Biology - Xian Liangjiatan International School

MYP4

Unit 1: Cells

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Systems

Related Concept(s)

Models
Form
Function

Global Context

Personal and cultural expression: the ways we discover and express ideas

Statement of Inquiry

Modelling alows the specific forms and specialized functions that cells exhibit to be expressed.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion A

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
SM (A) – Keep an organized and logical system of information files/notebooks.
C (C) – Give and receive meaningful feedback.
SM (A) – Use appropriate strategies for organizing complex information.

Curriculum Standards

The cell theory states that:
• living organisms are composed of cells
• the cell is the smallest unit of life
• cells come from pre-existing cells. Microscopy has contributed to our knowledge of living things.
All cells can be classified as eukaryotic or prokaryotic, each having distinct properties.
Plant, animal and bacteria cells have similarities and differences in terms of structure and function.
Cells contain different structures and organelles with specialized functions including:
• nucleus
• cell membrane
• cell wall
• chloroplast
• vacuole
• mitochondria
• cytoplasm
• ribosomes.
Eukaryotic cells have a common set of organelles, many of which are similar to those in prokaryotic cells.
Cells may be specialized for specific functions (for example, leaf cell, root hair cell, sperm cell, red blood cell).
Many organisms are unicellular (for example, bacteria, yeast, algae). In these unicellular organisms, one cell must carry out all of the basic functions of life.
The cell membrane regulates the flow of substances into and out of the cell.
The surface area of the cell limits the amount of substances that can flow into and out of the cell.
The transport of substances into and out of cells during diffusion and osmosis is based on a concentration gradient.
Models help us to understand complex biological structures.

Unit 2（4）: DNA and Heredity

Duration

10 hours

Key Concept

Relationships

Related Concept(s)

Models
Structure
Function

Global Context

Identities and relationships: identity

Statement of Inquiry

Models can be used to represent the structural and functional relationship between DNA and inherited traits.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion D

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Develop contrary or opposing arguments.
SM (O) – Use appropriate strategies for organizing complex information.
C (C) – Read critically and for comprehension.
R (ML) – Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sources.
C – Read a variety of sources for information and for pleasure.

Curriculum Standards

Outline that DNA is composed of a double helix.
Describe that each helix is made up of units called nucleotides.
State that there are four different nucleotides.
State that DNA profiling or fingerprinting produces a pattern unique to an individual that can be used for purposes of identification.
State that the pattern of nucleotides can be altered by genetic modification.
Describe the function of DNA as a template for the production of proteins that determine the structure and function of an organism through protein synthesis.

Unit 3: Enzymes

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Change

Related Concept(s)

Consequence
Interaction

Global Context

Scientific and technical innovation: the interaction between people and the natural world

Statement of Inquiry

Scientists use life processes that are the consequence of interactions between molecules to create a variety of everyday products.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion B
Criterion C

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
C (C) – Take effective notes in class.
SM (O) – Set goals that are challenging and realistic.
R (IL) – Use memory techniques to develop long-term memory.

Curriculum Standards

Describe enzymes as catalysts that increase the rate of biological reactions to make them useful.
State that enzymes form enzyme-substrate complexes when the substrate attaches to the active site.
Describe this attachment as the Lock and Key Hypothesis.
State that this catalysis the reaction and that the enzyme is subsequently released unaltered.
List the factors that can affect enzyme activity, including the effect of concentration of enzyme or substrate, pH, and temperature.
Name three enzymes and their substrates.
Describe one industrial use of enzymes, such as fruit juice production or the production of biological washing powder.

Unit 4:Homeostasis

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Systems

Related Concept(s)

Balance
Interaction

Global Context

Personal and cultural expression: the ways in which we discover and express ideas

Statement of Inquiry

Balance in complex organisms requires effective interaction between systems to regulate internal conditions based on feedback.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion A
Criterion B

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Interpret data
SM (O) – Understand and use sensory learning preferences (learning styles).
SM (A) – Practice ‘failing well’
C (C) – Make effective summary notes for studying.

Curriculum Standards

Understand the need to regulate the internal environment.
Describe and explain the equilibrium, detection, and restoration of body temperature, water content of the body, and levels of blood sugar.

Unit 5:Ecology

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Systems

Related Concept(s)

Interaction
Environment
Energy

Global Context

Scientific and technical innovation: the natural world and its laws

Statement of Inquiry

Organisms interact with the natural environment by transferring matter and energy.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion B
Criterion C

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Identify trends and forecast possibilities.
S (C) – Give and receive meaningful feedback.
C (C) – Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
SM (O) – Select and use technology effectively and productively.
SM (O) – Select and use technology effectively and productively.
R (IL) – Access information to be informed and inform others

Curriculum Standards

Explore the interdependence of and interaction between populations.
Analyze limiting factors and growth curves in ecosystems.
Study patterns of succession in ecosystems.
Understand the effects of natural events and human activities on ecosystems and our responsibility in managing these effects.

