Exploring Life: The Interconnectedness of Plants and Animals

Prompt

Syravith Eilers 202200726 Main Theme: Life Processes in Plants and Animals Grade: 11 Subject: Life Sciences TOPIC CONTENT AREAS SPECIFIC AIMS WEIGHTING TIME ALLOCATION (HOURS) SPS INVESTIGATION/PRACTICAL 1. Energy transformation to sustain life: Photosynthesis Process: Intake of raw materials, energy trapping, food formation in chloroplasts, oxygen release (mention light and dark phases only). Importance: Provides oxygen, removes carbon dioxide, produces food (stores energy). Factors affecting rate: Light, CO₂, and temperature (brief discussion with graphs). Agricultural application: CO₂ enrichment, optimum light and temperature to boost crop yields (linked to environmental issues). ATP: Main energy carrier in cells. Specific Aim 1: Knowing Life Sciences 18% 12 Observation, Data analysis, and Experimentation • Starch Production - Show that starch is produced during photosynthesis. • Need for Light - Demonstrate that light is essential for photosynthesis. • Need for Carbon Dioxide - Show that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis. • Importance of Chlorophyll - Illustrate that chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis. • Oxygen Production - Demonstrate that oxygen is produced during photosynthesis. • Data Interpretation - Analyze provided data on photosynthesis effects. 2. Animal Nutrition Dentition: Differences in teeth for herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores (linked to food chains). Alimentary Canal: Structure and function of digestive organs. Processes: Ingestion, mechanical and chemical digestion (enzymes), absorption (small intestine and villi), assimilation (nutrient use and liver function), and egestion. Homeostasis: Hormonal control of blood sugar; brief explanation of diabetes. Food, Energy, Growth, Health: Relationship between food intake and body needs. Balanced Diet: Importance and how needs vary with age, gender, and activity level. Different Diets: Cultural, religious, personal, and health-related diets (e.g., vegan, halaal, kosher). Food Labels: How to interpret dietary information on packaging. Dietary Supplements: Use for health, sports, beauty, and ageing (linked to nutrients). Malnutrition: Causes and effects (e.g., kwashiorkor, marasmus, anorexia, bulimia, food allergies, coronary heart disease, diabetes, obesity). Popular Media: Analysis of malnutrition information from media sources. Tooth Decay: Link between diet, fluoride in water, and dental health. Substance Abuse: Effects and dangers of alcohol and drug misuse. Specific Aim 1: Knowing subject content Specific aim 3: Appreciating and Understanding History, Importance and Applications of Life sciences in society 18% 12 Observation, Data analysis, and Experimentation. • Obtain intestines of a sheep from a butcher. • Trace the passage that food would take through the intestines. • Cut open the stomach, a section of the small intestine, and a section of the large intestine. • Compare the structure of the wall in each part. • Calculate the nutritional value of a meal or diet. • Use information from dietary tables or food packaging labels. 3. Energy transformations: Respiration Aerobic respiration: Happens in cytoplasm and mitochondria (mention glycolysis, Krebs cycle, oxidative phosphorylation using words and symbols, no details needed). Anaerobic respiration: Produces lactic acid during exercise (use words and symbols, no details needed). Industrial use: Anaerobic respiration used in beer brewing and bread making. Aerobic respiration: Uses oxygen; produces carbon dioxide, water, and a large amount of energy (ATP). Anaerobic respiration: No oxygen used; produces lactic acid (in animals) or alcohol (in yeast) and a small amount of energy. Specific Aim 1: Knowing subject content Specific aim 3: Appreciating and Understanding History, Importance and Applications of Life sciences in society 10% 6 Hypothesis formulation, Experimentation Purpose: Demonstrate oxygen use and carbon dioxide production during respiration. Steps: ➔Set up an experiment (e.g., using snails or seedlings). ➔ Control variables (temperature, light, time). ➔ Measure and record oxygen and carbon dioxide changes. ➔ Analyze and interpret data. 4. Gas Exchange Differences: ➔ Cellular Respiration: Energy production within cells. ➔ Breathing: Physical process of inhaling and exhaling air. ➔ Gas Exchange: Movement of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between the environment and cells. Need for Gas Exchange: ➔ Essential for oxygen intake and carbon dioxide removal. Requirements for Efficient Gas Exchange: ➔ Large surface area, thin, moist, well-ventilated, protected, and with a transport system. ➔ Met in different ways by various organisms (e.g., aquatic vs. terrestrial animals/plants). Examples of Gas Exchange Adaptations: ➔ Dicotyledonous plants: Stomata, large surface area. ➔ Earthworm: Moist skin for gas exchange. ➔ Insects: Spiracles and tracheae. ➔ Bony fish: Gills with large surface area. ➔ Mammals: Lungs with alveoli. Human Gas Exchange: ➔ Structure and functioning of the ventilation system: ➔ Trachea, Epiglottis, Bronchi, Bronchioles - adaptations for efficient breathing and gas exchange. Ventilation: ➔ Gaseous exchange in alveoli (O₂ in, CO₂ out). ➔ Transport of gases around the body via blood. ➔ Gaseous exchange in tissues (O₂ to cells, CO₂ to blood). ➔ Inspired vs. Expired Air: Differences in composition (O₂ and CO₂ levels). ➔ Homeostasis: Regulation of breathing. Diseases and Abnormalities: ➔ TB (Tuberculosis): Causes, symptoms, treatment (linked to biodiversity and microorganisms). ➔ Other respiratory diseases: Asthma, hay fever, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer. ➔ Effects of smoking on gas exchange and related diseases. ➔ Smoking legislation in South Africa. Other Topics: ➔ Artificial respiration: Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. ➔ Altitude effects on gas exchange (athlete performance in different cities). Specific Aim 1: Knowing subject content Specific aim 3: Appreciating and Understanding History, Importance and Applications of Life sciences in society 15% 10 Observation, data analysis. • Use books to model and calculate how different shapes affect surface area to volume ratio (e.g., flatworm vs earthworm). • Observe and investigate lungs, diaphragm, blood vessels, and heart of a pig or sheep. • Build a model of the human breathing system and explain its limitations. • Demonstrate that expired air contains carbon dioxide. 