This unit builds on:
unit 5B Life cycles and unit 7A Cells. / To make good progress, pupils starting this unit need to understand…
- the human life cycle in terms of infancy, childhood, adolescence, maturity and ageing
- that organisms are made of cells that have a nucleus and that cells are adapted for their functions.
This unit relates to:
PSHE, drugs education, sex education.
The concepts in this unit are:
Human reproduction including puberty, the menstrual cycle, development of the fetus and the role of the placenta. Protection and nurture of offspring. Reproductive patterns in other animals compared with those in humans.
This unit leads onto:
unit 9A Inheritance and selection.
Framework yearly teaching objectives – Cells
Explain that in multi-celled organisms certain cells may become specialised, e.g. sperm and egg cells.
Describe fertilisation as the joining of the nucleus of a male sex cell (e.g. sperm) to the nucleus of a female sex cell (e.g. egg) and use this knowledge to explain that the resulting offspring are always similar to their parents but never identical.
Expectations from the QCA Scheme of Work
At the end of this unit…
…most pupils will… / …some pupils will not have made so much progress and will… / …some pupils will have progressed further and will…
in terms of scientific enquiry NC Programme of Study Sc1 2b, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o
- select information about reproduction from secondary sources
- present and interpret data about growth in bar charts and graphs, indicating whether increasing the sample they used would have improved the work.
- with help, find information from selected secondary sources and present data in tables and bar charts.
- explain whether the sample size in their investigation of growth was sufficient for comparisons to be made with national data
- describe how reproduction was explained before the role of cells was understood.
in terms of life processes and living things NC Programme of Study Sc2 1d, e, 2f, g, h
- identify and name the main reproductive organs and describe their functions
- describe fertilisation as the fusion of two cell nuclei
- describe egg and sperm cells
- explain how the fetus obtains the materials it needs for growth
- describe differences between the gestation periods and the independence of the young of humans and other mammals; and
- describe the menstrual cycle.
- identify and name the main reproductive organs
- describe fertilisation as the fusion of egg and sperm; and
- identify the importance of the placenta in supplying food for a developing fetus.
- explain how egg and sperm cells are specialised; and
- describe how they carry the information for development of a new life.
Suggested lesson allocation (see individual lesson planning guides)
Direct route
B1
Spot the difference / B2
A new generation / B3
Pregnancy / B4
The menstrual cycle / B5
Adolescence / B6
Pregnant pause – Think about looking at graphs
Extra lessons (not in pupil book)
B5 Investigate: Are we all the same height? / Review and assess progress (distributed appropriately)
Misconceptions
Pupils may come with an array of myths and legends about when a woman can become pregnant and ways of avoiding pregnancy.
Additional information
Teachers should make reference to their school’s sex-education policy and personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme. They will also be aware of the need for sensitivity to the personal circumstances of pupils and their families.
Citizenship: discuss the possible causes of infertility, technological solutions available and some ethical and social issues that may arise.
© Harcourt Education Ltd 2003 Catalyst 1
This worksheet may have been altered from the original on the CD-ROM.