Unit 6: Biodiversity

Duration

10 hours

Key Concept

Relationships

Related Concept(s)

Consequence,
Interactions
Balance
Systems

Global Context

Globalization and sustainability: the impact of decision-making on humankind and the environment

Statement of Inquiry

Human decision-making impacts upon the effective interactions required within ecosystems to maintain biodiversity.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion D

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) –
C (C) –
SM (A) –
R (ML) –

Curriculum Standards

Define biodiversity and its significance in ecosystems.
Explore adaptation strategies of organisms to different environments.
Analyze ecological niches and the roles they play in maintaining biodiversity.
Investigate the impact of human activities on biodiversity, including hunting, habitat destruction, and invasive species.
Discuss sustainability practices aimed at preserving biodiversity.

MYP5

Unit 1: Biochemistry

Duration

20 hours

Key Concept

Relationships

Related Concept(s)

Balance
Energy

Global Context

Identities and relationships: physical health

Statement of Inquiry

A healthy body can be maintained when there is a balance between energy consumed and energy used.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion B
Criterion C

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Evaluate evidence and arguments.
T – Gather and organize relevant information to formulate an argument.
T (CT) – Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes.
S (C) – Give and receive meaningful feedback
R (IL) – Collect, record and verify data.
R (ML) – Compare, contrast and draw connections among (multi)media resources.

Curriculum Standards

Energy content of food: bomb calorimeter
Balanced diet
Macromolecules: monomers and polymers
Carbohydrates and their functions
Fats and their functions
Proteins and their functions
Adverse effects of malnutrition

Unit 2: Reproduction

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Systems

Related Concept(s)

Form
Function

Global Context

Scientific and technical innovation: the natural world and its laws

Statement of Inquiry

Systems of reproduction in the natural world have a variety of different forms but support the same function.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion A
Criterion D

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Practise visible thinking strategies and techniques.
C (C) – Take effective notes in class.
SM (O) – Create plans to prepare for summative assessments.
R (IL) – Access information to be informed and inform others.

Curriculum Standards

Describe a life cycle involving sexual reproduction using the examples of a human and a flowering plant.
Describe a life cycle involving both asexual and sexual reproductionfor example, an aphid or coral.
Describe the structure of an insect-pollinated flower.
Describe the process of pollination, fertilization, seed and fruit formation and dispersal.
Label a diagram of the human male and female reproductive organs.
Describe the mechanism of fertilization, copulation, gestation and lactation.

Unit 3: Genetics

Duration

15 hours

Key Concept

Systems

Related Concept(s)

Transformation
Patterns

Global Context

Orientation in space and time: the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations from personal, local, and global perspectives

Statement of Inquiry

The transformation of genetic material into inherited traits connects individuals through patterns of inheritance.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion A
Criterion C

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Practise flexible thinking—develop multiple opposing, contradictory and complementary arguments.
SM (O) – Use appropriate strategies for organizing complex information
S (C) – Listen actively to other perspectives and ideas.
R (IL) – Access information to be informed and inform others.
R (ML) – Seek a range of perspectives from multiple and varied sourcesS (C) – Advocate for one’s own rights and needs.

Curriculum Standards

Genetic information is contained in DNA.
Chromosomes are structures of supercoiled DNA found within cells.
Mitosis leads to the production of cells where the number of chromosomes is maintained.
The relationship between mitosis and meiosis and reproduction
Meiosis leads to the production of sex cells where the number of chromosomes is halved.
Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of mitosis and meiosis.
Traits are characteristics that are passed from parent to offspring.
Genes are sections of DNA that give instructions specifying the traits of an organism.
Genes are inherited.
Genes are located at a specific position on a chromosome called a locus.
Alleles are specific forms of genes. They occur in pairs of alternative forms of genes on the same chromosome and control one trait.
Alleles occur in pairs. Homozygous pairs have two identical alleles of a gene. Heterozygous pairs have two different alleles of a gene.
Variation occurs in DNA and this leads to different traits.
Variation may be continuous where traits fall into discrete categories (for example, blood groups).
Variation may be discontinuous where there is a range of traits from one extreme to another.
Human chromosomes occur in pairs.
Homologous chromosomes are pairs of chromosomes with genes for the same characteristics, inherited from both parents.
DNA mutations may be beneficial or harmful but most are harmless.
The genotypes and phenotypes of offspring can be determined using a Punnett square.
Construct and use the monohybrid cross to make predictions on genotypes and phenotypes.