5. Excretion Excretion in Organs: ➔ Lungs: Excrete CO₂ ➔ Kidneys/Bladder: Excrete urea, excess water, and salts ➔ Liver: Excretes bile pigments ➔ Alimentary Canal: Excretes undigested food ➔ Skin: Excretes sweat (water, salts) Urinary System: ➔ Organs: Kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra ➔ Kidney Function: Removal of waste (urea, excess water/salts), reabsorption of glucose and salts ➔ Nephron: Ultrafiltration, reabsorption, excretion, pH control, urine formation Homeostatic Control: ➔ ADH and aldosterone regulate water/salt balance ➔ Dialysis and kidney transplants for kidney failure Kidney Diseases: ➔ Kidney stones, kidney failure (painkillers), bilharzia Specific Aim 1: Knowing subject content Specific aim 3: Appreciating and Understanding History, Importance and Applications of Life sciences in society 15% 10 Data analysis, Interpretation of data. Identify Structures: ➔ Capsule ➔ Cortex ➔ Medulla ➔ Pyramids ➔ Blood vessels ➔ Pelvis ➔ Ureter ➔ Hilum Activity: Draw and label the dissected kidney.   TOPIC HORIZONTAL PROGRESSION VERTICAL PROGRESSION 1. Energy transformation to sustain life: Photosynthesis • Relating the capture of light energy to the use of energy in the production of glucose, highlighting the flow of energy in biological systems. • How chlorophyll captures light energy and its importance in photosynthesis links to the broader concept of plant adaptations for energy capture. • Examining how different environmental factors (light intensity, carbon dioxide levels, temperature) influence the rate of photosynthesis connects to plant growth and survival strategies. • There’s a connection between photosynthesis and cellular respiration, how energy from glucose produced during photosynthesis is utilized by plants and other organisms through respiration. • In-depth exploration of the two stages of photosynthesis, mechanisms, and chemical equations involved, enabling a comprehensive understanding of energy transformation. • Emphasis also on experimental investigations, enhancing students’ practical skills and critical thinking regarding scientific processes. 2. Animal Nutrition • Connection to food chains and energy relationships in ecosystems, showing the impacts of dietary habits on energy flow. • Making links between the structure of the digestive system and the functions of its components. • Investigating enzymes allows students to see the biochemical aspects related to digestion and absorption. • The concept of hormonal regulation of blood sugar levels connects to broader discussions about body systems and health. • Students develop critical thinking about how lifestyle choices affect health and the environment. • There’s a detailed exploration of dentition differences, human anatomy, and complex digestive processes. Emphasis on linking nutrition, physiology, and ecology. 3. Energy transformations: Respiration • Exploring the energy yield (ATP production) of both types of cellular respiration and how they relate to various organisms and environments. • Linking cellular structures to functions, such as how the inner mitochondrial membrane is adapted for electron transport and ATP production. • Understanding how substrates (glucose) are transformed through these pathways and the significance of each step. • Connecting the processes of respiration and photosynthesis, illustrating how products of photosynthesis (glucose and oxygen) serve as reactants for cellular respiration. • It also plays a role in energy flow for living organisms. • Comprehensive examination of aerobic and anaerobic respiration processes, detailed biochemical pathways, and the role of mitochondria. • Emphasis on experiments measuring respiration rates in various organisms and conditions. 4. Gas Exchange • Comparison of gas exchange processes across types of animals, such as insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. • Linking the gas exchange structure to the function – how the design of these structures facilitates efficient gas exchange. • Investigating the role of respiratory pigments such as hemoglobin in humans and myoglobin in muscles, including how they transport oxygen and carbon dioxide. • Analyzing how factors such as temperature, pH, and concentration gradients affect gas exchange. • In-depth exploration of gas exchange mechanisms and structures, including the details of human respiratory physiology and adaptations in various species. • Emphasis on practical investigations related to measuring breathing rates and gas exchange efficiency under different conditions. 5. Excretion • Comparison of excretion mechanisms across different organisms, such as mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates. • Analyzing the role of nephron as the functional unit of the kidney in filtration, reabsorption, and secretion processes. • Understanding hormonal regulation and its effects on kidney function and urine concentration. • Discussing adaptations that enhance excretion efficiency in response to environmental challenges. • In-depth study of the human excretory system, focusing on the structure and function of the kidneys and nephron activities, as well as the processes involved in excretion and homeostasis. • Practical investigations related to urine composition, kidney function, and response to hydration status. Make a poster where in a table form only one content area is summarised for each topic with the weighting and than put the practical, investigations under each under summarised in bullet form. Put the specific aims summarised in a block and then also the horizontal and vertical progressions in a bubble with pictures that will capture the learners' attention.

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