
Exam Skills:
We recognise that students often struggle with exam questions on ecology topics. Students often find it difficult to transfer knowledge
and skills learnt in one habitat to a scenario based in another. Our tutors will ensure students recognise the key ecological principles which
will form the basis of exam answers no matter what context they are set in. Embedded into every day will be opportunities to practice
exam style questions and get expert feedback on their responses.
FSC Slapton Ley, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2QP
Tel: 01548 580466
E-mail: enquiries.sl@field-studies-council.org
Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/slapton/slaptonley.aspx
Field Studies Council is a limited Company, registered in England and Wales No. 412621 and a Charity No. 313364. Registered Office; Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HW
FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL
EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme
Slapton Ley Field Centre
What is included in the fee?
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Up to 9 hours of tuition a day
Expert tuition, from fully trained staff
Full board accommodation. Catering includes cooked breakfast, packed lunch, homemade cakes and evening
meal.
Use of facilities including workrooms, recreational space, ICT and centre grounds
Established health and safety procedures and 24 hour emergency cover
Access to specialist equipment and resources
Support before and following the course
Tuition is delivered by talented teachers, with not only an expert knowledge of their subject and field work
locations, but a passion for the subject being taught. Our education team are fully DBS checked, and undergo
a regular and rigorous training process. All tutors have received training in first aid, risk assessment and
water safety.
Course options are flexible. The programme outlined in this booklet is a sample that has been designed to
meet the requirements of your specification. However, should you wish to select certain options, or include
subject content or practicals not catered for in fieldwork investigations outlined, please contact us to discuss
possible alternatives.
External Recognition of Quality
Slapton Ley Field Centre has been awarded the Quality Badge by The Council for Learning
Outside the Classroom. The badge is awarded to organisations that have demonstrated
that they consistently deliver high quality teaching and learning experiences and manage
risk effectively. This means that you will have to complete less paperwork when visiting our
centre.
To make a booking or if you have an enquiry:
Call us on 01548 580466
Email us at enquiries.sl@field-studies-council.org
FSC Slapton Ley, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2QP
Tel: 01548 580466
E-mail: enquiries.sl@field-studies-council.org
Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/slapton/slaptonley.aspx
Field Studies Council is a limited Company, registered in England and Wales No. 412621 and a Charity No. 313364. Registered Office; Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HW