Unit 4 : Evolution

Duration

10 hours

Key Concept

Change

Related Concept(s)

Consequences
Balance

Global Context

Fairness and
development: access to equal opportunities

Statement of Inquiry

Population change is a consequence of the unbalanced opportunities provided by natural selection.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion A

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Practise flexible thinking—develop multiple opposing, contradictory and com
T (CT) – Gather and organize relevant information to formulate an argument.
R (IL) – Access information to be informed and inform others.
R (ML) – Access information to be informed and inform others.
C (C) – Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
T (CT) – Revise understanding based on new information and evidence.
R (IL) – Make connections between various sources of information.
C (C) – Make inferences and draw conclusions

Curriculum Standards

Evolution is the change in the inheritable characteristics of a population over time.
When gene frequencies change within a population over time, evolution is occurring.
Artificial selection (selective breeding) is the process of breeding organisms for desired characteristics (for example, dog breeds, wheat, Brassica oleracea)
Artificial selection provides a model to help understand natural selection.
Species evolve over time to adapt to environmental circumstances.
Species that are well adapted to their environment evolve less (for example, species in the order Crocodylia, Ginkgo biloba)
Species that are not well adapted to their environment may become extinct（for example, dodo (Raphus cucullatus), woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius).
Adaptations are characteristics that arise because of natural selection（for example, peppered moths (Biston betularia) adapted a change in colour due pollution during the industrial revolution in England.
Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
• Species compete to gain maximal access to resources.
• Variation occurs naturally in the population of a species due to variations in genes.
• Individual organisms with characteristics best suited to the environment will survive and reproduce.
• The genes of successful individuals will be passed on to future generations.
Mutation, migration and genetic drift also drive evolution.
Evidence for evolution comes from fossil records (modern horse, Equus ferus caballus).
Evidence for evolution comes from homologous structures (for example, mammalian forelimbs).
Evolutionary relationships between species can be shown using branching evolutionary diagrams.

Unit 5 :Bio-technology

Duration

10 hours

Key Concept

Change

Related Concept(s)

Function
Transformation

Global Context

Fairness and development: access to equal opportunities

Statement of Inquiry

Scientific and technological advances enable societies to use,control and transform the function of organisms and biological molecules.

Summative Assessment Criteria

Criterion B
Criterion D

ATLs (Skills)

T (CT) – Evaluate evidence and arguments.
T (CT) – Formulate factual, topical, conceptual and debatable questions.
SM (R) – Consider ethical, cultural and environmental implications.
C (C) – Negotiate ideas and knowledge with peers and teachers.
R (IL) – Collect and analyse data to identify solutions and make informed decisions.
T (CT) – Creative thinking Consider multiple alternatives, including those that might be unlikely or impossible.”
T (CT) – Revise understanding based on new information and evidence.
R (IL) – Make connections between various sources of information.
C (C) – Make inferences and draw conclusions

Curriculum Standards

Biotechnology uses cellular and biomolecular processes to solve problems and create products.
Biotechnology can use organisms to make useful food products (for example, yeast to make bread, bacteria to make yoghurt).
Biotechnology can use organisms to produce fuels and other chemicals and to treat wastes.
Biotechnology can use enzymes to allow reactions to occur more quickly (for example, proteases and lipases in biological detergents; pectinase to convert pectin polysaccharides to clarify fruit juice).
Selective breeding is the process of breeding organisms for desired characteristics (for example, disease resistance in wheat, increasing milk yields in cattle herds).
Genetic engineering is faster and more precise than selective breeding.
Genetic engineering is the transfer of genes for a desired characteristic from one organism into another (for example, transferring the beta-carotene production trait from carrots to ‘golden rice’ so that humans can convert beta carotene to vitamin A; production of synthetic human insulin using genetically modified bacteria).
Genetic engineering involves selecting a desired trait and isolating the genes that control the trait. The genes are then inserted into the genetic material of another organism and the genetically modified organism replicates.
Genetic engineering has both potential benefits and risks of potential harmful effects.
A DNA profile contains information to help identify a person.
Clones are genetically identical individuals.
Cloning can occur naturally (for example, asexual reproduction in potato plants; twins) or artificially.
Artificial cloning involves copying desired DNA fragments, cells or organisms.
Stem cells are found in all organisms, are the only cells that can divide through mitosis, are not specialized but can specialize to become any type of cell function.
Stem cells can be used in medical therapies (for example, bone marrow transplantation; other therapies at the research stage, such as those treating Parkinson’s disease and spinal cord injury).

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