B1: Influences on life Page 1 of 10
Lesson B1.1: ClassificationSpecification learning outcomes / HSW statements / Prior learning from KS 3 / Exemplar teaching activities / Main differentiation / Resource sheets / BTEC Links
1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of how biologists classify organisms according to how closely they are related to one another including: a) Species – groups of organisms that have many features in common, b)Genus – contains several species with similar characteristics, c) Family – comprising of several genera,
d) Order – comprising of several families, e) Class – comprising of several orders, f) Phylum – comprising of several classes, g) The Five Kingdoms – animalia, plantae, fungi, protoctista and prokaryotae
1.2 Describe the main characteristics of the five kingdoms including: a) Animalia – multicellular, do not have cell walls, do not have chlorophyll, feed heterotrophically, b) Plantae – multicellular, have cell walls, have chlorophyll, feed autotrophically, c) Fungi – multicellular, have cell walls, do not have chlorophyll, feed saprophytically, d) Protoctista – unicellular, have a nucleus, e) Prokaryotae – unicellular, have no nucleus
1.3 Explain why scientists do not classify viruses in any of the five kingdoms and regard them as non-living / HSW 2 The interpretation of data, using creative thought, to provide evidence for testing ideas and developing theories
HSW 3 Many phenomena can be explained by developing and using scientific theories, models and ideas
HSW 11 Presenting information, developing an argument and drawing a conclusion, and using scientific, technical and mathematical language, conventions and symbols and ICT tools
HSW 14 How uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time and the role of the scientific community in validating these changes / Year 7 Use data to describe common features of some of the main taxonomic groups of animals and plants, e.g. mammals, flowering plants
Year 9 Analyse a range of evidence that aids the identification and classification of plants and animals / Starter: Plants and animals
Show students a range of plants and animals (real or pictures) and ask them to identify two major groups of organisms. Ask students why they can divide the organisms into two groups.
Main: The problem with Euglena
Students use Worksheet B1.1b to construct an argument on the classification of Euglena as a plant or animal or neither. Working in pairs, students cut out the cards and sort them into three groups – those that support the idea that Euglena is a plant, those that support the idea that it is not a plant and those that don’t inform them either way. Students then decide what they think and construct an argument.
Note Euglena is currently classified as an alga, and all algae are placed within the Kingdom Protoctista.
Plenary: Jumbled sentences
Ask students to make up a sentence for each of these groups of three words: bacteria, virus, kingdom; move, grow, respire; plant, animal, respire; plant, photosynthesis, respire; fungi, saprophyte, growth. Students work in pairs to come up with the best sentence they can before reading out their sentences to a larger group or the whole class. The sentences could be scored on their accuracy and/or interest.
Homework: Worksheets B1.1c (for students requiring extra support) and B1.1d (for those working at a higher level) contain questions on classification. / Stretch: Ask students to identify limitations in their arguments (e.g. not all the facts are known).
Support: Provide students with the phrases for a writing frame for an argument: ‘I think that…’ ‘This is for the following reasons.’ ‘Firstly,’ ‘In addition,’ ‘Moreover,’ ‘Some people argue that….’ ‘However,’ ‘Therefore, in spite of this counterargument, I still believe that…’ / Worksheet B1.1b
Worksheet B1.1c
Worksheet B1.1d / Unit 3 P2
Lesson B1.2: Vertebrates and invertebrates
Specification learning outcomes / HSW statements / Prior learning from KS 3 / Exemplar teaching activities / Main differentiation / Resource sheets / BTEC Links
1.4 Describe the main characteristics of the phylum Chordata as animals with a supporting rod running the length of the body, an example of this being the backbone in vertebrates
1.5 Explain how scientists place vertebrates into groups based on: a) oxygen absorption methods – lungs, gills and skin, b) reproduction – internal or external fertilisation, oviparous or viviparous, c) thermoregulation – homeotherms and poikilotherms
1.6 Demonstrate an understanding of the problems associated with assigning vertebrates to a specific group based on their anatomy and reproduction methods and why many vertebrates are difficult to classify / HSW 2 The interpretation of data, using creative thought, to provide evidence for testing ideas and developing theories
HSW 6 Collecting data from primary or secondary sources, including the use of ICT sources and tools
HSW 11 Presenting information, developing an argument and drawing a conclusion, and using scientific, technical and mathematical language, conventions and symbols and ICT tools / Year 7 Explain the major functions of the skeletal systems in plants and animals, including support, protection, anchorage, movement and production of red blood cells
Year 7 Use data to describe common features of some of the main taxonomic groups of animals and plants, e.g. mammals, flowering plants
Year 9 Analyse a range of evidence that aids the identification and classification of plants and animals / Starter: Groups of animals
Ask students to name some groups of animals and write them on the board. Ask students what features they would look for to be sure about putting an animal in a certain group. Then look for connections between the suggested groups to see which groups could be grouped with other groups to form subgroups inside a larger group.
Main: Vertebrate research
Students use Worksheet B1.2c to carry out Internet research to find the common names of a variety of vertebrates. Before starting the activity, ask students how they are going to find the information quickly. Explain that they should scan the texts that they find for key words (rather than reading through everything). Students classify the animals on the sheet into one of the five groups of vertebrate. For most students, remove the bottom part of the sheet, which has descriptions of the five vertebrate classes.
Plenary: Design a vertebrate
Ask students to design a vertebrate and make a list of its features. They should then swap their designs with others. Each ‘animal’ is then classified as one type of vertebrate, giving reasons for the classification and identifying any characteristics of the animal that are not usually found in that group of vertebrates.
