edexcel b: a-level biology course options · edexcel b a-level biology course programmes fsc...

FIELD STUDIES COUNCIL

Flatford Mill Field Centre EDEXCEL B A-Level Biology Course Programmes

FSC Flatford Mill. East Bergholt, Suffolk CO7 6UL Tel: 01206 297110 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.field-studies-council.org/centres/flatfordmill.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 B: A-Level Biology Course Options

For teaching from September 2015

Flatford Mill, located in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, was made famous by the artwork of John

Constable. The Centre has a rich mosaic of lowland landscapes giving rise to a diverse range of habitats, including

unspoiled wetlands, stunning deciduous woodlands, lentic & lotic freshwater environments on the Centre grounds and

salt marsh, coppiced and coniferous woodlands just a stone’s throw away. Only an hour from London and with

excellent road and rail access, the beautiful, historically important Grade I listed 18th century water mill is at the end of

a lane which has no through traffic. It offers visitors of all ages a much sought-after sense of tranquility to complement

a unique outdoor learning environment in combination with workrooms with modern equipment and technology

opportunities.

Our new courses are designed to fit the criteria of the specifications for first teaching in 2015. As such they are designed to:

Incorporate a number of core practicals, apparatus and technique skills, and mathematical skills that students must complete before taking exams. These also go towards the practical endorsement students must complete. The A - level will examine practical skills and can appear in all three final papers.

Cover a wide range of topics from the specification and, in particular, topics 3 and 10 of the Edexcel B specification.

We will also cover a range of mathematical skills that will account for up to 10% of marks in the exam papers

Can also link to the extended project easily which can prepare students for university.





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EDEXCEL B: Classification, Ecosystems and Practical Ecology Skills – 5 day (FM 001)

The order / timings of sessions may be tide and weather dependent

Day AM PM EVE

1 Arrive 1200hrs Settle in to rooms

Welcome to Flatford, hire waterproofs etc. Biodiversity and Ecosystems Starting with a big question about how Flatford has changed over time, through student led discussion and activities, observations of different habitats including wetland, woodland, lake and meadow will be made. Contemporary topics of discussion may include pollution and bioaccumulation, habitat conservation, acid rain monitoring, rare or unusual species, pollination, and climate change. Activities such as ecological field sketching, pit fall trapping, classification challenge, use of collector app and phase 1 habitat surveys to determine communities and log finds will help students to understand the bigger picture of ecology and how real ecologists work. A hypothetical vegetation analysis will be conducted to set the scene for sampling skills later in the course. Tutor to facilitate student led observations and provide answers for student questions.

Classification and Natural Selection - Sustainability at Flatford Mill - Why are you here, what is the FSC? What are our objectives as a charity? -Leading on from the afternoons activities students will be taught about classification and taxonomy. -Students will look at an introduction to the study of ecology - recap ecology definitions and importance - recap classification from earlier in the afternoon and discuss how it helps us to study natural selection - setting personal learning objectives

2 Ecosystems and sampling – Core practical 15 Classification of species – invertebrate/evidence hunt Students collect examples or photos of species or their tracks and signs during initial search of habitat and begin to classify using the Linnaean system of classification, separating out into Kingdom and Phyla and then to as precise a level of classification as possible using visual techniques. Discussion about history of classification and modern techniques of identification and classifying. CP15 – Investigate the effect of different sampling methods on estimates of the size of a population Investigation into the ground cover plants in woodlands using random sampling with grids and systematic sampling with transects. Data collected to include % cover, frequencies to assess abundance and distribution of species. Students calculate appropriate averages and sketch bar charts in the field Brief discussion of group findings and discussion of limitations. Data collated into spreadsheets and analysed using student’s t-test.

Core Practical 11 CP11 – Investigate the presence of different pigments using chromatography Investigate pigments from sun dependent and shade tolerant leaves to understand chromatography

3 Changes in ecosystems: Succession Succession day, Holbrook salt marsh (15mins travel time) Topics - succession theory, identification and adaptations of key species, nutrient cycling, management and conflicts. Students are introduced to the theory of succession. Fieldwork using transects and quadrats from lower marsh to climax community. Adaptations of plants including halophytic adaptations investigated. Data analysis: Simpsons Diversity Spearman’s Rank. Students consider their data in terms of importance and how management can impact succession.

Climate change: By using online and offline research techniques, discussion and presentations students will explore how humans can affect ecosystems. They will have access to big data sets, research materials and activities such as dendrochronology which relate to conservation and natural resources.





The order / timings of sessions may be tide and weather dependent

Specification links, Core Practicals, Assessment Skills & Mathematics

4 Energy Transfer through ecosystems Students collect their own primary data in a freshwater ecosystem to construct pyramids of number, biomass and energy. They will use this to consider efficiency of energy transfer, then compare the data they have with data from other ecosystems.

