Waseley Hills High School
BTEC Level 1/2 First Award in Principles of Applied Science
Unit 4 Biology and our Environment
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Learning aim A: Investigate the relationships that different organisms have with each other and with their
environment
The characteristics of organisms vary within and across species due to genetic variation and environmental variation.
Evolution is a gradual process, involving gene mutation and natural selection that can lead to the development of new
species. Organisms are classified depending on their characteristics: the main characteristics of the five kingdoms, division
of the animal kingdom into vertebrates and invertebrates, the main characteristics of vertebrates.
Construct and use keys to show how organisms can be identified
Interdependence of organisms can be illustrated using food chains and webs, and by predator–prey relationships.
Assignment A Relationships between organisms
Scenario
Part of the Waseley Hills are designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because it is
considered to be especially significant in terms of its wildlife value. You work along side the
Countryside Warden managing the site and have been asked to help inform visitors about the diversity
of life found on the site. You have been asked to make a display to introduce how we currently classify
organisms, and how organisms interact with one another in their environment. You will then need to
show how the environment and genes can play a part in how an organism evolves.
Task 1 Who’s who
The museum has a large welcome display just inside the main entrance for
showing visitors information as posters. Produce a poster presentation for the
display that:
a) Shows that all organisms are classified by putting them into one of five
kingdoms, and include two organisms from each kingdom as an example
for each of the following kingdoms:
Monera (bacteria)
Protozoans (protists)
Fungi
Plants
Animals.
You will need to produce a generalised diagram of each and describe the features
that are used to classify the organism as a member of that kingdom (2A.P2)
b)
Lists five animals that are vertebrates and five that are invertebrates. You
will need to include a description of the difference between vertebrates and
invertebrates (2A.P2)
c)
Lists the five classes (sub-groups) of vertebrates and describes three key
features of each (2A.P2)
d)
Show two keys that you have constructed – one identifying six plants found
in a nearby forest and one identifying eight animals that can be found in the
forest. (2A.P2)
RESOURCES
Task 2
Who’s eating who
The museum also has a large Ecology Zone, and you need to create charts for
visitors to use to help them learn more about the different organisms on
display. These will need to focus on the relationship between the different
organisms.
a) Create a chart using some of the organisms that you have identified in Task 1.
Construct a food web or two food chains that link together to show how the
organisms depend upon each other for food. Alternatively use the slide of
common animals and draw a food web. Underneath your food web, describe
at least three other ways in which plants and animals in your web need each
other. (2A.P3)
(Hint: think about why plants need animals; and other things, besides food, that
animals need plants for.)
b)
Produce a poster that helps visitors understand how population size
changes over time. Decide on a predator and an animal that is its prey, either
from the food web you have created or from a different food chain. Your poster
must show how the numbers of these two organisms are likely to change over
time and discuss at least two reasons why the numbers may go up or down.
(2A.M2)
Task 3 Genes
1.
You are asked to design a second display for the Extinct Animals Zone that
shows the public how evolution has taken place, using the fossils and
specimens as part of the display.
a) Find a picture of an animal that has changed over several hundred years or
more. On the picture, clearly label three features that are controlled by genes
alone. (2A.P1)
b) Under the picture, describe two features that are controlled by genes but
influenced by the environment or lifestyle of the animal. Describe how these
two features could be altered by changes in the environment (e.g. food supply,
chemicals introduced into the environment, changes in climate) or changes in
the lifestyle of the animal (e.g. changes to diet or behaviour). (2A.P1)
c) Provide diagrams or pictures showing your chosen animal at different stages
of evolution. You may need to add some notes to identify the differences, if
they are not obvious, but this will depend on the animal that you have chosen.
(2A.M1)
Add notes to each of the above stages to explain how the animal’s genes and
their environment have caused the animal to evolve. You will need to indicate
how these changes have allowed the animal to survive and how natural
selection is one of the key processes in evolutionary change. (2A.M1)
d) Include in your display an assessment of the impact of each genetic and
environmental factor on the animal’s survival. Give a conclusion saying which
factor has had the biggest impact in allowing the survival of the animal and
why you think this is the case. (2A.D1)
e) Select a second animal that has become extinct. Find a picture of this animal
RESOURCES
and write a label with comments explaining the causes of the extinction of this
animal. Include some comment on whether genetic or environmental factors
have had the biggest impact on causing this animal to become extinct.
(2A.D1)
The grading criteria that this assignment relates to:
2A.P1 Describe the role of genes and the environment in variation.
2A.M1 Explain the role of genes and the environment in evolution.
2A.D1 Evaluate the impact of genes and the environment on the survival or extinction of organisms.
2A.P2 Describe how characteristics are used to classify organisms.
2A.P3 Describe the different ways in which organisms show interdependence
2A.M2 Discuss the factors that affect the relationship between different organisms.
If you have not achieved the Level 2 criteria, your work will be assessed to determine if the following Level 1
criteria have been met.
1A.1
Distinguish between variation due to genes and variation due to environmental factors.
1A.2
Construct simple keys to classify organisms
1A.3
Construct food chains and food webs.
Evidence you must produce for this task;
Level
2A.P2
2A.P3
Description
Checklist
a) Posters showing the features of the following
kingdoms.
 Monera (bacteria)
 Protozoans (protists)
 Fungi
 Plants
 Animals.
b) Lists of five animals that are vertebrates and five
that are invertebrates. Including a description of the
difference between vertebrates and invertebrates
c) A list of the five classes (sub-groups) of vertebrates
and a description of three key features for each
d) Produced two keys one for plants and one for
animals
a) Construct a food chain using the animals on the
power point slide.
A description of at least three other ways in which
plants and animals in the food web need each
other.
b) Predator and prey relationship poster- description
of how population size is affected.
2A.M2
2A.P1
a) Picture of a horse labelled showing how its
characteristics are controlled by its genes and its
environment.
b) Description of two features controlled by genes but
influenced by the environment.
2A.M1
c) Diagram of the horse’s evolution with a description
of the differences. Including an explanation of how
the animal’s genes and environment have caused
it to evolve.
d) An assessment of the impact of the each genetic
and environmental factor.
2A.D1
e) The causes of the dodo bird becoming extinct. A
description of whether it was genetic or
environmental factors that caused it to become
extinct.
Learner Assessment Submission and Declaration
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submitted for assessment.
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Qualification: BTEC Level 1/2 First Award in Principles of Applied Science
Assessment reference and title: Unit 4 Biology and our Environment, Assignment A
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