Homework: Worksheets B1.2d (for students requiring extra support) and B1.2e (for those working at a higher level) contain questions on vertebrate. / Stretch: Ask students to choose two of the organisms and to find out the full classification for them (i.e. all the groups that they are in, from kingdom down to species).
Support: Leave the bottom part of the sheet on before photocopying. / Worksheet B1.2c
Worksheet B1.2d
Worksheet B1.2e / Unit 3 P2
Lesson B1.3: Species
Specification learning outcomes / HSW statements / Prior learning from KS 3 / Exemplar teaching activities / Main differentiation / Resource sheets / BTEC Links
1.7 Discuss why the definition of a species as organisms that produce fertile offspring may have limitations: some organisms do not always reproduce sexually and some hybrids are fertile
H 1.8 Explain why binomial classification is needed to identify, study and conserve species, and can be used to target conservation efforts
1.9 Explain how accurate classification may be complicated by: a) variation within a species H b) hybridisation in ducks c) ring species
1.19 Explain the role of the scientific community in validating new evidence, including the use of: a) scientific journals, b) the peer review process, c) scientific conferences / HSW 3 Many phenomena can be explained by developing and using scientific theories, models and ideas
HSW 4 There are some questions that science cannot currently answer and some that science cannot address
HSW 6 Collecting data from primary or secondary sources, including the use of ICT sources and tools
HSW 11 Presenting information, developing an argument and drawing a conclusion, and using scientific, technical and mathematical language, conventions and symbols and ICT tools
HSW 14 How uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time and the role of the scientific community in validating these changes / Year 7 Recognise how organisms that belong to the same species share many characteristics / Starter: Odd one out
Students identify the odd one out in each of these lists. There is more than one answer for each but the lists are designed to get students to think about what a species is and how they are named to avoid confusion. The lists involving binomial names contain Higher Tier material.
Poodle, Labrador, fox, Alsatian (e.g. fox – others are all the same species); African donkey, Icelandic horse, New Forest Pony, Shetland pony (e.g. donkey – others are all the same species); Canis lupus, dog, perro, chien (e.g. Canis lupus is a scientific name); Cypraea tigris, Panthera leo, Panthera tigris, Panthera pardus (e.g. Cypraea tigris, which is actually a species of sea snail)
Main: Peer review
Students use Skills Sheet 4 to find out more about the peer-review process. Follow this by using Worksheet B1.3d, which gives students practice in looking at the quality of simple observations and conclusions. Students could identify and underline (using different colours) parts of each extract that demonstrate different aspects of good scientific writing, and then parts that demonstrate a lack of those qualities.
Plenary: Ask a scientist
Ask each student to write a multiple choice question based on what they have learned in this lesson. There should be four choices. The students share their questions with one another, and provide feedback on how clear each question was and how easy it was. Identify with the class which learning objectives were not covered by the multiple choice questions. This may be because those topic areas are still not understood properly and so may allow you to find weak points in students’ understanding.
Homework: Worksheets B1.3e (for students requiring extra support) and B1.3f (for those working at a higher level) contain questions on species and hybrids. / Stretch: There is an excellent role-play exercise on the Sense About Science website that deals with the peer-review process in detail.
Support: Read through Skills Sheet 4 with the group. Ask groups of students to design and act out a sketch to demonstrate what happens in the peer-review process. / Worksheet B1.3d
Worksheet B1.3e
Worksheet B1.3f / Unit 3 P2
Lesson B1.4: Variation
Specification learning outcomes / HSW statements / Prior learning from KS 3 / Exemplar teaching activities / Main differentiation / Resource sheets / BTEC Links
H 1.8 Explain why binomial classification is needed to identify, study and conserve species, and can be used to target conservation efforts.
1.9 Explain how accurate classification may be complicated by: a) variation within a species H b) hybridisation in ducks c) ring species
1.10 Construct and use keys to show how species can be identified / HSW 1 The collection and analysis of scientific data
HSW 6 Collecting data from primary or secondary sources, including the use of ICT sources and tools
HSW 8 Evaluating methods of data collection and considering their validity and reliability as evidence
HSW 11 Presenting information, developing an argument and drawing a conclusion, and using scientific, technical and mathematical language, conventions and symbols and ICT tools
HSW 12 The use of contemporary science and technological developments and their benefits, drawbacks and risks
HSW 14 How uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time and the role of the scientific community in validating these changes / Year 7 Recognise how organisms that belong to the same species share many characteristics
Year 8 Describe differences in organisms of the same species and attribute these either to environmental or to inherited factors
Year 9 Analyse a range of evidence that aids the identification and classification of plants and animals / Starter: Student features
Ask students to write down a list of features (characteristics) of a famous person. Then ask students in pairs to compare their lists, and ask them to score out of 10 how close their lists are. Ask students why it is important for biologists to accurately record the characteristics of organisms and elicit the idea that this helps with classification.
Main: Biodiversity quest
Worksheet B1.4a provides a set of strips that can be cut out giving the names of organisms. Not all strip need to be used, the ones at the top being more important. Give each student one strip. Ask students to work together in groups of five or six to discuss: which area of the world they would spend money on conserving and why; which organism they would spend money on conserving and why. Invite each group to report back to the class on their findings. They should find the Tropical Andes are most worthwhile conserving because that has the greatest number and variety of species. Answers about which organism to conserve will vary, but make the point that all organisms are worth conserving and scientists use classification to identify biodiversity hotspots.