Chi – squared test Students will collect data allowing them to understand phenotypic variation and how to analyse it in a chi - squared test.

Core practical 16 planning: Students plan a mini investigation in which they complete Core practical 16. This can be used to demonstrate practical competency (CPAC). They will decide on methods, variables and controls etc and discuss this with course tutor

5 Core Practical 16. Students carry out the practical: Investigate the effect of one abiotic factor on the distribution or morphology of one

species. A research and presentation exercise in order to gain full practical endorsement (CPAC) accreditation.

Course ends at 1200hrs

Maths Skills: M0.4: Estimate results (FM 001, 002)

M1.1: Use an appropriate number of significant figures (FM 001, 002) M1.2: Find arithmetic means (FM 001, 002) M1.3: Construct and interpret frequency tables and diagrams and bar charts (FM 001) M1.4: Understand simple probability (FM 001, 002)

M1.5: Understand the principles of sampling as applied to scientific data (FM 001, 002)

M1.6: Understand the terms mean, median and mode (FM 001) M1.7: Use a scatter diagram to identify a correlation between two variables (FM 001, 002) M1.9: Select and use a statistical test (FM 001, 002) M1.10: Understand measures of dispersion (standard deviation) (FM 001, 002) M1.11: Identify uncertainties in measurements (FM 001, 002)

MS2.3: Substitute numerical values into algebraic equations using appropriate units for physical quantities (FM 001, 002) MS3.2: Plot two variables from experimental or other data (FM 001, 002)

Links to: Topic 3: Classification and Biodiversity (FM 001, 002) Topic 10: Ecosystems (FM 001, 002)

Apparatus & Technique Skills: AT1: Use appropriate apparatus to record a range of quantitative measurements (FM 001, 002) AT7: Separate biological compounds using thin layer/paper chromatography (FM 001) AT8: Safely and ethically use organisms to measure plant or animal responses (FM 001, 002) AT11: Use sampling techniques in fieldwork (FM 001, 002) AT12: Use ICT such as computer modelling, or data logger to collect data, or use software to process data (FM 001)





EDEXCEL B: Ecosystems and Core Practicals – 3 day (FM 002)

Please note – for all succession days listed, Holbrook salt marsh is given as the site. In extremely bad tidal conditions, this session will be taught at Shingle Street, a shingle ridge approximately 60 minutes drive from the centre.

"Fieldwork is an essential part of biology and is a compulsory activity as part of the practical skills for Biology. It can also provide opportunities to address the new mathematical requirements and, of course, fieldwork has the power to engage students in a way that complements what they learn in the classroom!" Edexcel Biology examiner

Day AM PM EVE

1 Arrive 1200hrs Settle in to rooms

Welcome to Flatford, hire waterproofs etc. Ecosystems and Energy They will investigate how a woodland ecosystem is supplied with energy, exploring how plants trap and use light energy. They will consider the interactions between organisms and the environment within an ecosystem, and collect data to calculate a species diversity index and an appropriate statistical test.

Advanced Field Surveying: The emphasis of this inspiring session is to introduce students to advanced field surveying skills that they would not otherwise have the time to do at this level of study. All FSC Centres have long term monitoring projects and an extensive range of surveying equipment. Students may use the latest digital technologies to locate and monitor the Centre’s bat populations or light trap to monitor moths within the area. - Setting personal objectives

2 Changes in ecosystems: Succession Succession day, Holbrook salt marsh (15mins travel time) Topics - succession theory, identification and adaptations of key species, nutrient cycling, management and conflicts. Students are introduced to the theory of succession. Fieldwork using transects and quadrats from lower marsh to climax community. Adaptations of plants including halophytic adaptations investigated. Data analysis using: Simpsons Diversity and Spearman’s Rank. Students consider their data in terms of importance and how management can impact succession.

Core practical 16 planning: Students plan a mini investigation in which they complete Core practical 16. This can be used to demonstrate practical competency (CPAC). They will decide on methods, variables and controls etc and discuss this with course tutor.

3 Core Practical 16. Students carry out the practical: Investigate the effect of one abiotic factor on the distribution or morphology of one

species. A research and presentation

exercise in order to gain full practical endorsement (CPAC) accreditation.

Course ends at 1200hrs





What is included in the fee? Up to 10 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 tutors, 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 listed in this booklet can be selected to put together a programme designed to meet the

requirements of your specification. However, if you need something that is not catered for in the field

work investigations, please contact us to discuss possible alternatives.

External Recognition of Quality

Flatford Mill 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 01206 297110

Email us at: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

edexcel b: a-level biology course options · edexcel b a-level biology course programmes fsc...

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