Biology

Pre-course tasks to be completed by September

2023

• Grade 7 or above preferred in GCSE Biology or in Combined Science. (Grade 6s will be considered on an individual basis) and at least a Grade 6 in GCSE Mathematics and English.

• Consolidate work from GCSE Biology – read through the following topics, making a list of questions for concepts you are unsure of;

- Pathogens & Disease

- The Heart

- Lungs and Cystic Fibrosis

- Transport methods (Diffusion, Osmosis, Active Transport)

- Enzymes

• Read two of the books/articles below, and then write a book review (one side of A4) for the one you enjoyed the most.

Required reading

• Look at the A level Biology page on Firefly or go to https://www. sibfordschool.co.uk/sixth-form/sixth-form-curriculum/sixth-formpreparation-summer-2023.

• Familiarise yourself with the Year 12 units you will be taught next year.

Recommended reading

• Any scientific journals, (Biological Science Review, New Scientist,Nature)

• ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’

- Bill Bryson

• ‘The Selfish Gene’- Richard Dawkins

• ‘Genome’ - Matt Ridley

• ‘Diversity of Life’ - E. O. Wilson

• ‘Seven Daughters of Eve’- Bryan Sykes

• ‘Amazing Tour of the Human Anatomy’ - Robert Winston

Notes

There are three components of the Year 12 course, outlined as follows:

1. Paper 1 – ‘Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health’ (Topics 1 & 2).

2. Paper 2 – ‘Development, Plants and the Environment’ (Topics 3 & 4).

3. Core Practicals (8 core practicals in Year 12).

Each of these components provides the foundation for the topics and core practicals that follow in Year 13. The content from Topics 1-4 will be assessed during Year 12 by means of two internal exams.

There are three components of the A2 course, outlined as follows:

1. Paper 1 – ‘Lifestyle, Transport, Genes and Health’ (Topics 1-6).

2. Paper 2 – ‘Development, Plants and the Environment’ (Topics 1-4 & 7&8).

3. Paper 3 – ‘General and Practical Applications in Biology’ (Topics 1-8 plus a prereleased article 8 weeks before the exam).

4. Core Practicals (8 core practicals in A2 - 16 in total including the 8 from Year 12).

Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 are each worth 33.3% of your A2 Biology grade. These are externally assessed. The exam board for Biology is Edexcel – we follow the Salters Nuffield A syllabus.