Biology | Year 12-13

Specification

https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/biology/a-level/biology-7402/specification/specification-at-a-glance

Intent

Biology A-level will give you the skills to make connections and associations with all living things around you. Biology literally means the study of life and if that’s not important, what is? Being such a broad topic, you’re bound to find a specific area of interest, plus it opens the door to a fantastic range of interesting careers.

Implementation

A-level Biology lasts two years, with exams at the end of the second year.

Biology, like all sciences, is a practical subject. Throughout the course you will carry out practical activities including:

using microscopes to see cell division
dissection of animal or plant systems
aseptic technique to study microbial growth
investigating activity within cells
investigating animal behaviors
investigating distributions of species in the environment.

These practicals will give you the skills and confidence needed to investigate the way living things behave and work. It will also ensure that if you choose to study a Biology-based subject at university, you’ll have the practical skills needed to carry out successful experiments in your degree.

There is no coursework on this course. However, your performance during practicals will be assessed. There are three exams at the end of the two years for A-level, all of which are two hours long. At least 15% of the marks for A-level Biology are based on what you learned in your practicals.

Impact

During key stage 5 students will learn how the subject content in biology is relevant to the real world. Biology is an experimental subject and so there will be numerous opportunities to carry out practical work, which will help students link the theory to reality as well as equip them with the essential practical skills they need. A level biology will help to prepare students for future study, in areas such as physiotherapy, medicine & nutrition.

What will I learn on this course

Year 12

Biological molecules
Nucleic acids
Cell structure
Transport across cell membranes
Cell recognition and the immune system
Exchange
Mass transport
DNA, genes and protein synthesis
Genetic diversity
Biodiversity
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Energy and ecosystems

Year 13

Response to stimuli
Nervous coordination and muscles
Homeostasis
Inherited change
Populations and evolution
Populations in ecosystems
Gene expression
Recombinant DNA technology

Assessments, Interventions and Support

You will complete frequent assessments throughout the two years, at the end of most topics and also mock exams in November/December and in the summer. You will only complete external exams at the end of year 13. Your teacher will be there to support and will put measures in place to aid your learning and ensure that you are making the right amount of progress.

Independent Study

You will be expected to take control of your own learning and read outside of lesson time. To succeed in this A-Level, you must

Complete practice papers and questions

Revise and review each topic regularly throughout the course
Complete all homework set – this will be practice questions on the topic
Seek teachers out to clarify any misunderstandings or to help you solve problems

Summer tasks to help prepare for the course

Scientific vocabulary; SI units and prefixes; Units; Converting units; Investigating enzymes; Mean, media, mode and scatter graphs; Data in tables; Analysing complex graphs; Extended writing; Cell structure and magnification; Cell division; Transport across cell membranes; Digestion and food tests; Circulatory system and gas exchange; DNA and genetics; Monoclonal antibodies.

Paper 1

Any content from topics 1– 4, including relevant practical skills Assessed
Written exam: 2 hours
91 marks / 35% of A-level Questions
A mixture of short & long answer questions + 15 mark extended answer

Paper 2

Any content from topics 5-8, including relevant practical skills Assessed
Written exam: 2 hours
91 marks / 35% of A-level
A mixture of short & long answer questions + 15 mark comprehension answer

Paper 3

Any content from topics 1-8, including relevant practical skills Assessed
Written exam: 2 hours
78 marks / 30% of A-level
Structured questions, including practical techniques + 15 mark critical analysis of experimental data + 25 mark essay (choice of 2 essay titles)