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ISI INSPECTION REPORT - 2018
AS Course Outline
Why study Biology?
AS Biology will give you an exciting insight into the contemporary world of biology. It covers the key concepts of biology and the development of practical skills are integrated throughout the course. Theoretical knowledge and the focus on current practical techniques will support your development as a future scientist.
You will recognise a great deal of GCSE science in AS Biology, but the course concentrates more on the workings of the body's natural building-blocks: the cells. It explores how the whole body is a complex set of interacting cells and that the workings of the cells are driven by the activity of molecules inside them.
The OCR AS specification gives you the opportunity to explore these and other issues, beginning as it does with a study of the lives of microscopic cells and the implications of disease, before moving on to a review of living biodiversity in all its brilliance.
What skills will students develop when studying Biology?
Biology is supported by experimental work. Students learn to collect reliable data and learn to regard data (whether collected themselves or not) with a critical eye. Students are encouraged to search for patterns in what they see, and to recognise anomalies.
As well as developing numerical skills, Biology is a subject that demands good literary skills too. Students develop ways of articulating complex ideas in prose concisely and without ambiguity. The skills acquired by studying Biology would be of great benefit in a variety of careers: teaching, journalism, finance, law, and many more.
What are the challenges of the course?
Biology (OCR) AS Specification | |||
Content Overview | Assessment Overview | ||
Module 1 - Development of Practical skills. Module 2 - Foundations in Biology Module 3 - Exchange and Transport Module 4 - Biodiversity, evolution and disease *BOTH EXAM COMPONENTS ASSESS CONTENT FROM ALL FOUR MODULES. |
Component 1* Breadth in Biology 1 hour 30 min 50% |
Assessed in May and June | |
Component 2* Depth in Biology 1 hour 30 min 50% |
Assessed in May and June |
Structure of the Course
This course will be taught for 5x 1hour lessons per week. Homework will be set twice weekly and deadlines must be adhered to. On some weeks one of the lessons will be used for practical work. Mock exams take place each month, in addition to formative weekly tests. You must be prepared to read around the topics studied in class.
Core Textbook
Suggested reading prior to the course
Further Reading |
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