EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Exemplar Course · PDF fileEDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme FSC Slapton Ley, ... Specification links, Core Practicals, Assessment Ski ls & Mathematics

FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL

Slapton Ley Field Centre EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme

FSC Slapton Ley, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2QP

Tel: 01548 580466 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/slapton/slaptonley.aspx

Field Studies Council is a limited Company, registered in England and Wales No. 412621 and a Charity No. 313364. Registered Office; Preston Montford, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1HW

EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Exemplar Course Programme

For teaching from September 2015

Slapton Ley Field Centre is located on the Start Bay coast in South Devon and is surrounded by Slapton Ley National

Nature Reserve. The Ley is the largest natural freshwater lake in the South West and is separated from the sea by Slapton

Sands, a barrier beach. The 214 hectare reserve has been managed by FSC Slapton Ley for over 50 years as an "outdoor

laboratory" for education and conservation, and boasts a rich mosaic of habitats including ancient and coppiced

woodland, freshwater lake and stream, shingle ridge and rocky shore. The centre offers visitors of all ages the opportunity

to experience a unique outdoor learning environment in combination with specialist teaching and facilities.

Our new courses have been designed to fit the criteria of the specifications for first teaching in 2015 and offer:

Subject content contextualized through a range of special habitats. In particular the course will cover Topic 4 Biodiversity and Natural Resources, and Topic 5, On The Wild Side.

Practical skills and use of apparatus and techniques embedded into ecological investigations using a range of laboratory and field equipment and the opportunity to complete core practical 10.

Integration of mathematical skills into investigative fieldwork and practicals.

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EDEXCEL A Biodiversity, Wild Nature and

Core Practical 10 – 5 days Day AM PM EVE

1 Arrive 1200, settle in to rooms

Welcome to Slapton, hire waterproofs etc. Biodiversity and Wild Nature: Past, Present and Future During this introductory session, students will begin to explore the habitats of Slapton Ley National Nature Reserve. Students will be encouraged to observe and appreciate ecosystems at differing scales, considering what has shaped these in the past, what ecological processes are happening now and how these ecosystems might change in the future.

Introduction to Ecology Leading on from the afternoons activities, students will have an introduction to the study of ecology including key ecology definitions and techniques. Students will set their own personal learning objectives for the course.

2 Succession on Slapton Sands Shingle Ridge: Here Today, Here Forever? Students will introduced to the theory of succession and see first-hand how succession progresses in a vegetated shingle ecosystem. Students will follow the full investigative process from design to analysis as they look at the change in plant communities in relation to changes in environmental factors such as wind speed, soil depth, soil moisture. They will identify adaptations that are common to each community and allow that community to thrive. Students will use Spearman’s Rank correlation coefficient to test their data for correlations between biotic and abiotic factors on the shingle ridge.

Looking at real-life example on Slapton Ley NNR, students will consider deflected succession and the impact of management on a climax community.

Conservation of Endangered Species Too often students consider endangered species to be a problem confined to other countries and exotic species, without realising that the UK has more than 1100 species in danger. This session considers conservation in the UK and gives students an insight into the real difficulties faced by ecologists working in the field. We will use case studies from Slapton Ley NNR to evaluate the success of different techniques e.g. in-situ conservation through habitat protection, re-introduction of species, ex-situ conservation in botanic gardens, seed banks and wildlife reserves or zoos.

3 Habitat Ecology: Rocky Shore Building on knowledge and skills already gained, students will use appropriate equipment to carry out an ecological study of the abundance and distribution of organisms in a rocky shore environment. They will discuss patterns found in relation to abiotic and biotic variables. Data analysis will include Student’s t-test and graphical representation.

Climate Change This workshop will focus on the effects of climate change on plants and animals e.g. on their distribution, development and life cycles, and the consequent effects on ecosystems. Focussing on the rocky shore environment explored in the day, students will critically evaluate the evidence for climate change and develop a broader understanding of the potential effects on the this habitat as well as the wider world.

