Biology Stage 6 Syllabus from Nsw Education Standards Authority

NSW Syllabus for the Australian Curriculum

NSW
EDUCATION
STANDARDS
AUTHORITY
Biology
Stage 6
Syllabus

Syllabus Updates

Original published version updated:
March 2017 - NESA Official Notice 30 March 2017 (NESA 18/17)
June 2017 - NESA Official Notice 22 June 2017 (NESA 23/17)
September 2017 - NESA Official Notice 14 September 2017 (NESA 36/17)
January 2018 - NESA Official Notice 29 January 2018 (NESA 1/18)

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DSSP-27616
D2016/58510

Contents

Introduction
4
Biology Key
7
Rationale
10
The Place of the Biology Stage 6 Syllabus in the K-12 Curriculum
11
Aim
12
Objectives
13
Outcomes
14
Year 11 Course Structure and Requirements
16
Year 12 Course Structure and Requirements
17
Assessment and Reporting
18
Content
19
Biology Year 11 Course Content
32
Biology Year 12 Course Content
44
Glossary
.....
......
59

Introduction

Stage 6 Curriculum Overview

NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Stage 6 syllabuses have been developed to provide
students with opportunities to further develop skills which will assist in the next stage of their lives.
The purpose of Stage 6 syllabuses is to:

• develop a solid foundation of literacy and numeracy
• provide a curriculum structure which encourages students to complete secondary education at
  their highest possible level
• foster the intellectual, creative, ethical and social development of students, in particular relating to:
  • application of knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes in the fields of study they
    choose
  • capacity to manage their own learning and to become flexible, independent thinkers, problem-
    solvers and decision-makers
  • –
    capacity to work collaboratively with others
  • –
    respect for the cultural diversity of Australian society
  • desire to continue learning in formal or informal settings after school
• provide a flexible structure within which students can meet the challenges of and prepare for:
  • further academic study, vocational training and employment
  • –
  • changing workplaces, including an increasingly STEM-focused (Science, Technology,
    Engineering and Mathematics) workforce
  • full and active participation as global citizens
• provide formal assessment and certification of students' achievements
• promote the development of students' values, identity and self-respect.

Syllabus Principles and Standards

The Stage 6 syllabuses reflect the principles of the NESA K-10 Curriculum Framework and
Statement of Equity Principles, the reforms of the NSW Government Stronger HSC Standards (2016),
and nationally agreed educational goals. These syllabuses build on the continuum of learning
developed in the K-10 syllabuses.
The syllabuses provide a set of broad learning outcomes that summarise the knowledge,
understanding, skills, values and attitudes important for students to succeed in and beyond their
schooling. In particular, the attainment of skills in literacy and numeracy needed for further study,
employment and active participation in society are provided in the syllabuses in alignment with the
Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF).
The Stage 6 syllabuses include the content of the Australian curriculum and additional descriptions
that clarify the scope and depth of learning in each subject.
NESA syllabuses support a standards-referenced approach to assessment by detailing the important
knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes students will develop and outlining clear
standards of what students are expected to know and be able to do. The syllabuses take into account
the diverse needs of all students and provide structures and processes by which teachers can provide
continuity of study for all students.
Biology Stage 6 Syllabus
4

Diversity of Learners

NSW Stage 6 syllabuses are inclusive of the learning needs of all students. Syllabuses accommodate
teaching approaches that support student diversity, including students with special education needs,
gifted and talented students, and students learning English as an additional language or dialect
(EAL/D). Students may have more than one learning need.

Students with Special Education Needs

All students are entitled to participate in and progress through the curriculum. Schools are required to
provide additional support or adjustments to teaching, learning and assessment activities for some
students with special education needs. Adjustments are measures or actions taken in relation to
teaching, learning and assessment that enable a student with special education needs to access
syllabus outcomes and content, and demonstrate achievement of outcomes.
Students with special education needs can access the outcomes and content from Stage 6 syllabuses
in a range of ways. Students may engage with:

• Stage 6 syllabus outcomes and content with adjustments to teaching, learning and/or assessment
  activities; or
• selected Stage 6 Life Skills outcomes and content from one or more Stage 6 Life Skills
  syllabuses.

Decisions regarding curriculum options, including adjustments, should be made in the context of
collaborative curriculum planning with the student, parent/carer and other significant individuals to
ensure that decisions are appropriate for the learning needs and priorities of individual students.
The Science Life Skills Stage 6 Syllabus has been developed from the rationale, aim and objectives
of the Investigating Science Stage 6 Syllabus.
Further information can be found in support materials for:

• Biology
• ●
  Special education needs
• Life Skills.

Gifted and Talented Students

Gifted students have specific learning needs that may require adjustments to the pace, level and
content of the curriculum. Differentiated educational opportunities assist in meeting the needs of gifted
students.
Generally, gifted students demonstrate the following characteristics:

• the capacity to learn at faster rates
  . the capacity to find and solve problems
• the capacity to make connections and manipulate abstract ideas.

There are different kinds and levels of giftedness. Gifted and talented students may also possess
learning difficulties and/or disabilities that should be addressed when planning appropriate teaching,
learning and assessment activities.
Biology Stage 6 Syllabus
5

Curriculum Strategies for Gifted and Talented Students

Curriculum strategies for gifted and talented students may include:

• ●
  differentiation: modifying the pace, level and content of teaching, learning and assessment
  activities
• acceleration: promoting a student to a level of study beyond their age group
• curriculum compacting: assessing a student's current level of learning and addressing aspects of
  the curriculum that have not yet been mastered.

School decisions about appropriate strategies are generally collaborative and involve teachers,
parents and students with reference to documents and advice available from NESA and the education
sectors.
Gifted and talented students may also benefit from individual planning to determine the curriculum
options, as well as teaching, learning and assessment strategies, most suited to their needs and
abilities.

Students Learning English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D)

Many students in Australian schools are learning English as an additional language or dialect
(EAL/D). EAL/D students are those whose first language is a language or dialect other than Standard
Australian English and who require additional support to assist them to develop English language
proficiency.
EAL/D students come from diverse backgrounds and may include:

• overseas and Australian-born students whose first language is a language other than English,
  including creoles and related varieties
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students whose first language is Aboriginal English, including
  Kriol and related varieties.

EAL/D students enter Australian schools at different ages and stages of schooling and at different
stages of English language learning. They have diverse talents and capabilities and a range of prior
learning experiences and levels of literacy in their first language and in English. EAL/D students
represent a significant and growing percentage of learners in NSW schools. For some, school is the
only place they use Standard Australian English.
EAL/D students are simultaneously learning a new language and the knowledge, understanding and
skills of the Biology Stage 6 Syllabus through that new language. They may require additional
support, along with informed teaching that explicitly addresses their language needs.
The ESL Scales and the English as an Additional Language or Dialect: Teacher Resource provide
information about the English language development phases of EAL/D students. These materials and
other resources can be used to support the specific needs of English language learners and to assist
students to access syllabus outcomes and content.
Biology Stage 6 Syllabus
6