John McGlashan College
Internal Assessment Resource
Achievement Standard Science 90950: Investigate biological
ideas relating to interactions between humans and microorganisms
Resource Reference: Science 1.11B
Resource Title: Know Your Enemy – Pathogens
Credits: 4
Version: 2
Achievement
Investigate biological ideas
relating to interactions
between humans and microorganisms.
Level: 1
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with
Excellence
Investigate, in depth,
biological ideas relating to
interactions between humans
and micro-organisms.
Investigate, comprehensively,
biological ideas relating to
interactions between humans
and micro-organisms.
Student instructions
There will be NO reassessment of this achievement standard
This research activity requires you to investigate biological ideas related to how
humans are affected by TWO different types of pathogens. Pathogens are disease
causing micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi or viruses.
The activity consists of TWO parts:
Part 1: Collecting and processing information.
Part 2: Presenting a report.
The research may be done in class and/or at home. Use a range of resources to
collect your information, e.g. as resource sheets, photos, videos, websites, and
reference texts.
A research planning template sheet is provided to help you with collecting the
information you require for your report
You may present your findings as a worksheet, report, poster, or orally as agreed
with your teacher.
Conditions
You have TWO weeks to complete this task. You may NOT choose the pathogen
Candida or any of the exemplar pathogens on www.mrleitch.weebly.com
It is expected as part of standard good practice that you will reference your
sources properly. See the referencing information at www.mrleitch.weebly.com.
Use www.harvardgenerator.com to generate your reference list. This is not
assessed.
You MUST submit a hard copy on the due date. Work may NOT be emailed.
Task - Investigate one pathogen and its effect on humans
Part 1: Collecting and processing information
Use Resource 1 to collect and process relevant information from a range of sources
on TWO different types of pathogens and allow you to:

Identify and describe BOTH micro-organisms, including their life cycle.

Investigate how and why this micro-organism causes disease or makes humans
sick. Make links to specific life processes of the pathogens (e.g. movement,
respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion, nutrition) and the
environmental factors that affect these.

Use biological ideas to explain why and how people combat the micro-organisms
or try to limit its effects as a pathogen.
Processing usually involves:

selecting the bits of information (photocopying, printing, notes) that relate to the
questions above

summarising the relevant information by highlighting text, writing notes, and
circling useful diagrams/illustrations

organising your information;

providing references for all your sources (e.g., URL(s) or book titles and authors).
Part 2: Presenting a report (in your OWN words)
Use your collected and processed information from part 1 (including the research
templates from Resource 1), to produce a report (in your own words) that
investigates the biological ideas relating to how humans are affected by TWO
different types of pathogens.
The report could be in one of the following formats:

written report (including illustrations, diagrams and graphs, if appropriate)

Power point

poster presentation, (unless it includes supporting discussion)
Acknowledge all your sources of information.
Your report must use your findings and biological ideas to:
1. Explain how or why humans are affected by TWO pathogens. You need to
consider the following:
o
structure and life processes of micro-organisms
o
factors that affect the life processes of micro-organisms.
2. Make significant links about the interactions between humans and both
pathogens, including the impacts of this knowledge on human’s personal
actions or everyday life.
This may involve explaining, elaborating, applying, justifying, relating, evaluating,
comparing and contrasting, and analysing.
Internal assessment resource Science 1.11B for Achievement Standard 90950
PAGE FOR STUDENT USE
Resource 1: Know Your Enemy research helpful template
Your name: ____________________________________
Pathogen: _____________________________________
Identify and describe your chosen pathogen’s life cycle
How it causes disease or sickness
Specific life processes
Environmental factors affecting the pathogen’s life processes
Assessment Schedule: Science 90950 Know Your Enemy – Pathogens
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement
Uses findings to describe how humans are affected by
TWO types of pathogens.
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Merit
Name:
Evidence/Judgements for Achievement with Excellence
As for achieved and,
As for Merit and,
Uses findings AND biological ideas to give a reason for how OR
why humans are affected by TWO types of pathogens.
Uses findings AND biological ideas to make significant links about
the interactions between humans and ONE pathogen, including
the impacts of this knowledge on human’s personal actions or
everyday life. It may involve explaining, elaborating, applying,
justifying, relating, evaluating, comparing and contrasting, and
analysing.
Evidence can come from anywhere in the report.
Evidence must come from the report.
Evidence must come from the report.
The pathogens can any two of: bacteria, virus, or
fungus.
Explains how the disease or sickness is caused by the described
the two pathogens.
For example:
For example:
Salmonella (a range of species) is a bacterium.
Illness is caused by toxin not the bacteria.
It has no resistant spores.
High numbers of bacteria/toxin levels are needed to cause illness.
It is capable of exponential growth.
Salmonella affects the lining of the small intestine leading to
nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhoea, bleeding, and fever (in
bloodstream).
It reproduces by fast binary fission (not mitosis).
As for Merit and,
Biological ideas making significant links about the interactions
between humans and ONE pathogen, including the impacts of this
knowledge on human’s personal actions or everyday life.
For example:
Links related to

hygiene

knowledge of life cycle
AND
At least one life processes and related environmental factors are
considered for each pathogen.

antibiotics (Gram negative)
This causes food poisoning.
For example:

sanitation, sewage treatment
Anaerobic or aerobic respiration allows the salmonella bacteria to
live in and outside gut

water treatment (Cl, O3,UV)

antibiotics, competition

toxin is protein, so can be destroyed by heat.
Its life cycle may include the human gut
Damages the lining of the small intestine.
The bacteria survive freezing but heat (60 o C) kills them.
They are motile if in liquid.
Transmission between mammals, birds, reptiles ensures that hosts
are available.
Final grades will be decided using professional judgement based on a holistic examination of the evidence provided against the criteria in the Achievement Standard.
Grade: ____