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4 Green Energy - Photosynthesis Makes the World Go Round Energy transfer is a key principle of ecology and one that students often find difficult to understand without experiencing data collection first-hand. Students will use primary data collected in Slapton Wood Stream to construct pyramids of number, biomass and energy. They will use these to consider efficiency of energy transfer.

Distribution and Abundance: Chi – Squared Test Students will sample two microhabitats in Slapton Wood Stream, measuring the abundance of different organisms in each. Students will use this data to test if there is association between trophic level and micro-habitat using the chi-squared statistical test. They will also identify specific adaptations and consider how these enable different species to survive in a particular microhabitats.

Core practical 10 – Planning and Research Students will work on an investigation which interests them, building on the knowledge and skills they have acquired so far. They will plan the investigation, selecting the most appropriate equipment and methods, identifying the variables to be controlled and how to achieve this. They will consider safety issues, identifying hazards and assessing the risks of working in the selected habitat. FSC field teachers will support visiting staffs’ Common Practical Assessment Criteria (CPAC) assessment of their students.

5 Core Practical 10 – Data Collection and Recording Students will spend the morning carrying out the investigations that they have planned, ensuring that they collect and record data appropriately.

Course ends at 1230

Please note that to ensure safe and quality learning experiences for students, the

timetable may alter depending on weather

conditions and tide times.

Specification links, Core Practicals, Assessment Skills & Mathematics

Maths Skills: Mathematical skills now make up at least 10% of the marks at A level and this is reflected by their prominence throughout the course. Embedded into each session will be numerous opportunities for students to practice and develop their arithmetic and numerical computation, data handling, algebra, and graphical skills. Students will also have the opportunity to carry out up to three statistical tests (Spearman’s rank, student’s t-test and chi-squared) on their own primary data.

Specification Links: Topic 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.6, 4.16): Biodiversity and Natural Resources Topic 5 (5.1, 5.2, 5. 3, 5.4, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.15, 5.20): On the Wild Side

Apparatus & Technique Skills: AT1: Use appropriate apparatus to record a range of quantitative measurements AT5: Produce scientific drawing from observation with annotations AT8: Safely and ethically use organisms to measure plant or animal responses AT11: Use sampling techniques in fieldwork AT12: Use ICT such as computer modelling, or data logger to collect data, or use software to process data

Exam Skills: We recognise that students often struggle with exam questions on ecology topics. Students often find it difficult to transfer knowledge and skills learnt in one habitat to a scenario based in another. Our tutors will ensure students recognise the key ecological principles which will form the basis of exam answers no matter what context they are set in. Embedded into every day will be opportunities to practice exam style questions and get expert feedback on their responses.







What is included in the fee?

Up to 9 hours of tuition a day

Expert tuition, from fully trained staff Full board accommodation. Catering includes cooked breakfast, packed lunch, homemade cakes and evening

meal. Use of facilities including workrooms, recreational space, ICT and centre grounds

Established health and safety procedures and 24 hour emergency cover

Access to specialist equipment and resources Support before and following the course

Tuition is delivered by talented teachers, with not only an expert knowledge of their subject and field work

locations, but a passion for the subject being taught. Our education team are fully DBS checked, and undergo

a regular and rigorous training process. All tutors have received training in first aid, risk assessment and

water safety.

Course options are flexible. The programme outlined in this booklet is a sample that has been designed to

meet the requirements of your specification. However, should you wish to select certain options, or include

subject content or practicals not catered for in fieldwork investigations outlined, please contact us to discuss

possible alternatives.

External Recognition of Quality

Slapton Ley Field Centre has been awarded the Quality Badge by The Council for Learning

Outside the Classroom. The badge is awarded to organisations that have demonstrated

that they consistently deliver high quality teaching and learning experiences and manage

risk effectively. This means that you will have to complete less paperwork when visiting our

centre.

To make a booking or if you have an enquiry:

Call us on 01548 580466

Email us at [email protected]


Documents

EDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Exemplar Course · PDF fileEDEXCEL A A-Level Biology Course Programme FSC Slapton Ley, ... Specification links, Core Practicals, Assessment Ski ls & Mathematics